A Photo Finish Hodgepodge

Welcome to another week in The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for your neighbor there because that's what good blog neighbors do. Here we go...

1. Did you watch the Kentucky Derby this past weekend? Have you ever been to a horse race? Ever ridden a horse? Did you enjoy it? Have you ever been to Kentucky? Do you like Bourbon? 

We did watch the Derby. We had an impromptu party which I wrote about in Monday's post (Oh Hey Monday). This year's race was one of the most exciting in a long time, a literal photo finish. I think the winner was over the line by half a hoof. 

I've never been to the Derby, but I have been to a few horse races. When we lived in NJ we used to go to the race at Far Hills every year as guests of someone hubs did business with. It's held in the fall and it's a steeplechase. I always enjoyed it and wrote about it on my blog several times. Off To The Races was the first one. There's more, but is anyone going back to 2011 on my blog to read about a horse race? 

Carry on. 

I've ridden a horse, but it's been a while. I used to ride horses at summer camp. Hubs and I have also had a couple of horseback outings while traveling for some of his work trips, one in St. Lucia and one in Sedona. In St. Lucia they let us take the horses on the beach and that was especially fun. 

St. Lucia, 2002-horesback riding on the beach in my mom jeans 

I've been to Kentucky several times, twice on 'the bourbon trail'. 

I'm not a bourbon drinker but the distilleries are in some very pretty countryside and I enjoyed our visits there. 

2.  What's something you wish you'd placed in a time capsule twenty-five years ago? 

Hmmm, I knew this question sounded familiar. I asked one very similar to it just last year. Oops. The original question when I posted them yesterday said fifteen years ago, but then I switched it to twenty-five. Answer whichever time frame is easiest for you. 

Twenty-five years ago feels like it should be high school but when I do the math I come up with 1999. Can that be right? 

Remember 1999 when we were all a dither about Y2K?  I have a few packs of Pokemon cards that people started trading that year so might include those. Is Pokemon still a thing? 

Or maybe I'd include a phone because I had a big clunky phone in 1999. Or a video camera. Ours was the kind you hoisted on your shoulder which made it look like you worked for a major news network. Probably something tech because 1999 technology was a long way from where we are today. 

3. Are you adventurous? Elaborate. 

Reluctantly lol. And I guess it depends what you mean by 'adventurous'. I'm not going to hang glide, bungee jump, or skydive but I will try other sorts of things some people might find scary. I looked up the definition and Webster says, 'willing to take risks or try out new methods, ideas, or experiences'. 

I did move abroad with two teenagers in the house, traveled solo in Europe a couple of times, ate some unidentifiable something from a styrofoam cup in Taiwan, and will speak comfortably in front of large gatherings of people, so I'm that kind of adventurous

I'm also married to an adventurous person and sometimes I get talked into pulled in to the fun. 

4. Something you want to make this year? It can be a new recipe, craft, diy project, a milestone you've set for yourself...anything at all. 

I have too big goals for putting together some scrapbooks for my grandchildren this year. I've bought some supplies and printed a few pictures but I need to get crackin'.  

5. Cinco de Mayo was also celebrated this past weekend...do you like Mexican food? If so what's your favorite dish? Have you ever been to Mexico?  Margarita-yes or no?

I love Mexican food and enchiladas are probably my favorite. Unless guacamole counts and if yes then that's my favorite favorite. I've been to Mexico several times but have no desire to go there now.

Cancun with friends- 2011

Margarita? Yes please, on the rocks with salt. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Absolute sweetest post I've read in forever on my daughter1's blog Tuesday. It's not about me, but the words feel like a true happy mother's day gift. I've linked it here-Sisters and Mothers.  

Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere~

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 550

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with all your friends and a few strangers too. See you there! 

1. Did you watch the Kentucky Derby this past weekend? Have you ever been to a horse race? Ever ridden a horse? Did you enjoy it? Have you ever been to Kentucky? Do you like Bourbon? 

2.  What's something you wish you'd placed in a time capsule twenty-five years ago? 

3. Are you adventurous? Elaborate. 

4. Something you want to make this year? It can be a new recipe, craft, diy project, a milestone you've set for yourself...anything at all. 

5. Cinco de Mayo was also celebrated this past weekend...do you like Mexican food? If so what's your favorite dish? Have you ever been to Mexico?  Margarita-yes or no?

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

C'est La Vie

I wanted to blog this afternoon, but when I got home I accidentally on purpose turned on my Audible app so I could finish listening to my current read, Demon Copperhead, and holy cow! This book! Who has read it? Barbara Kingsolver's writing is superb. 

Also, that whole first paragraph was written yesterday, but whatever. Trying again today. Friday. TGIF. 

It's gray and rainy-ish here and we've had a busy morning, running errands, getting the dog a much needed and overdue trim, returning some clothes hubs ordered, making a drug store pick up, and then grabbing a few groceries I need for a dish I'm making tomorrow that I forgot to grab yesterday when I was in the very same grocery store. C'est la vie. 

Or at least c'est la vie when you're moi. 

Speaking of life, we've been livin' it, but not blogging about it. February is often that way. Actually 2024 so far has been that way, and when I look at our calendar I don't see things slowing down anytime soon. To bring us up to speed here I think I'm going to look at my phone pics and try to remember what we did last month. This month? Since last I truly blogged. 

Daffodils bloomed. 

They have a short sweet life so it seems worth mentioning. 

Hubs and I had a fun night out in the nearby small big city a couple of weeks ago. We had a fantastic dinner at one of our favorite eateries then spent the evening with David Foster and Katherine McPhee in a cozy venue which was so much fun. 

I don't know if you remember Katherine McPhee but she was a finalist on one of the earliest seasons of American Idol and she's adorable. She has an incredible voice and is now married to the producer David Foster who is her senior by several decades. So much talent between them. He's quite the charmer (she's his fifth wife) and he definitely knows it, but seeing him in a venue like this, where they combined music and conversation, you could see the charm. It was a really entertaining evening and we enjoyed it a lot. 

We've been tackling a few small projects around the house, mostly getting people here to tell us how much it will cost to do this or that, and just gonna say it's all a lot. No such thing as a truly small projet it seems.

C'est la vie. 

We need a dead tree removed which is one of my least favorite but most necessary things to spend money on. And as long as they're here taking out a dead tree we'll have them limb up some of the tall trees that need limbing up. That's what you do at the lake. Limb up to better see the water, while still having some nice tall trees for shade.

The boat guys (they likely have a title but are the 'boat guys' to me) finally came and got the boat today for a minor repair and oil change. Minor being a relative term of course, ahem. We have a little scratch that needs to be un-scratched and the time is right because summer is coming. Can you believe it??? 

I guess technically spring is up next, but summer's racing in too. We've been on the boat guys books for the past three weeks but every time they get us scheduled the skies open up and we have to re-schedule. They made it out today, but just barely. 

I've been wanting to add some wallpaper to one of the lower level bathrooms and when I pulled out the sample I ordered two years ago it didn't grab me like it did back then. 

I know!! Two years!! 

In my defense a lot of life has happened here in the past two years (three babies for starters), so some of our more minor 'want-to-do' projects were moved down a notch or two on the ever growing, never-ending 'still -to-do' list. 

C'est la vie. 

On the bright side, maybe I would have tired of that pattern if I'd gone ahead with it? I've ordered a completely different sample and am happier with the look. Now to hire someone to do the actual hanging because that is not my gift. I've actually gotten a couple of recommendations so hopefully this project gets done before I change my mind again. 

I've recently had several canvases made for the wall in my office that's been crying out for something to be hung there ever since we added the shiplap. Which was probably also a couple of years ago. 

C'est la vie. 

Just waiting on delivery of the last two canvases, which should be next week. Then hubs will get out his tape measure and his level and will rattle my nerves with his need for precisely precise precision, but he will get them hung. Perfectly. 

What else? We've played cards with the neighbors, celebrated a friend's birthday,  listened to live music in the local pub, I've bought birthday presents and Easter treats, mailed packages, selected and signed a lot of cards (a lot!!), cleaned out my pantry (the real deal... as in emptied it all out, wiped it all down, tossed the stale crackers, and started fresh). I made a big Costco run (is there any other kind?), had my yearly skin check at the dermatologist, face-timed, volunteered, mah jong-ed, bible studied, and I don't know what else. 

Things. Stuff. Details. 

We went and did and read and watched and talked and planned and helped and played and prayed and slept and ate and laughed and loved. 

C'est la vie.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 540

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. February is coming to a close. Give us a two-word phrase that tells us something about how yours went.

2. If you had to describe how you're feeling right now as an amusement park ride, what ride are you on? Explain. 

3. What's something on your desk or a nearby wall that cheers you up when you see it or walk past? 

4.  Are you a salad eater? How many salads do you typically eat in a week? Your favorite kind of salad? 

5. Without telling us the category give us your top five ______________. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Puzzling Over The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. January 29th is National Puzzle Day. Do you enjoy puzzles? What kind (crossword, jigsaw, sudoku, etc)?  How often do you work a puzzle? 

I love puzzles, word puzzles more than jigsaw but I like those too. I work a puzzle of some sort every day. My favorites are crosswords and logic puzzles. 

2. Something you currently find puzzling? 

Honestly I look around and the list is long. Just one thing? 

How in our country today the desire for a secure border somehow means you lack compassion.  

3. What's your go-to dish to take to someone who needs a meal (new baby, bereavement, etc)? 

It kind of depends on the occasion and the family size. I made four meals for my daughter's freezer so she'll have something easy when the baby arrives. I made chicken and rice soup, beef stew, baked ziti, and chicken spaghetti. Chicken spaghetti is one of my go to meals for someone in need. 

4. Do you watch any HGTV and/or The Food Network? If so, what's your favorite program there? 

I watch now and then. I enjoy watching people cook, but I don't watch any of the Junior versions of cooking programs (featuring kids). My favorite 'food' show is The Great British Baking Show which is on Netflix. I love Home Town on HGTV mostly because I admire their mission and think Ben and Erin are super adorable. 

5.  Wrap up your January in five words, with a five word phrase, or with a five word sentence. 

Wait, what? It's over? Whoa!  

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Not a lot of random to share today. Or maybe too much? Happy Wednesday everyone! 

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A Ragtag Post

We finally had a quiet at home weekend doing a whole lot of very little which was long overdue. Also not much to blog about, but of course I'm blogging anyway. C'est la vie. 

Hubs had been duck hunting all week and didn't get home until very late Friday night. His trip meant I had four whole entire days in the house by myself which, if you're livin' the retired life, you know is rare. And also appreciated now and then.

Hi hubs! I'm glad you're home. 

It's okay, he gets me lol. Celebrating 40 years of married life this June so yeah, he gets me. 

Back to last week...I'd naturally made a lot of overly ambitious plans (in my head) with hopes of completing some small organizational projects, and got exactly none completed. Oh I did plenty, I just couldn't quite get to my mental list which is still there, still rolling around my brain. 

Here are my excuses...

I said I had the house to myself but that's only partly true. The little brown dog was here keeping me company, pining for his favorite mister, racing to the window every time someone pulled down the driveway thinking maybe it was him, needing to go outside in the ridiculous pouring rain which meant I had to go outside in the ridiculous pouring rain, and then I had to get out the towels and the brush and the dryer and do all the things hubs normally does when it rains and the dog needs tending

Hi hubs! I'm glad you're home. 

What else....hmmm...here's something...I talked on the phone. A lot. Not a bad thing as a friend I hadn't spoken to in about a year and a half called and two hours later we were almost all caught up. Then one daughter called, then my mom called, then another daughter called and before I knew what was happening the clock said noon and I was still in my jammies. 

Which is fine, but it's not me, and it throws off my mojo aka my enthusiasm to begin a project. Let's watch HGTV instead, k? 

I still had my usual weekly to-dos like groceries and laundry and bible study on Wednesday and volunteering on Thursday and I got my nails done because priorities people. And I did manage to get beds changed from the last set of houseguests and some lingering bits of Christmas put away with the exception of two nutcrackers whose boxes have to be hunted down. 

Yes. Christmas. I told you, it's been a whirlwind. 

In other news I didn't kill any plants while he was away. Hubs babies the plants here in his efforts to keep outdoor plants alive indoors throughout the winter and I did not let him down. 

I put down a book I was reading and picked up another. Life is too short to read books that are just eh. Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson. I enjoy her writing but I was not getting this one at all. It's a series of stories which I thought were going to be related somehow but I was four stories in and it just wasn't happening. Moving on to Demon Copperhead  by Barbara Kingsolver, which is our March book club selection. 

Hubs and I are also listening to an audible of The Wager : A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann (author of Killers of The Flower Moon). We started this one on the windy curvy drive to Tennessee a couple of weeks ago and had to turn it off because the description of the rough and rolling sea and the conditions the sailors lived in was making me car sick. It doesn't take much. 

Back to my excuses...I cooked. A lot. I didn't eat what I cooked but I did freeze three meals to take to my daughter. Her friends are wonderful and I know will bring food in the early days, but these meals are for that day down the road when the baby is fussy and the toddler needs his momma, and she cannot face making dinner. 

I guess I did more than I thought. 

Hubs spent the weekend getting his hunting gear cleaned and put away and then I washed all the hunting clothes and got my own stuff organized so I'm ready to go to my daughter's when it's time. We had a rainy Saturday so we finished watching the second season of Reacher. We liked it, a bit corny and totally unbelievable in spots, but still we liked it. I'd booked us a date night dinner for Saturday at a restaurant we'd never been to and it was a lovely night out.

Question-when you're retired empty nesters do you still need date nights? 

Yes. Yes you do. We go out all the time, but often it's with other couples or groups of people or to events of one kind or another, and date night is dedicated let's talk about us time. 

We watched all the football today and I guess Taylor Swift is going to the Superbowl lol. What a year she's had, of course she'll be at the Superbowl. Personally I think everyone should calm down about Taylor and direct their outrage toward things going on in our own country and the world at large that are genuinely worthy of outrage. 

I didn't take any pictures all weekend but here's a snapshot of hubs plants, blooming and growing and bringing joy on the grayest of days. 

May we all do the same. 

It's Hodgepodge Time

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge, our final HP in the month of November. Not December. Next week we're in to December but let's not hurry, k? If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and leave a comment for your neighbor there. Here we go- 

1. Does anybody really know what day it is? Last week we skipped the Hodgepodge and I just assumed this week would find us in December, but nope. Still November. Do you wear a watch? Use a paper calendar or strictly electronic? What's your favorite hour of the day? Why? 

I'm really off track with what day it is because whenever we're traveling on a Monday it feels like I'm a day behind at home. Do I wear a watch? Not anymore. I had a watch for many years that I absolutely loved. It was a gift from hubs decades ago and I had it tuned up/repaired a couple of times through the maker (Raymond Weil), but there was no more fixing. I thought I'd get another watch, but haven't so far. I use my phone, but I do miss my watch. Hubs wants to get me an Apple Watch but I'm not sure. My watch was jewelry and I'm just not sure I want to 'wear' a device. 

I use a paper calendar, because I love paper. I love stationery and beautiful fonts and pretty papers and colorful pens, and while I do keep appointments on my phone calendar I operate mostly from my 'day timer'. It's not a Day-Timer product, the one I like best is put out by Our Daily Bread, but it's the size I like, it's spiral bound, and it has both week and month at a glance.

My favorite hour of the day is the first one. 

2. Tell us something about how you celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. 

I'm planning to dedicate a whole post to recapping Thanksgiving, so for now I'll just share how the day began-

With these apple cider donuts my daughter made from scratch. Yum! 

3. What's a sound you hate to hear? 

Loud chewing.

4. Where do you not mind waiting? 

Honestly now that we all walk around with hand held computers waiting isn't quite the annoyance it once was. I don't mind waiting at home. If we're not ready to go I can find something to do. 

5. I really wish____________________________________. 

hmm...many things...do I go deep or stay on the surface....

I really wish I had a beach trip on my calendar. 

Surface it is. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We had friends over for dinner recently and I made an Angel Pie for dessert. I don't know if that's the official name, but that's what it's always been called in our house. It's been a long time since I've baked one of these and I'd forgotten how completely scrumptious the taste. Our version of Angel Pie has a meringue crust-

...filled with a delicate vanilla cream-

                     

...topped with fresh whipped cream and shaved German chocolate-

This pie doesn't travel well, so it's best to make and serve in your own home. It looks like it weighs a thousand pounds, but y'all it is so light and so delicious. 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 525

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. Besides Thanksgiving (in the USA) what's one thing you're looking forward to in November? 

2. Do you like candles? Your favorite scent? How often do you burn a candle in your home? 

3. What gadgets did you use today? 

4. This question is a repeat from one asked in November of 2014, but I liked it so it's coming round again. Many of you weren't here in 2014. Okay, you can have fifty pounds of something (anything but money)...what will you choose? Also, since I mentioned it...what were you up to in November of 2014? 

5. 'Tis the season...what's something you're feeling especially grateful for today? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A Cup Of Pumpkin Spice Hodgepodge

Welcome to another week in The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and leave a comment for your neighbor there. Here we go...

1. What's something that scares you? 

Besides our government you mean? I kid. Sort of. 

I'm going with bats. They give me the heebie jeebies. 

2. Do you care where the food you eat comes from? To what degree? 

Do I care? Yes. I read labels, am on the lookout for the GM tag and do my best to steer clear, we eat very little processed foods, and if I were ever to have dinner with Bill Gates I'd tell him real meat only please, none of that synthetic stuff he thinks Americans should be eating. 

Just to be clear, Bill Gates is not someone I'd care to have dinner with. 

3. What's something you wish you'd spent more time doing when you were younger? 

Oh wow, lots of things I suppose, but realizing that is part of growing up. A few things that come to mind would be speaking French, asking my dad about his childhood, keeping up with a journal, and learning to play the piano. A few more serious bits too but I don't think they're for sharing here. 

4. Let's play autumn this or that....pumpkin spice or apple cider? Corn maze or haunted house? Horror film or Hallmark movie? Blanket or sweatshirt? Watch football or watch the World Series? Foliage-red, yellow or orange? 

I'm not a pumpkin spice fan at all so cider it is. I've never cared for the scary elements of Halloween so I'll go for the corn maze. I definitely don't watch any horror movies, but it's also a rare day I watch a Hallmark movie so really neither. Hallmark if I have to choose. I love a cozy blanket, and college football is what fall Saturdays are all about. As far as the foliage goes, I love a mix of all three colors. 

5. This time last year where were you and what were you doing? 

This time last year hubs and I had just returned from a fabulous trek up the coast of California (mucho posts about that trip starting with the link here).

On the first Tuesday in October of 2022 we were finally back in the southland. I spent that morning in the orthopedic surgeon's office having my fractured elbow assessed. Good times. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

October, 2023. It's not the coast of California...

...but it's awfully pretty here too. 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 522

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What's something that scares you? 

2. Do you care where the food you eat comes from? To what degree? 

3. What's something you wish you'd spent more time doing when you were younger? 

4. Let's play autumn this or that....pumpkin spice or apple cider? Corn maze or haunted house? Horror film or Hallmark movie? Blanket or sweatshirt? Watch football or watch the World Series? Foliage-red, yellow or orange? 

5. This time last year where were you and what were you doing? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A Cat-chy Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. August 8th is National Cat Day. Do you own a cat? Are you a 'cat person'? Your favorite 'famous' cat?

We're dog people here. I'm allergic to cats so have never owned one as a pet. Certain breeds seem to bother me more than others. When we visit family with cats they always clean thoroughly ahead of time, and keep their cats out of sight. 

My favorite cat?  Sylvester. My hubs does a great imitation too. 

2. Cat nap-copycat-scaredy cat-curiosity killed the cat-cat got your tongue-like herding cats...which cat phrase applies to your life in some way currently? Explain. 

Well I'm all about a cat nap so let's go with that one. 

3. What's your favorite or most- often-made one pot meal? 

I made a sheet pan dinner last night which is what inspired this question. My favorite one pot meal is homemade soup or chili. Those two dishes are also my most often made, and one of the things I love best about the changing seasons. It's almost soup time! 

4. What do you wish you'd placed in a time capsule fifteen years ago? 

My passport. It was chock-a block full of stamps and visas from so many fabulous travel destinations, not to mention the countless entries/exits to and from the UK recorded there. I loved getting my passport stamped and wish that was still a thing. The last foreign travel I did was South Korea in 2019, and they didn't stamp. Most destinations now create a digital record of your entry which isn't nearly as much fun. 

5. Your favorite hour of the day? Tell us why. 

The first one. As I've said here no less than a hundred times I am a big fan of the sunrise. I love early morning silence and the promise and possibility a new day brings. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Whatcha reading? My book club met yesterday and discussed the novel Honor by Thrity Umrigar. The subject matter is heavy, but everyone gave it a favorable review. Last month we read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, which I loved. The central characters are video game designers which sounds like the last thing I'd want to read about, but the writing and character development were superb. 

Other titles I've read recently and enjoyed include Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt, Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro, and Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Issacson (strap in because its heavy on detail and is not short...it is fascinating though). 

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 515

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. August 8th is National Cat Day. Do you own a cat? Are you a 'cat person'? Your favorite 'famous' cat?

2. Cat nap-copycat-scaredy cat-curiosity killed the cat-cat got your tongue-like herding cats...which cat phrase applies to your life in some way currently? Explain. 

3. What's your favorite or most- often-made one pot meal? 

4. What do you wish you'd placed in a time capsule fifteen years ago? 

5. Your favorite hour of the day? Tell us why. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 500

Whoohoo! We've hit our 500th episode here in The Wednesday Hodgepodge, so go us! Answer today's questions on your own blog, then race back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. Last time you drove/flew 500 miles (ish)? What's a place you'd like to visit that lies approximately 500 miles from your current location? 

2. Tell us about a time recently it felt like you were 'racing against the clock'. 

3. Have you ever attended any really large sporting events? What was your impression of the experience?  

The Superbowl, The Kentucky Derby, The World Series, FIFA World Cup, The Indianapolis 500, The Daytona 500, The Olympics, The Masters, Wimbledon, The Boston Marathon, March Madness, Tour de France, Monaco's Grand Prix, The Open (golf), The Ryder Cup, The Stanley Cup Finals..of the events listed which would you most like to attend in person? Or maybe one that's not listed? 

4. Are you an iced tea drinker? If so, do you drink it year round, or only in the spring and summer months? Do you make your own or buy it bottled? Sweet or unsweet? Flavored? Lemon or no lemon? How about a Long Island Iced Tea? 

5. April 20th is Volunteer Recognition Day...do you volunteer in some way? Tell us about it. If not, tell us about a volunteer you appreciate. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Hodgepodge For Nineteen Points

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. That's how the Hodgepodge rolls. Here we go-

1. April 13th is National Scrabble Day...are you a fan? Do you enjoy word games in general? What's an eight letter word that tells us something about your life currently? 

I love words games, Scrabble included. An eight letter word that tells you something about my life currently-abundant, which is only 10 points at face value but more than 30 if I can play it on a triple word score. 

Some of you have no idea lol. 

2.  Do you have a junk drawer? Is it full? Do you know what's in it? What's in it? 

Doesn't everyone have a junk drawer? It's not jam packed but it's got a nice collection of miscellaneous items in there that you need when you need. Keys, a tape measure, a lighter, scotch tape, hand lotion and gum. 

3. When does time pass quickly for you? When does it pass slowly? 

Quickly-when my girls are in the house

Slowly-sitting in the dental chair

4. These eight vegetables are in season during spring-asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, garlic, herbs. What's your favorite? Any on the list you refuse to eat? Last one on the list you ate? 

There's nothing on the list I won't eat, but my favorite is probably garlic. The last thing on this list I ate would be carrots in a pot pie Monday night. 

5. What's the oldest thing you own? Tell us about it. 

We have several antiques but I'm not sure which one's the oldest. Probably our clock. We bought it in a small village near our home when we lived in England and it's a sweet reminder of the time we spent there. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My mom is here for the week so daughter2 trekked over with sweet baby J so they could spend some time together.

Love across the generations is such a gift. 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 499

It's that time again...here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. April 13th is National Scrabble Day...are you a fan? Do you enjoy word games in general? What's an eight letter word that tells us something about your life currently?

2.  Do you have a junk drawer? Is it full? Do you know what's in it? What's in it? 

3. When does time pass quickly for you? When does it pass slowly? 

4. These eight vegetables are in season during spring-asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, garlic, herbs. What's your favorite? Any on the list you refuse to eat? Last one on the list you ate? 

5. What's the oldest thing you own? Tell us about it. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

There Once Was A Hodgepodge On Wednesday

Welcome to another edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1.Why do you blog? Have your reasons changed over time? 

I've been blogging a little over 14 years now, which sounds like forever. So many world and life changes during that time, and I'm grateful to have recorded my thoughts on those changes, events, and then some, here on the blog. I still enjoy blogging, still enjoy writing, still enjoy interacting with other bloggers. I don't think my reasons for blogging have changed all that much. There are far fewer bloggers now than when I first got started, but my favorite to read are still the blogs that give a glimpse of the everyday ordinary lives people are living. 

2. What's a typical Friday night look like at your house?

It varies. When hubs and I were first 'empty nesters' my rule was no cooking on Friday nights. Now that we're retired and everyday is Saturday (sort of) I don't hold as tightly to that rule. We're very often out on Thursday evenings and if that's been the case then I like to be home on a Friday night. 

3. Do you like donuts? Your favorite kind? How often do you treat yourself to a donut? Have you ever made homemade donuts? 

I like donuts but they're kind of heavy so I have one very rarely. Hubs is something of a donut connoisseur and would happily indulge every week. My favorite is a sour cream donut with jelly being a close second. The kind with granulated sugar on top though, not powdered sugar. I can't handle the mess. 

4. How do you feel about shopping?Are you an online shopper? Catalog shopper? Brick and mortar shopper? Do you order groceries online or prefer to select items with your own two hands? 

We live in a rural area so not a lot of big name shopping out here. Some, but not a lot. If I'm shopping in person I prefer smaller boutique type venues. I get quite a few catalogs, but never order directly from there. If I see something I want in a catalog I always go to the website, read details and reviews, hunt for a coupon, and then order online if I'm ordering at all. 

We don't have grocery delivery here and I honestly prefer to select items with my own two hands. Literally. Hubs says I need to touch every pepper before deciding on just the right one lol. 

5. Next week's Hodgepodge finds us somehow in the month of April, which just so happens to be National Poetry Month. Sum up (or tell us something about) your month of March in the form of a limerick. You can do it!! 

There once was a Nana to four

These children she did so adore

The whole gang was here

Twas a spring break to cheer, 

Til the stomach flu knocked at her door. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My sister was in town for a quick trip Tuesday, doing a college tour with her son, and also accompanying my mom to the Palmetto State so my mom can visit her Southern offspring for a couple of weeks. It was a beautiful day, sunny...perfect for catching up in person. 

We're still us. 

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End Of The Month Kinds Of Thoughts

Raise your hand if you say Feb-RU-ary in your head every single time you have to write the word. 

I don't know about you but I feel like this month has absolutely flown by. We packed a lot in (always I know!!) but still I can't believe it's March. Gonna mention just a few little happies here before the calendar page turns, so in no particular order....

Daffodils. 

Ours are in full bloom on the side hill and they lift my spirits every time I pull down the drive. It's the first real sign of spring here and I love it. 

Also, between you and me, pollen is the other first real sign of spring here, and we're seeing the beginning of that too. Pollen is truly a season all its own in this part of the country, but we're talking happies today so let's move on. 

Amaryllis.

Y'all my hubs has somehow kept this plant alive and blooming for several seasons now. This plant was given to my daughter by one of her students back in 2020, and it tipped over in her car on the way home causing a big section to break off. And all the dirt to spill in her car, but hubs took care of that too. She was going to trash the plant but hubs came to it's rescue and she's such a beauty. This year he also gave several bulbs from our plant to a neighbor and his is thriving too. 

Jesus Revolution. 

Hubs and I went to see this film over the weekend and we both absolutely loved it. A powerful story and  so well done. It's the kind of film that stays on your heart and mind even when it's over. In a nutshell this is the true story of a national spiritual awakening in the early 70's that originated within the teenage hippie community in Southern California. So good!! Go see it. 

The morning sky. 

February ending with a flourish...

Let's all keep calm and March on. 

Picking Up Where We Left Off

Sort of. 

When last we spoke on the blog it was the second day of a brand new year, and now here we are rolling in to February. I might need to jump in somewhere in the middle.  

I know many people dislike January, and there are all sorts of memes about how January is 85 days long, but around here we need a January. We need time to catch our breath, rest, walk, think, figure out our calendars, and come up with a plan to organize this new year. 

We have mostly succeeded. 

I mean we definitely rocked the resting part and honestly that was the main thing. 
We were tired. 

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."-Edith Sitwell

January here means reading books and watching HGTV curled up under a blanket. It's calling a friend I hadn't spoken to in a long while and taking care of a significant car repair. It's scheduling a couple of (hopefully) minor home repairs that need doing and it's dealing with the small mountain of paperwork that accumulated while we were holiday-ing and not January-ing.

It's spending a low key weekend out of town, saying cheers to a new year with old friends, and then everyone taking a mid-day siesta because they can. 

It's a walk in the woods on a crisp blue sky day and a swim in the lake right after...

That last bit is maybe not for everyone but some of us live for a swim in the lake. 

Mostly January says it's okay to be a little bit lazy after months of non-stop doing and I'm here to tell you it felt good. Better than good actually because we are not meant to go and do without adding a little slow and easy into the mix too. 

Last week hubs went with some buds on their annual duck hunt so daughter2 and her little guy drove over to spend the week with Nana. Her hubs was traveling for work so the timing was perfect and I absolutely loved having my girl in the house. We might have gone to bed at a ridiculously early hour every single night, but we still enjoyed chatting about all manner of things throughout the day, sipping tea by the fire, and playing cards. 

Speaking of perfect...

Be still my heart. 

This little man is just so precious. He literally lights up a room, a day, your whole entire life, with his bright blue eyes and his gentle disposition. Wednesday we drove over to my sister and brother-in-law's house because my sister is also over the moon for this little cutie and needed to see him. 

Who can blame her? 

I was reminded this week how long the days can feel when you are momma to tiny humans. Life revolves around their waking and sleeping and you learn to let go of your own agenda and needs in order to first meet theirs. 

What a special joy it is to watch my grown up girls be mommas to their littles. To realize we're not just mother and daughter any more...

...we're mother and mother too. 

Hoping your January brought peace and rest, order and energy, stillness and warmth, to the beginning of this brand new year. 

So What's New?

Besides the year I mean? Are you like me where it takes you about ten days in to find your rhythm post-holidays? I made peace with that years ago and honestly don't feel any pressure to have a long list of resolutions ready to go on Day 1. Nor do I feel any urgency to jump back into all the things or even to put up/clean up Christmas. 

Although as it happens, today I did do a bit of de-Christmasing. My plan was just to get all the ornaments off the inside tree, but one thing led to another and both trees are now un-decorated, the main tree is out of the house, Christmas dishes have been swapped out for the everyday ordinary (mostly...there's always a stray or two that hang out in the dishwasher), many many many towels have been washed, dried, and folded, and the furniture we rearranged to make room for our big Christmas crew is back where it resides the other eleven months of the year. 

Hubs and I had a mostly quiet New Year's Eve. We spent a couple of hours catching up with our neighbors, watched a lot of exciting college football, took some walks and some naps and did the tag-team thing we've almost perfected after nearly 40 years of marriage where he vacuums and I strip the beds and then I make him a BLT and he makes me popcorn and we talk about how cute our grandchildren are and how busy and how much we love having everyone here and how we also love just us. 

Yesterday I cleaned out my pantry which had gone totally rogue over the holidays and it makes me so happy to open the doors and see it all nicely organized. I was going to clean out my frig today, but I didn't have the energy for a full 'take it all apart' kind of clean. I settled for emptying all the bits of left overs and running the dishwasher. 

Tomorrow is another day filled with new mercies and enough grace to carry us through. 

I know some people like to charge into a new year as if it's something to be conquered, but I prefer a gentler approach. No big leaps, just do the next thing that needs doing while I contemplate what exactly I want this year to be and how I want to fill my days. 

I need to take some deep breaths at the start of a new year. Carve out time to pray and regroup here at home. I'll likely make a few plans and then remind myself not to hold them too tightly, and I'll let a few or maybe a hundred ideas bounce around my brain to see what sticks. 

Some people declare the first month of the year no-wine January. I'm declaring it no Hodgepodge January. I need some space right now to do all of the above so I'm taking a mini-break from the regularly scheduled random to make room for other kinds of random. The Hodgepodge will be back February 1st, which conveniently lands on a Wednesday. 

Wishing you a new year filled with lots of peace and joy...

 With pinky pink sunrise skies reminding us He's got the whole world in His hands. 

Time For The Hodgepodge

Another week, another Hodgepodge. Just a reminder there will not be a Hodgepodge next week (3/30) as I need a breather. We'll be back the following week, April 6th. Time flies doesn't it? 

Anyhoo, we're here this week with a brand new set of questions. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What's something you never seem to have enough time for? 

Big organizational projects. Do I not have enough time or do I not make the time? Hmmm... I suppose I have all the time in the world but I prioritize other things over these things so they don't get always get done. For one thing I feel like a need a big chunk of time for these projects and I don't often have an uninterrupted big chunk of time.  I have an hour here and a couple of hours there and I don't like to try to do a big project in tiny little pieces. 

I need to learn to like doing big projects in tiny little pieces. 

2. If you could turn back time and relive just one day in your life, which day would you choose and why? 

This is a hard question. For starters I would never want to actually turn back time. The idea of that is a little bit frightening, knowing what we know, playing timekeeper of the universe when the universe already has the perfect Timekeeper. For the sake of answering though, I'll play along. 

When I started to really think about this question it felt familiar. Then I remembered I had written an entire post on this topic seven years ago (seven!!) so rather than re-invent the wheel I'll link it here. I re-read it and the sentiment still rings true. Here ya go-

Play It Again Or Maybe Don't 

3. Something you enjoy making that takes a long time to prepare/cook? 

There's a buttercream candy I make at Christmas time that takes a long time to put together. Each piece is hand dipped and you can usually tell which ones were towards the end of the process because they are somewhat less than perfect.  The recipe makes close to 100 so I generally run out of patience before I run out of chocolate. 

My family says they're worth it. 

4. A time recently where you needed/gave yourself a 'time out'? How do you do that? 

A time out for me generally involves filling my bathtub all the way up with steaming hot water, dimming the lights, and soaking until all the crankies have dissolved. It happens at least once a week. A hot bath is good for what ails you, the physical and the mental. 

5. Something you've done recently that you'd describe as a 'good time'? 

We had a fun weekend showering Daughter2 with love and baby boy goodies. I wrote about it in a post here- Shower The People You Love With Love

Y'all didn't have anything to do today but read my blog, right? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

One fun thing I forgot to mention in my shower post was my wrapping paper. Stay with me, because it was super special. 

When I was going through my gift wrap station (aka the bags and bins in the attic) my eye landed on a roll of paper that looked familiar. I pulled it out only to discover it wasn't wrapping paper at all, but rather a roll of wallpaper from a baby girl's very first bedroom. The one we brought her home to. The one my dad spent one whole entire day getting the pattern to line up just exactly right. 

This one-

I don't know how this roll ended up in the gift wrap 'station' but what fun it was to wrap baby boy's gift in his momma's nursery wall covering. 

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

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