H is also for Hodgepodge

 

This is NOT my April A to Z post, but I thought it was cool that Joyce's weekly Hodgepodge also starts with H!! Check out the "older" post for H is for Hagia Sophia's History.

I'm joining up with Joyce for the weekly hodgepodge!!

1. What's a lesson you've learned from a mistake? Which one? haha! I have made so many mistakes in my life and learned a lot of lessons the hard way! When I was MUCH younger, I remember drinking too much . . .and then later in the evening . . . being sick. It took me a few times to catch on. I rarely have more than one drink a WEEK these days! I'm not sure that drinking too much could be considered a "mistake" . . .but maybe it was. 

2. Do you salt food while you're cooking or let diners add their own?  What's a food you think must be salted? Do you like pepper? I do salt when I'm cooking because I feel like salt brings out the flavors. I love black pepper, too! I think tomatoes,guacamole, and eggs need salt. We rarely add salt at the table. I'll share a pepper secret with you. When we make guacamole, we add a LOT of black pepper. I've never measured, but I will almost coat the surface with black pepper and then mix it in. You don't taste the pepper but it makes the guacamole so tasty!!

3. What was the last gathering you attended and what did you do there? How big a gathering are we talking about? I taught our Sunday School class yesterday and there were about 45 or 50 people in the room. We went to a play last week and there were probably 50 or 60 in the room.

4. Your favorite shade of purple? What's your favorite purple flower? Purple is not my favorite color at all. I don't know if I own anything purple. I think an Iris might be my favorite purple flower, though I do like a purple pansy, too. I borrowed this photo from Brecks.com.

I borrowed this photo from Woodies Garden Goods website.

5. Share a favorite spring travel memory. I don't know where I've traveled in the spring. Most of our trips have been in February or early March or in the summer or September or October. If I were to travel in the spring, I would need to go to a place that had less pollen!!

6. Insert your own random thought here. I made the mistake (har har) of googling memes about making mistakes and I went down a huge rabbit hole! Do you ever do that? I finally decided to go with this one (though there were a lot I could have chosen!). Just so you know, when I do make a mistake . . .I beat myself up mentally!!

May Day Hodgepodge

Today is Wednesday so it must be time for a hodgepodge! Thanks to Joyce for sending the questions every week. Feel free to copy and paste the questions into your blog and link up here or please feel free to answer in the comments.

1. May Day! May Day!...last time you shouted for help? Or maybe just asked? I hate asking for help. Really. I enjoy doing things for others but have such a hard time asking. I think it is fear of rejection. Our cleaning lady had major knee surgery about 6 weeks ago and I've had to depend on my hubby to clean our house (which is sort of asking for help). I'm still working full time plus I was taking a class this semester and I really needed his help. He has tried really hard!!

2. What's something you may do this month? We may invite friends over!

3.  'April showers bring May flowers'...is this true where you live? What's blooming? What's your favorite springtime blossom? We live in Alabama and EVERYTHING is so green! We do have some azaleas blooming in our courtyard. Our hibiscus plants have amazing blooms. I hope we will have hydrangea blooms soon!

Azaleas in the courtyard

Sunday afternoon porch sitting
with lots of flowers

hibiscus on the porch

hydrangea from last year

4. What's something you learned at your mother's knee? My mom died when I was 15 so I don't remember a lot of things. When I read the phrase "at your mother's knee" . . .I do remember on Saturday nights sitting between my mother's prickly legs while she rolled my hair on sponge rollers. While I was sitting there, she and my daddy were watching Lawrence Welk. Oh my goodness! I hadn't thought of that memory in a long time!

5. Share a thought about motherhood. Motherhood is one of the hardest things I've ever done. I have friends who seem to be natural born mothers and I always thought they were probably doing everything right and I was doing it wrong. I think my daughter is an incredible mother and I'm so proud of her. Our daughter-in-law is a good mom, too. I think they are both much better moms that I was.

6. Insert your own random thought here. This was in front of me on the way to work on Tuesday. First, he would rest his head there. Then he would turn around and his tail would hang over the edge. It was quite entertaining!

Hodgepodge

 1. Where do you get your news these days? I get an email everyone from The New York Times that has a brief recap of a major news story. They seem to cover both sides quite well. I also get news from NPR. I personally do not like to listen to a news station that continually bashes the other party or people different from themselves.

2. It's National Crab Day...do you like crab meat? What makes you crabby? I started to type that I do not like crab meat BUT a couple of years ago, our friends made homemade crab cakes and they were really delicious. Will I order them in a restaurant? Probably not. Would I eat them if my friends served them? Absolutely. 

What makes me crabby? How about crazy drivers? People who don't drive the speed limit on the interestate make me crabby. I bought gas yesterday and it was $3.999 and today it was $4.179 . . .that might make me crabby.

3. Does freedom mean more choices? Have you ever felt there were too many choices? Elaborate. I think freedom means lots of choices but I think sometimes people make really poor choices. Regarding the second part of the question -- I immediately thought of the menu at The Cheesecake Factory. There are too many choices! When I look at the menu, I suffer from choice overload which is actually a thing! I realize that the question was supposed to have a serious answer but . . .what can I say?

4. Barbara Millicent Roberts was introduced to the world on March 9, 1959...that's Barbie to most of us. Did you have Barbies as a kid, or did you let your own children play with Barbies? What well known Barbara (living or not) would you most like to meet? I played with Barbies and my friends and I built elaborate homes for them with shoeboxes. We used wash cloths for carpet and made beds and chairs with other boxes. We spent hours playing with Barbies. My daughter also played with Barbies and we recently found a tub in the attic full of fun Barbie items. Both granddaughters also play with Barbies because we introduced them. They have names like "sister" and "brother." Brother actually is the one who gets in trouble the most. My husband never played Barbies with our daughter. If you ask Granddaughter #1 "who is the best Barbie player?" Her answer is Pops! He has played Barbie more with granddaughters than just about anything else!! 

Pops playing Barbies with Harvey
looking on

Gran and Granddaughter #2
digging through her momma's
Barbie tub

We have lots of Barbie stuff

Barbies even ride in the
bike basket

5. What are three things you value most in another person? honesty, inegrity, loyalty 

Mark just walked in and I asked his opinion and he agreed with my three things!

6. Insert your own random thought here. I took my second Sociology exam and I made another B with a 94 average in the class. When I was young, I could read something and memorize it and spit it back out on a test. At 63, not so much. I'm glad that I'm learning though. Sociology is very interesting!!

Nutty Hodgepodge

I'm joining up with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. I would love to hear your answers. You can answer in the comments or you can copy and paste the questions into your own blog, answer, and then link up on Joyce's blog.

1. February 16th is National Almond day...are you a fan? If so what's your favorite food item or recipe that contains almonds? I love almonds! I like eating them straight from the can! My husband LOVES Almond Skillet Cake. My friend, Phella, makes THE BEST Almond Skillet cake. It tastes like a giant sugar cookie flavored with almond flavoring.

photo from pinterest

2. Something you are currently 'nuts' about? I'm always "nuts" about our granddaughters but right now, we are also "nuts" about these two things:

This bean soup mix is great! Did you know that you can purchase a hambone at the Honeybaked Store? Soup is not one of Mark's favorite foods but he actually loves this one! Mark has been really "nuts" about this soup. 

I am also "nuts" about Cara Cara oranges. They are so juicy and delicious.

3. Something currently driving you 'nuts'? I have a weird problem that is driving me "nuts." Sometimes I can eat scrambled eggs for breakfast and I'm just fine. Other times, like Monday of this week, I can eat scrambled eggs for breakfast and I feel horrible a couple of hours later. The eggs were good. They were fresh from our son's chickens. I floated them before cooking to make sure they were fresh. I washed them well with soap and water because they were fresh. I scrambled them and mid morning, I went to see if our church chef had any crackers. I felt like my face was surely green. I ate a few Ritz crackers and was perfectly fine about 30 minutes later. When I was first tested for allergies back around 1981, I think I had a sensitivity to eggs but not a full blown allergy. This is driving me a tad "nuts" because Mark loves breakfast food. Eggs don't bother me if I eat them for dinner. Deviled eggs don't usually bother me. Eggs cooked in a pancake or waffle don't bother me. Anyone else have any strange random sensitivities to food?

4. Something you recently bought for 'peanuts'? I can't think of a thing but I heard a great story on Sunday night at a neighbor's house. My husband and I fell in love with a piece of antique furniture in her home. It was a chest but the top was slightly sloped down toward the middle front. We asked her about it and it was some sort of wooden antique cutting board. It had been used for so many years/times that the shape had been altered. She found it at a flea market and paid $450 for it. Let me tell you . . .if she had purchased it at any "antique store" in the greater Birmingham area, it would have been $2500. I just googled images to see if I could find something similar and I don't see a thing.

5. Share a favorite quote uttered by any U.S. President ( if you're not an American, a quote made by the leader of your own country). I'm going to be totally honest here. I do not know a single quote by a single president so I googled "quotes from U.S. Presidents." I found this one that I really like:

“There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of kindness or courage or loyalty or integrity. It really matters very little whether they are behind the weel of a truck or running a business or bringing up a family. They teach the truth by living it.” ― James Garfield (1831–1881)

6. Insert your own random thought here. We are looking forward to a couple of fun outings this week. On Thursday night, we are meeting friends for dinner at a local restaurant. On Friday night, we are going to a friend's home for dinner with our long-time supper club.

Tickle Me Hodgepodge

 1. Besides the predictable name-rank-serial number, what's something you know by heart? We say The Lord's Prayer and The Apostle's Creed, or Affirmation of faith, every week in worship and I know those by heart. I know quite a few hymn lyrics and children's songs by heart.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. The third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,* the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. (*) We aren't Catholic - see this is a little "c" -- refers to the universal church – or to make it easier – all of the churches who believe in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Mark's mom sang a song to him when he was little and we sang it to our children and our daughter sings it to her daughter (not sure about son)

Horsey Horsey carry me

Through the woods and to the sea

If you’re tired and want to stop

I will let the bridle drop

2. Something recently that had you tickled pink? Today in our staff chapel, we were doing some fun get to know you things. Someone said that I was their mentor. That was really special and I guess it "tickled me pink."

3. How do you define the word romantic, and are you one? Romantic means (to me) that you would be doing things that you know the other person would love whether you love it or not. Romantic would also include a good surprise every once in a while. I don't think either of us is very romantic but we sure do love each other. Mark did something for me one year for Valentine's day that was very romantic. He made reservations for dinner at a cool venue and didn't tell me where we were going until we got there. It was a Prix Fixe menu and the restaurant presented each lady with a red rose. It was nice. I surprised him with a trip to New Orleans one year for his birthday so we do things for each other all of the time but I don't think of us as romantics.

4. Finish this verse with your own original thought....'Roses are red, violets are blue...

I found this one on line:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

I wouldn't know

because I don't get them from you!

This made me laugh!!

5. Five little things you are loving right now? 

school - because I'm learning new things!!

family - because I love them!

work - because I love my job

daffodils and forsythia beginning to bloom

the thought of traveling again (the thoughts are small . . .travel is not)

6. Insert your own random thought here. Mark and his twin brother went hunting last week and Mark shot a hog. Wild hogs are very destructive and have decided to take up residence in Alabama. Anyway . . . Mark made homemade sausage this weekend. He smoked it last night but I didn't get any more pictures.

Last Hodgepodge of 2021

Thanks to Joyce for another year's worth of questions! This is the last Wednesday Hodgepodge of 2021!! Feel free to copy and paste the questions into your own blog and answer and link up or please feel free to answer in the comments section!! I'm using a funky green font in honor of the Christmas season :-)!!

1. How young is young? In the past, according to various organizations who decide these things, age 60 was the 'border age' to old. The World Health Organization has done new research recently and divided up the categories as-0-17 (underage), 18-65 (youth or young people), 66-79 (middle-aged), 80-99 (elderly senior), 100+ (long-lived elderly). Your thoughts on this particular breakdown, and also your thoughts as to where you land? Oh my goodness - I love this new breakdown! I'm not old yet - hurrah!! On the question -- how young is young? My first thought was that anyone under 18 is young. Underage is definitely a good category title. I work with lots of young adults (45 and under) and they amaze me at times!

2. TIME magazine has declared Elon Musk person of the year in 2021. What say you? If you want to know more about how they choose you'll find that info in the link here. If you were choosing, who would be your person of the year? I've always thought that the person of the year should be a "nice" person but I'm not sure that fits Elon Musk, does it? I think he has definitely done some amazing things. I actually looked at the choices for people/man/woman/machine of the year since 1927 and the choices are definitely interesting. I'm not sure who I would choose - it would probably be someone more "down to earth" - someone who is in the thick of caring for others.

3. I read here ten habits of extremely likable people which include-they greet the world with a smile on their face, they ask questions, they're consistent, they put the phone away, they remember names and use them, they keep an open mind and don't pass judgement, they're authentic, they're kind and generous, accountable for their mistakes, and they send thank you notes.  

So, are you likable-lol? Which one of these habits could use some further developing in your own life? What is one habit/quality you'd add to the list? 

I do smile a lot. I am definitely authentic. I try hard to be kind and generous. I say I'm sorry a lot so I think that means I own up to my mistakes. I send thank you notes. I think I'm likable but who knows?? I need to put my phone away A LOT MORE. I work hard on remembering names but I do forget names sometimes. The pandemic helped with this because I could say that the mask was interfering :-). If I added something I would add "Love everyone - and I do mean everyone."

4. One non-holiday related task/job/goal/dream on your to-do list that you hope/plan to make happen before the new year rolls in? I would love to clean out some of my attic before the end of the year. We have a great space but we have crammed so much junk into the space in the last 7 years.

5. Share with us some of your holiday plans. Tomorrow night we are going to see Christmas Vacation on the big screen at the Alabama Theater. I texted with hubby and kids yesterday and we figured out that we can all get together for Christmas Eve lunch. Some of us will attend a Christmas program this Sunday evening and some of us will attend Christmas Eve communion and candlelight service together.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I feel better about Christmas this week. Last week I was in a panic. I didn't put out as many decorations this year but I have plenty. Speaking of Christmas, our church had our Lessons and Carols service this past Sunday. It was so good.  ALSO -- all of a sudden, my blog is acting crazy -- I can't reply to your comments as ME! It shows up as anonymous. I googled it and it is a more common problem than I imagined. I've done the things suggested and it still doesn't work. It is so frustrating! I'm open to suggestions??? (yes - I think that was 3 random thoughts in one paragraph - what the heck!)

Silent Night Hodgepodge

 

Thanks so much to Joyce for the questions every week! You can copy the questions and answer on your own blog and join everyone on Wednesday OR please feel free to answer in the comments section.

1. 'Tis the season to be jolly....so are you? I want to be jolly. Normally, I'm jolly. I'm feeling a little frazzled this year. We don't have our tree up yet due to circumstances beyond my control. I haven't finished shopping. I'm trying to be jolly.

2. Do you trim a tree this time of year, and if so is yours all done? What's something in your home-closet-life that needs to be trimmed in the new year? See answer to #1. Our tree is sitting in the garage waiting to be put into the tree stand and then decorated. All of our closets and our attic need to be trimmed. 

3. Are you 'dreaming of a white Christmas'? Is that a possibility where you'll be celebrating? According to this site the top ten places in the US you can count on for a white Christmas are- North Pole Alaska, Crater Lake Oregon, Yellowstone National Park, Winthrop Washington, Aspen Colorado, Ketchum Idaho, Mt. Washington New Hampshire, Whitefish Montana, Duluth Minnesota, and the Lake Tahoe town of Truckee California

Of the snowy spots listed which would you most like to visit? 

We are in Alabama so the chance of a white Christmas is slim to none. I could dream all I want but the odds of it happening are not in our favor. I think it would be cool to visit North Pole, Alaska for Christmas!! Someone I know lives in Truckee, California and her pictures are always gorgeous. They have already had at least one big snowfall.

4. December 8th is National Brownie Day...will you be celebrating? How do you like your brownies-chewy or cake-like, frosted or plain, nuts or no nuts, a piece from the middle or give me the corner? As a child were you a member of a brownie troop? I don't eat sweets so I won't be celebrating but if I were, I would probably be eating a Brown Sugar Brownie. I do love a good brownie with lots of pecans and I want the very middle piece. When our kids were growing up, I would cut the edges off our brownies. My kids called the edges "brownie bones." Mark LOVES the edges!! I was never a member of a Brownie troop but our daughter was for a couple of years. 

5. Share a favorite line or two from a Christmas carol or holiday tune. I love Silent Night - so . . .

Silent Night

Holy Night

All is calm

All is bright

Round yon virgin

mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

6. Insert your own random thought here. I'm all out of random thoughts this week! I need to make a list of gifts I need to purchase, Christmas cards I need to finish, what decorations need to be brought down from the attic, etc.  . . .I might not have my tree up yet but I have several nativity sets already out. Much like the very last line of Silent Night - Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born! I need to remind myself THAT is the whole reason we are celebrating - Christ the Savior is born.

A Glass Half Full Hodgepodge

 1. How did you name your blog and do you now wish you had thought about it maybe another five minutes before hitting publish? Would you change your blog title if it were not a huge pain in the derriere? I'm going to answer the second half of the question first -- I'm 63 now so I don't know if I'm still middle aged. I'm going to keep pretending that I am and not change the title. On to the question about the name. I wrote the following on Thursday, June 4.

Last Friday while driving home from the farmer's market, I decided to create a blog and even thought of the name at that time. I was thinking about our kids - now 22 years old. . . almost 23 - and was thinking about the different role I will be playing in their lives. My thoughts are sometimes erratic. They pop around in my head like the kernels of popcorn that I love. I imagine that my writing will be the same. To be honest, I doubt that there is anyone who would really and truly care to read this so I think I'm doing it just for myself (and then if someone else likes it, that is just icing on the cake!) So just what are my middle aged mom musings this day. Laura is interning at a very special pre-school here in town and I had been to visit on Friday. Seems like only a few years ago that she was the little girl student and now she is the "teacher." Today her class went to a petting zoo. I was able to locate a picture of Laura and Glenn at the same petting zoo when they were in preschool. She took it to school with her today to show the children. Glenn is away this summer working at a Christian camp. He is a grown man . . .on his own far from home.

Today starts the process - I have no idea if I'll write something every day - maybe prayers or something about vacation or scrapbooking - or if I'll ever write again . . .but today starts the process.

2. What bill do you least like to pay? I actually dislike paying bills. We have one major credit card that we use and pay off each month and I hate paying that. As I'm typing, I thought of another one. I hate paying our neighborhood association dues and they are due at the end of December. I live in a wonderful neighborhood and I actually don't mind paying dues but lately we don't seem to have a say so in anything that happens around here.

3. What is your favorite word? Okay okay, calm down. How about one of your favorite words? I'm going to say three words -- please and thank you - ok that was 4 words counting "and." I definitely have some words I hate!! I'm sure that there are other words I like but they elude me at the moment.

4. Is the glass half full or half empty? Elaborate. Half Full 99% of the time though the last couple of days I've been in a weird place. I still think my glass is overflowing with blessings.

5. Were you here for that very first Hodgepodge post? If so, were your answers then similar to what they are today? Tell us what was happening in your life in November of 2010? I was blogging back then but I don't think I knew anything about bloghops like Hodgepodge. I wish I had!! I just reread my posts from November 2010. Our twins were turning 24 and our soon to be daughter-in-law was turning 25. Our son and soon to be daughter-in-law were engaged and we were gearing up for a January 2011 wedding. Our daughter, Laura, wasn't married yet and she and I made some really cute t-shirts for her to wear in her classroom. We have an amazing Children's Hospital here in town and they have a support group for the parents of kids with cancer. Our Sunday school class cooked meals once a month and delivered the meals to the hospital for those parents to eat. I evidently I was the one who cooked in November 2010. It is hard to believe that has been 11 years ago.

6. Insert your own random thought here. I tried a new recipe last night for a spaghetti casserole in the crockpot. We served it to the young adults with green beans and salad and bread. Here is the recipe -- it was yummy. I used whole wheat pasta and ground turkey sausage along with ground beef.

crockpot liners to the rescue!

yummy!!