{Hopeful Steps into October // A Fall Hodgepodge}

It’s time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge, and I am loving this week's questions!! All things fall, food, and country! Just three of my very favorite things. Let’s jump into the questions...

1. What's your favorite fall scent? Would we find this in or around your home right now?

Anything pumpkin! We are big fans of scents that smell like a home-cooked dessert over here. Nathan doesn’t like many of the perfume-type candles because they are too strong, so we stick to all the food scents. Right now, we are burning a Pumpkin Waffles candle and it is heavenly. The best part...it was actually homemade by my aunt! She makes the best candles, and this one has my whole house smelling like a bakery. It makes me want to whip up some pumpkin bread or a batch of muffins. Give me all the cozy fall and baked-good scents...they make home feel even more warm and inviting.

2. October is Country Music Month...are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville? In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse?

I grew up on country music...it used to be all that I listened to. These days, I don’t listen to much secular music, but if I do, it’s always 80s or 90s country. In my opinion, that was the best era of country music. George Strait, Alabama, Dolly, Oak Ridge Boys, The Judds, Kenny Rogers...so many of my favorites come from that time. There’s just something about those songs that feels like home.

I’ve been to Nashville many times. My grandparents lived in Tennessee, so we would visit them and often venture out to see more of the state. Most of the time that meant Memphis, Nashville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. I always loved Nashville, it’s fun and full of life, but I don’t think I could ever live in a big city. I’m not much of a city girl at heart. Give me country acres, wide open skies, sunsets that stop you in your tracks, and backroads that take you the long way home. That’s my kind of life.

3. How about 'country cooking'?

I live in the South where country cooking is just part of life. I say that half-joking, but it really is a big part of who we are. Around here we love a good chicken fried steak with cream gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, fried okra, cornbread, and fluffy biscuits. And of course, it all gets washed down with a big ol’ mason jar of sweet tea. There’s just something comforting about southern cooking...it feels like a hug from the inside out.

4. What's something that always has a positive impact on your mood?

I really do try to live on the positive side of things. God has blessed me with so much, and it’s important to me to live in gratitude and joy. But there are definitely things that instantly lift my spirits and bring a smile to my face...spending time in the Word, being with my family and friends, cheering on Mason as a hockey mom, catching a Texas sunset or sunrise, taking a drive down the backroads, thrifting, being creative and blogging, watching the people I love thrive, seeing strangers turning to God, worship music, church, traveling and camping, gardening...the list goes on. It doesn’t take much when you slow down and notice all the little gifts God sprinkles throughout the day.

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you.

• Noun: Hockey rink...because so much of September was spent bundled up in the stands cheering Mason on.

• Verb: Soak...because I was soaking in all the family time, sunsets, and little adventures.

• Adjective: Hopeful...because I’m stepping into fall with a heart full of gratitude and anticipation for all that’s ahead.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

As we step into October, I can’t help but pray over this new month...

Lord, thank You for the gift of a new season. Thank You for the beauty of fall, the cooler air, the colorful leaves, and the slower pace that reminds us to pause and rest in You. I pray this month brings peace, joy, and opportunities to draw nearer to You. Bless our families, our friends, and our communities. Keep us safe in our comings and goings. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on You through every change and every day. May we savor the simple gifts and see Your hand in all of it. Amen.

That’s a wrap on this week’s Hodgepodge! 🍂 How would you answer these questions?

Linking up with Joyce