Celebrating 100 Editions of Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Congratulations to Joyce for providing us with 100 great editions of Wednesday Hodgepodge–even through the hectic preparations and impending arrival of a giant storm!  Wow, Joyce, my hat is off to you–and I hope and pray that you and yours are doing well in the aftermath of “Sandy”.

If you haven’t joined us for The Hodgepodge, you’re missing out on a lot of fun.  Speaking of fun, here is our 100th set of questions:

1. What creeps you out?

Here are just a few things – rats or mice, snakes, roaches, maggots, the sight and smell of vomit,  diapers filled with runny “poo”, compound fractures, and severed body parts.  That’s quite a varied list, huh?

2. What’s your least favorite candy?

Twizzlers.  I’ve tried to like them, but I just can’t.

3. Are you a fan of scary movies? What’s the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?

I used to like scary movies, but most of them became so weird and gory, I stopped watching years ago.  I don’t actually remember what the scariest movie I’ve ever seen was, but Stephen King movies always made my hair stand on end!

4. What part of life confuses you the most?

The difficult times we are now living in–and wondering what the future holds.

5. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy…what’s your favorite seed?

I’m not a big “seed” person, but I like sesame seeds on top of my buns or bread.

6. Imagine your life ten years from today…what’s changed?

Things will have changed a lot–and most of it will probably not for the better.  Ed will be retired, and I’ll finally be drawing a small retirement check from my former job, but our standard of living will certainly have to change from what it is today.

Hopefully, we’ll both be on Social Security and Medicare–assuming either of these programs are still in existence.

We’ll both have aged ten more years, which is never a good thing, health-wise, but hopefully we’ll both be living.

7. What do you a) love the most and b) like the least about the Hodgepodge?

(A) I love all of the wonderful people that I have met through participating in the Hodgepodge.  I also love how some of the questions make me examine my inner-self, and give me a place to record my thoughts.

(B) I sometimes get frustrated while trying to figure out my thoughts and how to put those thoughts into words.

Random:

Ed and I participated in early voting yesterday.  It felt good to cast our ballots and let our voices be heard.  There was no line, and the process went quickly.  We’re continuing to pray for our nation’s future.

I’m also continuing to pray for all of those affected by the recent storm.  There’s so much damage and devastation!  My heart goes out to all, especially those who lost everything.

About Me On Monday (Halloween Edition)

It’s time to begin a new week by joining Heather for the Halloween Edition of her Monday meme.  Here are the questions:

1. Do you consider Halloween a holiday for children or adults?
Many years ago, when I was a child, Halloween was mainly for children. These days, there seems to be a lot of parties and activities involving adults, so I guess it can be for both.

2. At what age should children stop trick or treating?
I think around age eleven is a good stopping point. In my opinion, there’s no need for teenagers to be out trick-or-treating, unless they are the ones taking their younger siblings.

3. What are your plans for Halloween?

In the past, Ed and I have hosted a couple of parties (for family), but this year we’re just looking forward to having the grandchildren stop by to pick up their Halloween goody bags on trick-or-treat night–which happens to be Tuesday night here.  Our town only allows trick-or-treating on Tuesday or Thursday evenings.

4. What frightens you?

Small, dark, confined spaces, heights, things that go “bump” in the night, loaded guns, snakes…just to name a few things.

My question for you:

What has been your most memorable Halloween experience?

For me, it was  the two family Halloween Parties that we’ve hosted.  It was so much fun to see what everyone dressed up as–and the party foods got pretty creative, too.!)

About the weekend:

The weekend was busy around our house, but, fortunately, all of our activities took place at home!  We attended our granddaughter’s birthday party( next-door) and Ed continued working on his latest construction project, which I’ll write about at a later date.

Fortunately, there was no “manhunt” this weekend.  Things seemed almost boring compared to last weekend!  The authorities still haven’t caught that guy–and there’s even a reward for information leading to his arrest!   I hope he’s long gone.

As the new week begins, I’m sending up prayers for those in the path of “Frankenstorm”, as well as the final week of presidential campaigning.

Happy Monday!

Thursday’s Thoughts ~ The Weekend Manhunt…

Last weekend’s manhunt began on Wednesday, with the arrest of a man, in connection with a probation violation and multiple burglaries.  The arrest turned into a manhunt after the suspect managed to give the authorities “the slip” before actually making it to jail.  (The suspect crawled out of the bathroom window, when allowed to use the restroom unattended.)  Suddenly the hunt was on!

Our town is small, and word spreads quickly.  The fugitive is a local man, who also belongs to a prominent, well-respected family in the area.  Soon Facebook was all abuzz–and we all know, sometimes this is not a good thing.

On Wednesday, the search for the suspect had begun many miles from where we live. It continued on through Thursday evening, searching wooded areas with tracking dogs, which the suspect somehow managed to elude.

By Friday morning, it was rumored that the suspect had obtained a smart phone, and had been able to keep up with the search through Facebook.  By then he’d also broken into a home, took a shower, and cooked himself a hamburger.

Imagine our surprise, when scores of police cars began streaming into our little community late Friday afternoon!  We soon learned the suspect was in our area!  They even brought in a helicopter!  The frantic search took place just over a mile from our house!  (Once again, Facebook had a busy night.)  After several unsuccessful hours,  the search was called off for the evening.  I don’t know about other Gooseneck residents, but our family locked up, lit up, and slept with one eye open!

The next day we learned the suspect had broken into three different businesses/residences of our neighbors after the search was halted!  He took everything from Gatorade to a four-wheeler–even some gasoline to put in the four-wheeler!

The fugitive then moved to the north side of us, just a few miles down the road, and stole a pickup truck on the following day.  The authorities had no idea where the suspect was headed after that.

The last we heard, the truck had been found in Brunswick, a city about 80 miles away!  Whew, finally we can start to breathe easy again.  So much for our relaxing weekend at home!  We’ll try again tomorrow…

Ninety-Nine Bottles And A Hodgepodge, Too…

You’re probably thinking ninety-nine bottles and a hodgepodge? What???  There aren’t ninety-nine bottles in this post, but this is the ninety-ninth hodgepodge!  That’s a whole lot of hodgepodge questions!  Speaking of questions, here are Joyce’s questions for this week:

1. So, do you like beer?

No!

2. What’s your least favorite repetitive task?

Cleaning the bathroom!  Ugh.

3. When was the last time you rode a bus? Where was it headed?

The last time I rode a bus was back in 2005.  It was a school bus, and it was headed on a school field trip–I’m not positive, but I think it may have been headed to River Street in Savannah.

4. What song from your childhood or from your own children’s childhood could make a parent’s nerves stand on end?

The song “Ninety-Nine Bottles Of Pop” (or beer) quickly makes my nerves raw!  It’s like the sound of nails on a chalkboard to my ears.

5. The US Presidential election cycle is drawing to a close (can I get an AMEN??), and the third and final debate was held last night…what was the last thing you ‘debated about’?

Actually, it was that third and final debate, believe it or not!

6. Can a person make too much money? How much is too much?

As far as I’m concerned, sports figures and entertainers are highly overpaid for what they do!  That being said, if someone is willing to pay them a ridiculous amount of money, more power to them for taking advantage of their opportunity, so my answer the question is “No”.  This brings me to my next thought…

When did it become such a “crime” in America to be rich?!   Becoming successful and making money used to be the American dream, but our current administration seems to have contempt for the rich, and wants to punish the most successful citizens by raising their taxes!  Where’s the incentive to work hard–or to work at all for that matter?  No wonder there are 47 million people on food stamps!   I’m not a rich person.  Heck, I’m not even sure I qualify as middle class anymore, but if had a lot of money, I wouldn’t want more of it redistributed!  I’ll get off my soapbox now…

7. Pop-soda-coke-something else…what’s it called where you live?

Coke–even if it’s not an actual coke!  LOL

Random:

I’m praying, praying, praying about the upcoming election.  I believe America is at a very important crossroads, and I am praying very hard that our country makes the right choice…God be with us.

Someone Special Turns Six Today…

Six years ago, today, someone special entered the world–and my life!  Her name is Madison, and she is the daughter of my daughter…my first grandchild.  I quickly learned why we call them “grand” children!

Time passes so quickly!  It seems like just yesterday,  Madison was toddling around the house playing with Dora the Explorer and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on tv.

These days Madison is already in her third year of schooling. She has learned to read and write, and  is growing into quite a lovely young girl.  Madison has put Dora and Mickey aside, and now enjoys watching The Fresh Beat Band and playing with her new puppy named “Jack”.

Oh, how times have changed since October 23, 2006–and so has Madison.  Here are just a few of my favorite “Maddie Moments” from the past six years…

Happy sixth birthday, Madison!  

Just Another Monday…

Today is just another Monday, which is a good thing–especially after the weekend we had around here!  It was not a typical weekend!  However, it was  such an interesting weekend,  it’s going to take a couple of posts to explain all that went on around here!  Think “man hunt” and “construction project”– and check back for the details!

Right now, it’s time to join Heather for “About Me On Monday”.  Here are today’s questions:

1. How often do you shop for groceries? Do you shop in one place or many?

I used to go shopping every other week, and purchase two weeks worth of groceries at a time.  These days I usually shop weekly in order to pick up the sale items or to use weekly coupons.  I shop at several different places to find the best deals.  Groceries are so expensive, even the sale prices are high!
2. How old were you when you had your first taste of alcohol?

I think I may have been around age nine, when my mother made a “hot toddy” and tried to get me to drink some of it for a bad cold (and old home remedy).  After much coaxing, I tried one sip, but that was it!  Yuk!  I’ve been told that alcohol is “an acquired taste”–but it’s not a taste I care about acquiring!

3. How much TV do you watch?

I  average watching three to four hours of television during a twenty-four hour period.   We watch news shows most of the time, but I there are about four or five other shows that I  also enjoy watching.

4. How do you relieve stress?

My favorite way to relieve stress is to sit beside the ocean in a chair, but I have to travel at least 90 miles to do that!  When I’m at home I like to take a candlelight bubble bath and/or play music to relieve my stress.

My question for you is:

5.  Which carnival treat do you prefer–a bag of cotton candy or a candy apple?

(I love candy apples!)

 

Thursday’s Thoughts On Friday ~ Farming

Old family photo of Ed’s daddy – posing with some of his tall corn

I found myself absent, once again, from blog land yesterday.  The garden was calling my name for one last time.  I spent the day gathering and canning what will most likely be the last of our fall crop of peas and butter beans.  Our gardening experience of 2012 is coming to an end, and what a wild ride it has been!    Ed and I have learned so much since April!

On Tuesday, Ed’s brother (the one who’s been so sick) came over for a visit.  Technically, he lives next-door to us, but a wooded area separates our homes, so we can’t see each other’s houses.  At one point in time, the area we all live on used to be Ed’s daddy’s cow pasture.  Ed and I have been living on one side of the former pasture for 35 years, while Ed’s brother and his wife moved on the other side about a dozen years ago.

Anyway, Ed’s brother showed up bearing a bag filled with sweet potatoes and a thank you card to show his appreciation for our help during his illness.  Imagine our surprise, when we learned that he, too, had spent the summer of 2012 learning to grow a garden!  What are the chances that two brothers, living on the same family farm would choose to learn to grow a garden during the same year–each without knowing what the other was doing?!

We had the best time sitting there comparing our gardening experiences, and sharing what we’d learned!  We talked about everything from squash bugs to protecting our gardens from wildlife.  It turned out that we’d both lost battles with those pesky squash bugs, and none of us knew what they were for a while!  It also turned out that we’d both relied heavily on the internet for information.

I could tell from the conversation that Ed and his brother both share a love of gardening now.  Both of them, sons of a farmer, yet it took them both well-over fifty years to decide to learn the art of growing food.  I guess better late than never–or should I say, “Desperate times call for desperate measures”?!  ( Is anyone else cringing over the price of food these days?)

As I was sitting on my grasshopper gardening stool picking the last of those butter beans, I couldn’t help but think about the many years Ed’s dad had spent growing food on this land that we call home.  I now have a new appreciation for how hard he worked all of those years to keep food on the table and in our freezers.  What’s that old saying, “Walk a mile in my shoes”?  Now I know!

So the next time you are sitting at your table eating those fruits and vegetables that came from the farmer’s market or the grocery store, think about the farmer who grew that delicious food, and give thanks for him.  I can assure you–from experience–  that a lot of work, worry, and sweat went into the process of growing it.

P.S.  We sent Ed’s brother home with a dozen eggs!  He’s now considering getting some chickens, too!

Hodgepodge Number 98…

I always look forward to participating in the Wednesday Hodgepodge!  I learn something new each week, and I’ve met a lot of great people, as well.  Joyce, our hostess, is great at providing us with a never-ending supply of diverse and interesting questions.  Speaking of questions, here are this week’s questions, along with my answers:

1. Noah Webster was born this week back in 1758….besides the online version, do you own a dictionary? Do you ever use the hardback copy or is your hunt for a definition strictly online these days?

Actually,  I own two dictionaries.  One of my dictionaries is very old.  It’s a high school dictionary, and used to belong to my brother w-a-y back when he was in high school during the early sixties.  My other dictionary is a college dictionary which I purchased  only a few years ago, while taking college courses.  These days I rely solely on the internet for any necessary definitions.

2. Should public schools ban Halloween celebrations? What about other holiday celebrations currently under fire?

No!  Let me just say how sick I am of celebrations, as well as other things, being banned simply because they may be offensive to some!  I’m offended by a lot of things that I see and hear each and every day, but I  put on my big girl panties and deal with it!

3. What’s your favorite ‘dog’ movie?

“Where the Red Fern Grows”.  It’s an old movie about a young boy and two hound dogs.  I love the movie, but the ending makes me cry like a baby.

4. When were you last somewhere you’d describe as ‘too quiet’?

I can’t remember the last time when I felt like a place was “too quiet”.  After many years of raising three children, and working in an elementary school, I happen to enjoy the silence!  I do remember a time, many years ago, when our home seemed almost too quiet after our children all started to school, but I soon joined them by working at the school, so the silence was short lived!

5. Are you a neat cook or a messy cook? In other words do you clean as you go or make a big mess and then deal with it later?

I’m a messy cook!  Sometimes I try to clean up as I go, but somehow I always end up with a mess by the time I finish.  Thank goodness for the dishwasher, and a helpful husband!

6. Did you hear about Felix Baumgartner, the skydiver who broke the sound barrier via parachute? Was your first thought COOL! or was your first thought CRAZY! Are you adventurous?

I heard about this skydiver, and my first thought was this– He must be crazy!  No, I’m not adventurous at all, and I’m not ashamed a bit.

7. What’s not a word but should be?

“Catitudes”.  It’s what the owner of multiple cats has to deal with!

Random:  Update on my brother-in-law

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned how sick my BIL had been.  Following pneumonia and a lung abscess, he’d been sent home from the hospital  still requiring IV antibiotics every six hours.  He was having to drive 17 miles to his wife’s job, at 2 am, for her to administer his medications in the nursing home parking lot!  My husband, Ed, volunteered to get up and go to his brother’s house to administer the 2 am therapy.  Ed helped out for a week, then our sister-in-law chose to ask for a short leave of absence from her job.  I’m happy to report that my BIL is doing much better.  He still has another week of antibiotic therapy to go, but he’s getting better every day.  Prayers are being answered.

Half Full Or Running On Empty?

Many years ago, one interesting thing I discovered about my mother-in-law was her view concerning the gas tank of her vehicle.  She was obsessed with never letting the gas gauge of her car fall below the one-half tank mark!  Any time my mother-in-law and I went anywhere, we always began our trip with a stop by the gas station!  Most of the time, she’d ask her husband to go and fill up with gas, prior to our trip.  I always found it amusing that she found it necessary to buy gas when the tank was already at least half full.  Her reply was, “I like to keep plenty of gas– in case of an emergency.”

I suppose my mother-in-law’s view could have come from years of living close to a busy highway, where someone was forever running out of gas.  There was always a constant stream of people stopping by her house to “borrow” gas, or use the telephone.  Occasionally, this still happens.  In fact, someone ran out of gas just last week!  Ed gave them a ride to town.

How well I remember hearing my mother-in-law fuss and complain when one of her sons would borrow the car, then bring it home with an empty tank!  Ed admits he was guilty of bringing home a car with an empty tank, too,”because there wasn’t any place open to buy gas.”  In his defense, back in our dating days, most, if not all, of the gas stations around here closed at dark.  There were no convenience stores back then–only an occasional truck stop at the far edge of town.  As teenagers, we spent a lot of time “riding around”.  By the end of the evening, the car was usually low on gas!

When I first met Ed, he was driving a car his parents had passed down to him.  It was a 1961 Mercury, and it was pink!  Don’t you think it takes a “real man” to drive a pink vehicle?  I did!  That car had a few “quirks”, one of them being a gas gauge that didn’t work anymore.  Ed never shared his mother’s vision of keeping plenty of gas in the tank, so you guessed it–one day, while on a date, he and I ran out of gas!  Fortunately, we ran out of gas near the home of a cousin of mine, so we walked to her house and used her phone to call someone to bring us some gas.  Following that experience, I began having my own fear of running low on gas!

I didn’t get my own car until age 26, but from day one, I never let my gas gauge fall below one-fourth of a tank.  It’s a rule I still follow today, and, in fact, I feel myself beginning to panic once the hand actually touches the quarter of a tank mark!   If you want to see me get irritable and break out in sweat, just put me in the car with my daughter.  She rarely worries about getting gas until the warning bell sounds in her vehicle!   We’ve had a couple of close calls while traveling together.

I nearly fell off my seat the other day, when Ed said he was going to start keeping his car “half-full” of gas at all times–in case of an emergency!  What?!  I guess some of his mother has finally rubbed off on him after all!  A chip off the old block…

What are your thoughts?  Do you like to keep plenty of gas in your vehicle, or do you only buy gas when the warning bell sounds?

By the way, did you notice the fuel gauge photo at the top of this post?  I find it sort of humorous, especially in these difficult economic times.

About Me On Monday…

Hello again!  Was your weekend as short as mine was?  Not much happened in our neck of the woods.  Ed put in a new storm door, while I put some butter beans in the freezer.  We gave the rabbit another bath, and Ed grilled some steaks.  Don’t you wish your life was so exciting?!

Speaking of exciting, I’m joining Heather for the Monday quiz.  Here are today’s questions:

1. What is the most interesting fact you have learned recently?

Apparently, there is a political “cover up” regarding the recent attack on our ambassador and three others in Benghazi.

2. The alarm goes off on Monday morning. What is your first thought?

I’m thankful I don’t have to get up and go to work,  I just wish Ed didn’t  have to go either.  I got my wish today–Ed took the day off!

3. What is the most memorable movie line of all time?

Gone With The Wind –  “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn!”  or The Wizard of Oz – “There’s no place like home.”

4. Describe a situation that always seems to try your patience.

Trying to shop while someone’s unruly children are running, yelling, and basically destroying the store around me!  This was the scenario in every store that I visited on yesterday afternoon!

My question for you:

5. Can you list 3 two-word descriptions of your (past or present) favorite fall activities?

My list –  (1) wearing costumes  (2) autumn decorating  (3) fall festivals