A Juicy Hodgepodge

Actually it's not that juicy but I needed a title. Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. So glad you've decided to join the fun here today. Add your link at the end of my post, and be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you. That's what good neighbors do. Here we go-

1. What was your after school routine like when you were a kid? 

If we're talking about elementary school then life was simple. We walked home with our friends, my mom would give us a snack and we'd chat about our day, and then I think we mostly played, rode bikes, that sort of thing until dinner. 

I don't think we had a lot of homework in elementary school, at least not the early years. I do remember a lot of homework in sixth grade, which was still part of elementary school where I grew up. My mom worked part time as a librarian when we got a little older, but I think it was only on Tuesdays we let ourselves in. I had my younger sister with me so wasn't alone, and it wasn't for long. 

There weren't a ton of activities. That's me on the left and my younger sister on the right. Is she holding my hand or is she trying to place herself in front of me in the photo. You decide lol. I was a brownie and girl scout and took ballet but other than that life revolved mostly around the kids in the neighborhood (of which there were many), activities and church, and lots of imaginative play both indoors and out. 

When I was 13 I started babysitting for an hour or two right after school for the little girl across the street. Her dad got home sometime between 4 and 5, but her mom was a nurse and left for her shift around 3, so it was an easy job. Plus the people were great to me and the little girl was a sweetheart. 

2. January 26 is National Green Juice Day ( I guess it's true everything really does have it's day). Do you juice, as in make your own in an attempt to get healthy? Do you do the green juices? What's your favorite kind of juice (home blended or store bought, either one)? 

I don't juice and we don't have a juice bar in our town. It feels like a lot of fuss to do at home. I like juice but haven't really investigated the green varieties. My favorite  is cranberry. 

3. What's something trivial about which you have a strong opinion? 

How my groceries are bagged. Hubs gets annoyed at how over the top I am when I put the items on the belt, but I know some of the baggers load them as they come, and I do my best to prevent nonsense from happening. Put all the cold items with the cold items. Don't put milk and ten cans of something in a single flimsy bag. f

And yes, I know this is an absolute first world problem. I will say my daughter was shocked at the total when we checked out on Sunday. 

4. What do you need more of in your life? Less of? 

More of? Jesus

Less of? Dust and dog hair. Not very deep I know, but keeping it real. I've been off my game for the past week, have a houseful of people, and hubs (chief vacuum-er here) has been away so ugh. The floors need attention. 

5. Give us three adjectives to describe your January.

cold (original, right?), reset (mostly used as a verb I know, but it fits my January), and mellifluous (your word of the day)

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Fire + water for a January win...

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

Hail to the Hodgepodge

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (January 22) to share answers with the rest of the world wide webbers. See you there! 

1. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)? 

One of my favorites would for sure be the winter of 2005 when we took a family trip to Seefeld Austria. It was one of those trips where everything felt nearly perfect, from the location, the weather, the activity level, the accommodations, and the food. I wrote a little bit about it in this post-Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Ski Jumpers

Speaking of babies...look at these two teenagers from way back when...

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

Hmmm...just got my tax organizer and anything tax related feels like red tape to me. I breeze through parts of it but there are a few questions that always send my frustration level soaring. I expect it which is why I haven't tackled it yet. 

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favorite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing? 

I love fish, all kinds and fixed many different ways. I don't know if I have a favorite but if sea bass  is on the menu I will likely order that. If we're including shellfish in this category then the answer is easy-Maryland blue crabs picked and eaten on a picnic table beside the water. 

Hubs doesn't like the smell of fish cooking in the house, but we do seafood on the grill fairly often, particularly salmon, shrimp, and scallops. I have never been ice fishing. 

4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics? 

I did watch a lot of the coverage. History being made in real time. I'm interested in politics but they also make my stomach churn so I have to limit my consumption. I will say I'm an 8. 

I keep up with local politics and while I'm not involved in them I do vote in every election, no matter how small. 

5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so? 

Hubs knows what I'm going to say and he's probably laughing, but also it is not his favorite thing in my wardrobe. 

My bathrobe. So so cozy. I put it on and instantly feel better. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Daughter2 arrived with her two littles today (Tuesday) joining her sister who's been here since last Thursday with her three littles, and it's not crazy at all...

Nobody in this crowd has a small personality, including the mommas lol. So much fun! 

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Hello Monday Musings

Good Monday morning everyone. How was your weekend? Ours was cold, really cold for South Carolina. We had snow on Friday which is a rare treat. It's come and gone now, but was so pretty while it lasted.

The temps were freezing and it was a really wet snow, and yes I know wet isn't the best adjective to use here, because isn't all snow wet? This was not the light and fluffy kind, so I didn't get out in it. 

Someone did though, and he loved it. LOVED it!!

He does an army crawl across the grass and it makes us all remember what he was like as a puppy living in the Pacific Northwest. 

There's something about a snowy day that inspires me to cook. Hubs and I started the day with blueberry waffles which are hubs favorite, but not something I make on the regular. I also made a pot of chili for dinner because that's in the snow day bylaws. 

Saturday we had some errands to run and opted for a breakfast date before making a few fun stops like filling up the gas tank and wandering the aisles at CVS. We came home and I finally cleaned out the pantry. I don't know how the pantry periodically ends up so out of order, but I pulled everything out, wiped down all the shelves, got rid of a few things, then put it all back in mostly the same place, but not quite. 

Change is good. 

Also reorganizing the pantry is a satisfying job to have done. 

I put a roast in the crock pot before we left on Saturday and the house smelled so good all day long. Did you come here today to read about what we ate all weekend long? If so you're in luck lol. I made the Mississippi recipe which calls for a packet of ranch dressing, and didn't realize until it was too late that the ranch mix I bought was spicy ranch. I didn't even know Hidden Valley made a spicy ranch mix? 

All's well that ends well though because we like spicy here. It honestly didn't change the flavor too much,  a tad more peppery than usual but very tasty. 

A pretty low key weekend overall...reading, football, watching the snow fall, comfort cooking, and a few small projects crossed off the to-dos. I finally made my winter bucket list, and always refer to my calendar when I  create my list to capture anything eventful I know will be happening. While we don't have any big trips or significant travel on the calendar this winter, the calendar somehow still manages to look awfully full. 

There will be grandkids in the house this winter and I might make a bucket list with them once they're here. I usually do one in the summer when they're visiting, so this would be different and fun I think. In the meantime here's mine-

So how was your winter weekend? Frosty? Fun? Filled with family? Do you have a winter bucket list? 

Linking today with Holly and Sarah for their Hello Monday weekend recap blog hop. 

It's The Hodgepodge. Period.

Welcome to the second Hodgepodge of the year, the 584th edition of all time. That's a lot of questions, wouldn't you agree? We press on...if you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then be a good neighbor and leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), 

sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

I use cringe, 100% and period on occasion, but wouldn't say they're a regular part of my speech. I had to look up the word skibidi. I've never heard it used or used it myself and it's safe to say I have no plans to do so going into the new year. 

None of the words bother me too much, but if I have to pick one I'll say I think era has become tiresome. 

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

I love soup and make lots of different kinds this time of year. Hubs would say my vegetable beef soup is one of his favorite meals. Good ol chicken noodle is probably my favorite. I love the way my house smells when a pot of soup is simmering on the stove, and a bowl of homemade chicken soup just says comfort to me. I make my own and that's my preference, but I can eat the canned variety too. I like Progresso's homestyle chicken and noodle if I'm having soup from a can.

3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

I enjoy the changing seasons and don't mind a little bit of winter in December-January. We have some cold weather here, but it's rare for us to have snow. I miss it a little. Now, I do not like the late snows or a long winter like we had up north, but there's something cozy about a snow day where everyone is in and the world feels quiet. We may have some snow here on Friday, but I'm not holding my breath. 

I don't ski anymore and like I said we won't really have snow that amounts to anything here so not a lot of true winter activity. I love a walk in the woods on a winter day and we'll make that happen for sure. 

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 

I like this color. I like shades of brown, particularly the darker tones. While I don't have this exact shade I do have something close to it in some of my decor, and I'd definitely wear this color too. 

In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

A cup of mocha please. 

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

I'm going to say the snowball effect. Our outdoor project started out as 'landscape the hill', then picked up speed and quickly snowballed into a waterfall, outdoor BBQ bar, patio, and new furniture for all, which somehow also included a new couch for the indoor pool table room too. It's more like snowmageddon as opposed to one little snowball. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A random throwback to 2014 when we lived in the wilds of New Jersey and had a ridunkulous amount of snow every other day...

And icicles that could literally kill you perched on our gutters...

The neighborhood sky tried to make up for it...

And our Gordon Setter was in her glory...

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 584

Good morning bloggers. I plan to post the Hodgepodge questions on Sundays this year instead of Tuesdays, in order to give everyone a bit more room in their calendar to answer. The link will still go live on Wednesdays because this is still the Wednesday Hodgepodge. 

Here are this week's questions. Answer on your own blog, then skate back here Wednesday (January 8)  to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), 

sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 

In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Happy New Hodgepodge

Happy New Year Hodgepodgers, and welcome to 2025! If you've answered today's questions add your link to the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger before you. 

I'm going to try a little something new in the HP this year, nothing earth shattering but a change nonetheless. I'm going to start posting questions the Sunday before instead of the Tuesday before like I've always done. The linkup itself will still go live on Wednesdays, hence the title-The WEDNESDAY Hodgepodge. We'll see how it goes, but this will hopefully give folks a bit more flexibility in writing their answers. 

Now back to today and the first Hodgepodge of 2025...

1. Oxford's Word of the year for 2024 is 'brain rot'. Are you familiar with this term? Do you suffer from the condition? Ha! This is a term used to 'capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media'. If you were choosing a word to capture 2024 (for the nation/world, not your own life personally) what word would you choose? 

I'm familiar with the term and I'm not suffering. I've become fairly ruthless in what I click these days and avoid anything that feels ad-full, sketchy, spammy, scammy, mean, lecture-like, or just plain ick. 

Oxford's word is brain rot, but Merriam Webster chose polarization. My thoughts ran in that direction as well, and sadly I'm going to say 'divided'. It's not an upbeat word, but honestly I've struggled to find patches of common ground this year with people who see our country through a whole 'nother lens than I do. I keep trying though! 

2. It's National Polar Bear Plunge Day (January 1)...will you be participating in one of these events (or even your own)? How will you spend the first day of this brand new year? Do you have a traditional New Year's Day menu? 

I've never done a Polar Bear Plunge but we live on a lake so the possibility is there. Hubs says he's in if I'm in so I guess it's all up to me. I'll let you know. 

A few years ago hubs sister and her family were here for the holidays and Daughter2, one cousin, hubs, and his sister all took the plunge. I volunteered to photograph the event because somebody had to do it. 

As far as the meal goes, we do have a fairly traditional menu every January 1st that includes all the 'must-eat' foods...pork (the movement of pigs when they root for food is supposed to represent moving forward), cornbread (representing gold), spinach (green is for dollars), and black-eyed peas (for luck). These foods relate to luck and good fortune, which may or may not be true, but we like them so we play along. 

As far as how we'll spend the day...I love to watch The Rose Parade and if it's not raining hard hubs and I will get out for a walk/hike, then spend the rest of the day relaxing and watching football.  

3. What's something that brings you joy and how will you do more of it in this new year? 

Writing. In the words of Nike-Just Do It. I'm also trying to pencil in some time blocks on the calendar in order to be more intentional about it. We'll see if that helps.  

4. Do you struggle with the January blues? What's one thing you can/will do to keep them at bay? 

I don't really struggle with the blues in January. Usually come January I'm feeling ready for a bit of down time. A quieter month after the frenzy of the previous year's 4th quarter, which is always jam packed with activity, is appealing to me. 

Course this year I'll have grandkids in the house, so not sure how the quiet part is going to work. Stay tuned. 

5. Will you choose your own personal word of the year for 2025? What about a goal, resolution, or maybe even a bucket list? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

I'd like to have a word but haven't settled on one yet. 

I'm working on a winter bucket list and will share it once I get it together. My bucket lists are always part fun, part growth, part stuff I need to do and if I put it on a list is more likely to get done. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm writing my answers on New Year's Eve, and have spent the entire day (so far) in my pajamas. I cannot remember the last time I did this and let me just say it felt glorious. I worked on my blog, did some laundry, made a pot of bean soup using the ham bone leftover from Christmas dinner, and prepped two appetizers to bring to a get together we'll be attending tonite. I won't wear my pjs there, but I might be tempted. 

We're ringing in 2025 with some neighbors and this is my favorite way to greet a new year...sticking close to home, no driving, snacks, friends and fun. Wishing you all a bright, happy, and healthy new year! 

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Appreciating 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. Thanks for joining the fun here on Wednesdays. Here we go-

1. What's something you think is under appreciated. Explain.  

Gentleness. The world is harsh. It often seems like everyone is shouting and nobody is listening.  When I encounter someone who speaks gently, who is able to make their point without name calling, swearing, or belittling another I find myself wishing there was more of it. 

2. As winter approaches how do you stay productive? 

Hmmm...am I productive in the winter months? We're more like bears who hibernate in order to conserve energy to be used later. We go mach ten here three quarters of the year so I actually view doing less as being productive in it's own way. Winter is a time to hunker down, catch up on some of the longer books on my to-read list, rest, and make plans. 

3. What's a popular food you don't like? 

I'm not a big fan of quinoa. Or kale. I'll eat both but they're not something I choose to cook/eat at home. I like brown rice, couscous, and chickpeas all of which are good substitutions for quinoa in many dishes. And while I don't care for kale I do love spinach so why eat kale? 

That being said,  I'm not a picky eater at all so if I come to your house for dinner and you serve me quinoa with a side of kale I'll eat both. 

4. What do you think is more interesting-art or history? Elaborate. 

I enjoy both I guess for different reasons. Art is so often a reflection of the times in which it's made so in a sense we need art to help us understand history. If I have to choose I'd say I don't want to live in a world without art, but I find history more interesting. 

5. What advice would you give to someone half your age?

Develop a habit of daily prayer. One sentence or whole pages. 

Start a simple stretching or exercise routine. 

Wear sunscreen.

Think for yourself. 

Cultivate a grateful heart. 

Read more, scroll less. 

Print your pictures. 

Write it down. A single sentence about your day or big thoughts about your life. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

42 days until Christmas...how's that for random? 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 536

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

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

2. Something you currently find 'puzzling'? 

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

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

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

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Ho-Ho-Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's holiday edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. As a reminder there will not be a Hodgepodge next week (Dec 21). We'll be back to wrap up the year the following week, December 28th. 

If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post then leave some comment cheer for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. What does Christmas mean to you? 

'tis the birthday of a king...'

That lyric popped into my head the minute I wrote this question. Christmas for me is a celebration of the baby born this day, God's only Son given to the world because of God's indescribable love for each one of us. Christmas is a time to share that love in whatever way I can. 

2. What's your favorite cozy holiday activity? 

Sipping my early morning coffee beside the light of the Christmas tree. 

3. Is all your shopping-wrapping-baking done? Tell us about your holiday plans. 

no-no-and no, but I'm getting there. I have a few more things to purchase, but what I have purchased is wrapped. I made cookie dough today to bake tomorrow and that will be the first of the baking. We're having a few friends here on Monday so I'll get serious about baking this weekend. 

All my kids and grands will be here for Christmas and my plans are to be very present in the many sweet moments coming our way. Daughter1 and her family will be here for a full week, but will bebop back and forth to her in-laws some. Daughter2 and her family will be here for the Christmas weekend as her hubs has to be back at work on the Tuesday after. 

This is the first Christmas in seven years where I'll have both of my girls in the same house at the same time and I just want to slow down the clock and savor all the goodness. 

4. If you were Santa what treat would you like to have left for you (it doesn't have to be milk and cookies!) What sweet or savory treat do you most look forward to indulging in around the holidays? 

You can leave Mrs. Claus a glass of champagne and a nice cheese plate, please and thank you. What's my most looked forward to treat? Well I do love a good home baked Christmas cookie and that's definitely my favorite indulgence this time of year. 

5. Next Wednesday is the first official day of winter (in the northern hemisphere). How does that make you feel? Tell us what you love most about winter? 

I enjoy the change in seasons so not complaining. Winters are mostly pretty mild here and if we do get snow it doesn't hang around long. I like sitting beside the fireplace on a winter morning, I like wearing jeans, sweaters, and boots, I love homemade soups and stews that are on the menu this time of year, and I love that very first snowfall and the hush that falls with it. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Merry Christmas Hodgepodgers...may your holidays be joyful, peaceful, and hopeful. 

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 488

It's getting close! But here we are Hodgepodging like we've got nothing left to check off our to-do lists. It's fine. Everything is fine. Let's go! Answer this week's questions on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share some Christmas cheer. And your answers of course. See you there! 

Also-fyi there will not be a Hodgepodge next week (Dec 21). We'll be back to wrap up the year the following week, December 28th.

1. What does Christmas mean to you? 

2. What's your favorite cozy holiday activity? 

3. Is all your shopping-wrapping-baking done? Tell us about your holiday plans. 

4. If you were Santa what treat would you like to have left for you (it doesn't have to be milk and cookies!) What sweet or savory treat do you most look forward to indulging in around the holidays? 

5. Next Wednesday is the first official day of winter (in the northern hemisphere). How does that make you feel? Tell us what you love most about winter? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

How Is It Still January?

Hi. Happy Monday. Let's catch up. On what I don't know because it's been pretty quiet round here, but I'll think of something. 

For starters...drumroll please....It's a BOY!!!

Daughter 2 and her hubs found out their baby's gender a little over a week ago, and it's all boy all the time in this household. Building our own football team one little man at a time. 

You can read her update in the link here-It's Elementary

God's design for families is completely amazing. I never imagined I'd be Nana to a houseful of boys but here we are. And I love it. LOVE it!!! I also love that these cousins will be close in age because cousins who are friends are such a blessing. I look forward to more noise, more chaos, more giggles, and lots more little boy hugs and smooches, which are my favorite thing on my list of favorite things. 

What else? 

The drive from my house to Daughter2's house is spectacular. As long as I'm the one driving I mean, because its a windy-curvy-bendy road that whips around a guardrail-less mountaintop, then hugs the Ocoee River for 20-something miles. The ride along the river is truly something special to see.  

In other news, I just finished this month's book club selection-Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan, and I really enjoyed it. The story is a fictional account (emphasis on fiction) of the love affair between C.S. Lewis and the woman who became his wife, Joy Davidman. Mostly though it was the description of Oxford and the English countryside and seeing it all for the first time that really won me over. Be still my heart. 

Quick topic change because hey, it's Monday...I know I was going to post the end result of our home improvement project, but y'all it is literally the project that never ends...it just goes on and on my friends...name that tune? If you were raising littles in the early 90's you know it as well as you know your own name, but I digress...our projects...almost there but not quite there. Closer but not closed. 

My builder's wife is a decorator and she's been an enormous help. She and her hubs are coming out this Friday to bring the brand new window treatments we had made for the office, a definite step up from the sheet that's hanging there now. And she's bringing a lamp she thinks will work in the room and maybe a small table to set the lamp on, so whew. Almost. We are almost there. 

I also need pillows for the Murphy bed and a chair for the worktable and I also need to decide if this worktable is right for the room, to which I say yes it will be fine once everything is in place and I have a chair to go with, but hubs is iffy. 

Hubs is so often right about these things, which is annoying but also helpful. We will see what the decorator thinks when she's here. And they're staying for dinner because we still like our builder, which is not something everyone who builds can say. 

The wood in the stairwell is also an 'almost done' kind of thing. Still no electrician, so while the wood is a beauty we need lights installed and the switch plate attached. Almost. Close. 

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, isn't that how the saying goes? 

I promise I will post pictures and details one day in the not too too distant future. Daughter1 and her family, along with some friends of theirs, will all be here mid-February. My aim is to have the office completely finished by then. Or at least more almost finished than it is currently. ahem. 

Christmas feels like eons ago and almost every day I speak as if it's already February, yet somehow it's still January. January is kind of forced down time for us and we need that I think. We're like bears who rest in the winter months storing up energy for a busy spring and summer. 

Happy Monday everyone! 

Chill Out

January is a funny month, it's long but it's not my least favorite month in the year. The month of March often feels like ten Januarys and consequently is the month I most want a little getaway. Back to January... I think there's pressure to be productive this month. To look at the blank page before us and feel a surge of enthusiasm for cleaning, organizing, and embracing that out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new mentality in every area of one's life.  

Impossible to maintain for the next eleven months, but in January we are ever hopeful. 

Since I'm mid-office redo I've been forced to go through all my files and accumulated stacks and do some shredding and re-organizing. It feels good to thin the paper piles and start fresh. Hubs doesn't understand why there are still so many piles (there aren't!) but everything has to be looked at before it can be discarded. 

Because our project here required carpentry, painting, construction, and sanding there is mucho dust on every wall and surface. What better time for a whole house vacuum than January? Hubs likes to vacuum so even better. 

Painters left yesterday and their piece of the project is done. Next up is the electrician who will install lights in the stairs. Hopefully. We finally have the lights in hand and now just need to know where we land on his calendar. 

The lights probably should have gone in first,  but we weren’t sure we were ever going to get them so plan B. He thinks we can make it work this way too, 'since there's access'. 

Whatever that means? I'm more of a call me when it's all done kind of home improvement person, which works for us because hubs is the opposite and likes to drill down to the nth detail. Somebody needs to, right? 

Let's talk books.

I read more in January. Well in regular-ordinary years I read more in January. I don't know about you but I feel like my sense of concentration suffered during the 'Covid years' and it's just now getting back to what it was last century. 

My neighborhood book club just finished this month's selection-The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan. A mostly pleasant read in spite of its WW2 setting. The plot centers around a cooking show that taught British homemakers how to make the most of their rations.That part of the storyline is true, but the contest added to the novel is complete fiction. 

There were lots of recipes sprinkled throughout the book and I made two of them for our get together on Tuesday-fruit scones and an apple honey cake. I did not make the sheep's head pie or the sardine rolls mentioned, and I also skipped the spam and game pie for reasons I don't need to explain. 

A friend loaned me my current read, The Winemaker's Wife, a novel by Kristen Harmel, plus I've started next month's book club book- Becoming Mrs. Lewis, a fictional account of the relationship between  C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman.

Lots of books to make January feel less January. 

I've also signed up for the Lifetime of Reading Challenge on Facebook (you'll find it on the Book Girl's Guide page), with a theme this year of different decades. This means we'll read a wide range of books featuring main characters of different age ranges. Sounds interesting and you can choose your own book or read one of their suggestions. 

I've chosen one of theirs for January, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith, which is actually a re-read for me. This was one of my favorite books as a young girl and I've wanted to re-read it for ages. January seems like a good time. 

If books aren't your thing, how about puzzles? I was given three puzzles for Christmas and hubs is helping with the first one. It's the University of Tennessee stadium on football Saturday, and you know what that means? It means the whole puzzle is orange and white. Yikes! I told hubs he has to help because his sister gave it to us. We're making progress and if we ever get it together we might frame this one to hang in the pool room. 

If books aren't your thing and puzzles aren't your thing how about TV? We might be the last people to the party, but we're finally watching The Sopranos. We're only in to Season 2, and it's definitely gritty so not for everyone, but we're hooked. I grew up in NJ and hubs and I lived there twice during our married life so we're loving the backdrop. 

Books, puzzles, TV binging, home improvement and icy temps. That about sums up January. We have snow in the weekend forecast which seems ridiculous because we rarely get snow, but apparently we are getting a little snow. Hubs would be happy to never see another flake, but I miss an occasional snowfall so hoping the weather forecaster is correct. They're wrong sometimes ya know-ha! 

Happy Januarying to you all! 

Snug As A Bug In The Hodgepodge

New month, still Hodgepodging. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, and since it's February be to share some comment love with the blogger linking before you. Here we go-

1. Feb 2nd is Groundhog Day in the US of A. Tell us about one day you wouldn't mind living over again, and why you chose that day. 

I wrote a whole post about this once upon a time. You'll find it if you click the link here. It was about some of the days I'd maybe like to relive, but really on second thought probably not. Time is a funny thing and I don't think I'd want to tinker with it if that were ever a thing. 

To answer today's question, if I have to choose I'm pretty sure I would pick an ordinary day over a grand occasion or a big milestone event. I'd love to revisit myself as a young mom, with my girls around ages 5 and 7. I'd like to relive for a single day the sweetness and wonder that particular season brought into my life.

 2. Something you know beyond a 'shadow of a doubt'? 

"Jesus loves me this I know..."

3. Give us an example of history repeating itself in some way, in your own life or the lives of your children.

Well I've spent most of my married life living a fair distance (geographically) from my parents and so far my girls are doing the same. I hold out hope that one day they will be at least within a short car ride from us, but in the meantime I'm grateful for their sense of adventure, their confidence, and their optimism which makes the miles feel like less than they are. 

And deep in my heart I know God is teaching them so much about who they are and who He is and I guess He's also still teaching me a few things too. 

4. Snowed under, snow job, not a snowball's chance, snowbird, on thin ice, snug as a bug in a rug, tip of the iceberg, snowball effect, run hot and cold....choose a wintry idiom and tell us how it best applies to your life right now. 

I've never really wanted to be a snowbird. I enjoy the changing seasons and think I would miss that, although a week at the beach somewhere sounds nice right about now. Most evenings I'm snug as a bug in a rug in my warm home, the fireplace burning, a blanket on my lap, and a really good book that isn't light and would probably be a lot for a summer read but is just right for February. 

5. Your favorite sign of spring? 

More daylight. It's a subtle change but with the ever lengthening days I know spring is on her way. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Who cooks duck here, and if you're raising your hand tell me how you like to fix it. Hubs went duck hunting and now we need to fire up the grill. Or the oven. Or the stovetop? I've only eaten duck in restaurants so if you have a favorite recipe send it my way. We have just breast, not whole ducks. 

Let's Talk

About what I don't know because it's that time of year where people are cranky and blog content is a bit thin, still I'm going to ramble on anyway. 

It's cold here in the Palmetto State, BUT! not as cold as the state we previously called home. I heard our little NJ town was mentioned on Good Morning America because they got a whopping 32 inches of snow yesterday. That is a lot of snow people. 

This picture popped up on my Facebook memories today, a photo snapped from my front porch six years ago. I guess piles of snow and groundhogs go together, and we had a lot of both in NJ. 

Hubs is so happy he's not dealing with it right now, but shhh...don't tell him...I kind of miss seeing the beauty of a great big snowfall. Just one though. We're not accustomed to those temps anymore so it's best enjoyed from a distance. I'm here shivering in 45 degree weather counting the days until we're back living life outdoors and on the water, hopefully soon. 

Did I mention here the bride and groom live in the snowy northeast? 

photo credit: the bride

Well they do. Many states away from the warm(ish) sunny southland and their people. Still America so there's that, but a ten hour car ride so not geographically close. I remind myself almost daily that it's good for newlyweds to establish themselves as a family unit separate and apart from their family of birth. And they're happy y'all. So so happy. 

My son-in-law's job means this is where they live right now, and so many things have fallen into place for this precious couple that you can't help but see God's hand in it all. The bride even landed an in person teaching job which she enjoys as much as one can in these weird times, but still...can't one of my girls live nearby? 

Maybe someday. 

This is why I declare technology my best friend. 

Wait, no it's not. I just remembered the cable company was in our house half a day yesterday to switch us over to the high speed internet now available in our community. Which is great except now none of the TVs are working right and I loathe having to deal with this sort of thing. Sorry for the run on sentence but ugh...

Also, hubs would say technically he is the one dealing with it, but ugh... 

In other less than pleasant news, our tax organizer appeared in my inbox today. 

Hello February. You're lucky you come with chocolate. 

And beauty. Because y'all there is beauty if you look for it even in the middle of a winter that feels grouchier than most. So let's throw some beauty into the mix.

You thought I was going to post a wedding picture didn't you?  

I would, but we're still waiting on our photographs. This one a guest snapped of the bride dancing with the groom's granddad is awfully sweet. 

And don't you worry...when we get the pictures back you'll know. Ha! 

When daughter2 started teaching from home back in March of 2020, she brought a half-dead plant to the house with her. A student had given her a 'bulb' which hadn't grown into much of anything save one lonely green stalk. Sadly the pot tipped over in her car enroute to our house and that lone green stalk ripped in half. 

She was going to chuck the whole thing but hubs intervened. He loves to shower half-dead plants with TLC and I want you to know he brought this plant back to life. I kept saying it looked like an amaryllis, and while it grew taller and taller every day for a year, it never sprouted any sort of bud or bloom. Hubs though, did not give up and this week-

Yes he attached a grow light to a pool cue. I told you hubs is serious about bringing life to sad situations. 

The world is kind of sad right now, isn't it? Yet here we are with two buds ready to pop, and another  following close behind smack dab in the middle of a cold gray winter. 

A gentle reminder that a little patience and some tender loving care can make all sorts of thing grow. 

Leaping Into March

Wow. January was about 317 days long and February lasted only a minute. I have not written a single blog post in February, but fortunately we're in a leap year which means I'm not too late.

Someone I met last night asked me how I fill my time here at the lake and I had to scratch my head a little. I'm never actively looking for something to do because there's always something to do, but what have I been doing this month besides not blogging?

Well there's that darn Coronavirus and babies living in South Korea. I suppose I've spent a fair amount of time this month reading about it, praying about it, and FaceTiming my people with reminders to do/not do all the things they already know to do or not do, but it makes me feel better to remind them anyway. I'm a mom and that's what moms do, right?

Speaking of babies is he just the cutest ever?

His mama is pretty adorable too.

And this guy is just the light of our lives. He is hilarious and chatty and smart and busy. We love these darling boys as hard as we can from a million miles away.

I know it's only 7,000-something but it feels like a million.

So what else is happening round here? Uh, we've had some rain. SOME rain. Lots and lots and lots of rain. Ridiculous amounts in fact but I've decided that is 'winter' in the Palmetto State. Spring is coming and I've got daffodils blooming and we are so ready for blue skies and lake shenanigans.

I've been reading a lot, currently finishing up this month's book club selection-Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. It's one of those books you read with your stomach clenched because you know incredibly hard sad things have happened and more will be coming with every turn of the page.

I recently finished The Lost Man by Jane Harper and loved it. Set in the Australian Outback and a really good read. I also finished Slaves of Obsession which is a William Monk story for those of you who read Anne Perry, A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson which was good, but I think lost a little something in the translation from Swedish to English, and The Wives by Tarryn Fisher which I thought was a teensy bit crazy.

We're not people who binge watch much, but I got hooked on a Netflix program called Hinterland and had to see it through. Hubs said it was too depressing to watch more than one episode at a time, but I loved it. For one thing it's set in the Welsh countryside and the scenery is spectacular. Makes me long for a trip across the pond in the worst way. The storyline is excellent and while the episodes are long the series season is short.

When I think about it I guess it's just been everyday February life happening round here...exercising, Bible Studying, cooking, card playing, tax organizing, spending time with friends, and of course not blogging. That last bit is about to change because I signed up for a ten day writing challenge hosted by Kate Motaung (go here for details), which means ten blog posts in ten days using the word prompt she provides.

Starting Monday.

Yikes.

Hope you've had a quiet cozy February in your little corner of the world too.

Forward March!

Blog Jambalaya

It seems the month of January is sorely lacking in ready made blog fodder.
What to do, what to do?

How about we make a list?

And since it's Thursday I'm going with thirteen items because that used to be a thing. When there's a whole lotta random and just a tiny bit o' meat a list works-

1. Hubs and I drove to N.J. last week to spend a few days with my mom. She was recovering from the flu, but was feeling a lot better by the time we arrived. We were able to get her office mostly organized for 2020, and see my brother and sister both which was really nice.

2. The flu is wicked this year. My teacher daughter says it's slowly making it's way around her classroom which, UGH! Pass the hand sanitzer please.

Also the Lysol, Emergen-C, clorox wipes, and more hand sanitizer.

3. Hubs and I have decided we don't want to do 12-hour car trips in a single day anymore. We can do 8 hours no problem, 10 hours if we must, but 12 is two hours too many. Plus coming home we were forced to make an unscheduled stop when hubs realized his diet coke cup had a pinhole in it and was furiously leaking into the cup holder. Good times!

4. This guy was with us-

And was not happy I claimed the front seat.
He loves a car ride and is a good traveler.

5. Our other dog which I know is technically daughter2's dog had a minor accident requiring an emergency run to the vet for a leg full of stitches. She's healing really well now, but about two weeks ago this sweet girl slipped crossing a sewer grate and in went her leg. She promptly yanked it out, and chaos ensued.

Truth be told the chaos was less about the dog and more about the fact that hubs was walking her alone and couldn't reach me. I was in the shower and didn't have my phone with me so he had to carry her a fair distance home.

Do you take your phone with you into the shower? Asking for a friend.

6. This little nugget is officially three months old.

photo credit: sincerely-shannon

7. His hair! Grandson number one, aka the mancub, has always had the most fabulous head of hair which I did not think could ever be topped, but this little man is giving him a run for his money. The mancub had more of what we liked to call 'boy band hair'. This one is rocking something like a mohawk and I can't get enough of it.

8. Grandson number two needs a blog name, but I haven't landed on just the right one yet.

9. Perhaps if I made a trip to S. Korea and spent more time with him?

10. I've been reading a lot this month, currently finishing up our book club selection for February-The Amateurs by David Halberstam. In short it's the true story of four young men trying to win a place on the 1984 Olympic rowing team. Once you sort out who's who it's a good read.

11. Still have not tackled my 30-day home organization plan although I did get the frig cleaned out and hubs painstakingly cleaned all the light fixtures til they sparkled. That's something, right? February is a shorter month so perhaps we'll knock the rest out then.

12. These winter sunrises y'all-

13. Absolutely breathtaking-

Cheering For The Hodgepodge

So here we are, another week gone by, and no blogging except Hodgepodge blogging. Some weeks are like that and I'm trying not to let it bother me.

I'm only slightly successful.

Let's carry on anyway. If you've answered this week's questions add your blog link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger before you.

1. February can be a little bit tricky given the weather and the winter and the whatnot. I read a list (here) of things you can do to make your February brighter which included-start planning your next trip, take more baths, make your own chocolate covered strawberries, and exercise in preparation for swimsuit season. Anything on the list you might try? Which suggestion on the list appeals to you most? Tell us something not on the list that helps make your February brighter.

Well I am all about soaking in a hot bath and planning my next trip so those two things are on my February list for sure. I love strawberries and I love chocolate, but I'm not really a fan of making my own chocolate covered strawberries. They're not my favorite treat and they're so messy, both the making and the eating. Exercising should be on my list, but will it make the month brighter? Hmmm....

Something not on the list? I'm going to say buy a fun springtime top, bag, or shoes, even a new lipstick...something to look forward to wearing once winter makes her exit. 

2. Tell us about something you've seen or done recently that you'd say was 'super'?

How 'bout those Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl?! Yay for the hometown team! Plus I really enjoyed all the back stories of this particular group of players. 

3. Best thing you ate in a 'bowl' last week?

I made a pasta dish last week I had kind of forgotten about and consequently hadn't made in ages. I know I used to make this recipe pretty often, but guess we tired of it so I took it out of rotation. It's light as far as pasta goes-chicken, red pepper, squash, zucchini and black olives in a lemon-garlic sauce. My daughter2 had come for dinner that evening and we all loved it.  

4. Something you're 'cheering' for right now?

I'm going to say teachers. My daughter has shared a couple of things with me recently that just make me want to stand up and cheer for all the teachers out there who are full of compassion and care so deeply for the students in their classrooms outside of their classrooms. 

5. The Winter Olympics begin Friday, February 9th in Pyeong Chang, South Korea. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being all in and 1 being no interest whatsoever) how interested are you in the games? Which event do you most want to see (you'll find a list here).

I do like watching the Olympics, summer and winter both. I'm not glued to the TV 24/7, but I'll watch some coverage most evenings, so will give myself an 8. My favorites are probably downhill skiing and the ski jump. It amazes me there are people who literally fly on a pair of skis. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

In honor of the Olympics throwing it back to a trip we made to Austria in 2006. We won't even talk about these cutie patooties who were in high school still. HIGH SCHOOL!! 

We took an elevator to the top of the ski jump in Innsbruck, looked over,  felt a little dizzy...

...well I felt dizzy, hubs contemplated giving it a try (you can't-there's glass in front), and then said a prayer for all the mamas of ski jumpers everywhere. 

I don't know anything about skiing in South Korea, but imagine it will be beautiful too. 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 340

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 can be a little bit tricky given the weather and the winter and the whatnot. I read a list (here) of things you can do to make your February brighter which included-start planning your next trip, take more baths, make your own chocolate covered strawberries, and exercise in preparation for swimsuit season. Anything on the list you might try? Which suggestion on the list appeals to you most? Tell us something not on the list that helps make your February brighter.

2. Tell us about something you've seen or done recently that you'd say was 'super'?

3. Best thing you ate in a 'bowl' last week?

4. Something you're 'cheering' for right now?

5. The Winter Olympics begin Friday, February 9th in Pyeong Chang, South Korea. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being all in and 1 being no interest whatsoever) how interested are you in the games? Which event do you most want to see (you'll find a list here).

6. Insert your own random thought here.
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