This Hodgepodge Feels Like Home…

This time of the year always brings back memories of moving into our second new home.  We weren’t quite finished with our house, but, on November 9, 2007, Ed and I moved out of our home of 30 years, and into our second home.  It’s hard to believe almost nine years have passed since then.  I can still remember hauling boxes and furniture across the yard…  Yes, we moved right next door!

Thanks so much to our hostess, Joyce, for taking time to host this week’s Hodgepodge, especially since she’s getting ready to move, herself!  I appreciate you, Joyce, and best wishes with the move!

1. Besides your very own house, describe a place where you feel most ‘at home’?

I guess that would have to be our daughter’s house, located next door to us, which used to be our house until about nine years ago.  It’s only natural that I’d still feel ‘at home’ there, since Ed and I lived there for over 30 years, and raised our family in that house.

2. When did you last ‘hit a home run’ with something? Explain.

I’m going to say “surviving hurricane Matthew”.  We only lost our power for 21 hours, compared to many neighbors who were without electricity for several days.  Although we lost two large trees, we had no damage to either of the houses on our property.  Nine family members stayed together in our tiny, two bedroom, one bathroom home, for 3 days and 4 nights, and everyone got along well. God is good!

3. Tell us about something you love in your house or kitchen that is ‘homemade’.

I have a large, ‘homemade’ sign hanging over the refrigerator that says “Kathy’s Diner”, and has a menu written on it.  I had this sign specially made for my kitchen whenever we built this house, and I love it.  It matches my red, white, and black Coca Cola decor.  Look closely, at the picture below, and you can see the sign over the refrigerator.

4. ‘A man’s home is his castle’…which of the world’s ten most captivating castles (according to The Travel Channel) would you most like to visit and why-

Mont Saint-Michel (France), Edinburgh Castle (Scotland), Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany), Glamis Castle (Scotland), Windsor Castle (England), Chateau de Chambord (France), Hampton Court Palace (England), Prague Castle (Prague), St. Michael’s Mount (England), Leeds Castle (England), and Swallow’s Nest (Ukraine)

I’m sure any one of these castles would be captivating, and fun to visit, but I don’t know anything about any of them, so I’ll take a pass on answering this one.

5. What’s a recent or upcoming plan or project that’s required you do a little homework before getting started? Did the homework cause you to abandon your plan or adjust it in some way?

Hurricane Matthew has caused a couple of unplanned projects at our house.  First of all, we had to move two freezers and install a new screen door on our storage house (for ventilation).  Next, was the project of cutting up and removing the two trees that were blown down, which required some repair work to the chain saw. (Ed still has one tree left to cut) Last comes the project of shopping for a generator, so we’ll be prepared for the next big storm that blows our way!

6. In your opinion, is homework an unnecessary evil or a valuable practice? Should schools be done with homework? Why or why not?

I think a little reading and math homework is valuable, because there’s not much time for practice during class. However, teachers need to be considerate and assign homework in moderation.

7. Share a favorite memory of your childhood hometown.

I remember when ‘Dairy Queen’ first came to our tiny little town.  It was back in the 60’s, and it was a big deal to everyone!  I don’t know which I liked best–the hamburgers and french fries or the soft serve ice cream.  Our original Dairy Queen was a very small, barn-shaped building, with a red roof, and no inside seating.  Over the years, our Dairy Queen’ has been renovated two or three times, and the name has been changed.  These days, it’s a very nice D Q Grill-n-Chill, with inside [or outside] seating, and I still enjoy their hamburgers, french fries, and soft serve ice cream, on rare occasions.

photo courtesy of Google

There’s something else that’s special about our local DQ.  The owner, Zuber Malek is a wonderful person, who cares about, and gives back, to the community.  Local citizens have responded to his kindness and generosity by giving his DQ the honor of being a top fund raiser for The Children’s Miracle Network!  Below is a picture of the sign, showing this year’s grand total:

Random:

Yesterday, the ‘unthinkable’ happened to our daughter.  She flushed her toilet, then came back a while later to discover a disaster.  The toilet flapper didn’t close after the tank refilled, and, apparently, the drain was sluggish, and couldn’t handle the flow of water.  The two malfunctions became the ‘perfect storm’ for a flood. Water went all into their bedroom, into the dining room, and into the kitchen.  Water even ran out the back door and down the steps.  Did I mention our daughter has laminate flooring?  Laminate flooring and water do not make a good combination.  Within the matter of a few minutes, there was quite a mess to deal with.

By mid-evening, with the help of family, the kitchen and dining room had been disassembled, with cabinets and furniture removed.  All of the soggy laminate had been taken up, as well.  Hopefully, there will be no chance of rain in the forecast, because most of the kitchen cabinets are sitting on the front porch, and will be sitting there for a few days while the floor dries out.  Fun times!