Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond is so gracious to write our questions every week. Go to her blog, copy (or copy from mine) and paste the questions into your own blog, answer the questions (I don't know why I felt the need to add that instruction!!) and link up.
1. What's something blogging has taught you about yourself? I've always loved to write and during those years of child-raising, there was never enough time (see question 3 below) and I don't think blogging had been invented yet -- I kept a paper journal back then!! Putting my thoughts and memories down somewhere is important to me. When I'm old and my memory is shot, I'll be able to read what was happening!!
I've also realized that I can't write everything I would like to write. Some people might be brave and put it all out there and I'm pretty open and authentic but there is something about words being written down and seen by others. Sometimes that thought puts a stop to my fingers.
I've also learned that I truly value time with my family. Yes, of course, I knew that on some level but recording moments from our lives has taken on new meaning to me over the years.
2. Leftovers...are you in the 'reheat and eat' camp or the 'put them in the fridge until they spoil and then toss them' camp? What's your favorite thing to have leftover? What can you not abide as a leftover? We eat a lot of leftovers at our house. I'm pretty particular about how long I'll keep leftovers.
Some foods get better after a day in the fridge -- spaghetti!! Another one is dressing from Thanksgiving - it is so much better reheated! I detest microwaved left over meat. I EAT it because it is usually necessary (sometimes I just eat it cold). I probably wouldn't eat left over fish at all (except shellfish like shrimp - then I would eat it cold). I spent way too much time on this question and no one cares to know all of this about me! STOP TYPING NOW!
3. 'Me time'...your thoughts? I think it is ridiculously overrated! Now, don't jump on me yet. I TOTALLY believe in self-care which includes time to exercise, time to read or work on whatever hobby interests you, time to pray alone, time to just be still and reflect, time to blog. Heck - I used to lock myself in the powder room to have time to read my daily devotion. One of the problems is people have always been and will always be so self-centered that they take 'me time' to an extreme. Life intervenes - our families need us. Sometimes we don't get a block of time just because we want it. Take care of yourself but don't DEMAND me time.
4. When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with? Let's see . . .maybe cooking advice?? Switching directions totally from cooking . . . sometimes people just come to me because they want to talk and they want someone to listen.
5. If your childhood had a smell what would it be? Tell us why.
The very first thought that popped into my head was "it smelled like the library - old books - furniture polish." I spent so many happy hours in our town's library. It was an escape from reality - a place where I could be transported to a dig in Egypt or a tropical island - places I only dreamed of ever seeing. I haven't been to Egypt but have been to an archeological site in Israel and I have been to several tropical islands. At that time of my life, those places were just words on a page where I could step in and be transported.
We bought our Christmas tree on Sunday and put it up. This is the earliest in recorded history and it may be a "Charlie brown tree" by Christmas day. There are no decorations on it yet. There are no decorations anywhere else in the house yet. I just packed away the Thanksgiving decorations and Mark hasn't dragged the tubs of Christmas decorations out of the attic yet. (just fyi - we bought our tree at Whole Foods and the trees there are beautiful.) We have really tall ceilings and we tend to underestimate EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. That is a 7-8 foot tall tree and it looks like a miniature.
When do you decorate for Christmas?
You had me cracking up at #2. What a hoot! I never as much as considered 'me time' when my girls were growing up but now that everyone is up and out and grown, I do demand my time alone. I think it's because I so completely devoted myself to them while they were growing up that I got really tired. LOL This week is the first week I have had to myself in over 3 years from two of my girls moving back and then out again and Mother moving in the same day the last one moved back out. Whew. Of course, I never concern myself with 'me time' when the grands are around. :) Loved your #5. I was transported! I considered a live tree this year (sometimes we do sometimes we don't) until I watched a segment on the 25,000 bugs the trees contain so we're using the artificial ones. LOL Nothing has come out of the attic yet and I'm starting to panic. Ha! Have a wonderful Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteLoved all of your answers. Several of them are much like mine. As to when I decorate for Christmas -- I usually start at the beginning of December and do a bit at a time. This year I'm likely to decorate less as I am so very busy trying to clean out a house.
ReplyDeleteWow, I loved your answer about the library!! So many great memories. And I too think many people want someone who will genuinely listen to them and not judge them. Enjoyed reading your Hodgepodge.
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