Wednesday Hodgepodge # 333…

There are only twelve more days until Christmas!  Can you believe it?!  Me either.  I’m NOT ready…  but I don’t suppose a few more hours of procrastinating is going to make much difference, so I’m participating in The Hodgepodge–or at least I’m going to try.  Last week, the ‘Linky’ mysteriously disappeared after a few hours, so I wasn’t able to read everyone’s posts:(  Hopefully, this week will go better!  As always, thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce, for everything she does.  Here we go:

1. ‘Hurry less, worry less’…what’s your strategy for making that happen this holiday season? How’s it going so far?

“Hurry less, worry less” is my strategy, this year, along with making it a point to always keep in mind the real reason for the season.  For the most part, it’s going good.  This year, I’ve hurried and worried less than usual, and I’m trying hard to stay focused on Jesus rather than Santa.

2. Do you have a list of to-dos that need accomplishing in order to prepare your home and/or property for the winter season?  We don’t make a list, but there are a few things we do.

What are some of the jobs on your list?  The outside faucets need wrapping and the flowers need protecting, so the greenhouse has to be put back up.  We also drain/cover our large fountain, and cover the plants [at night] that won’t fit inside of the greenhouse.

Are you a do-it-yourselfer or do you hire someone to accomplish these tasks?  Ed takes care of everything, thankfully, and spent most of last Saturday doing just that!

3. According to dietitians surveyed, the most popular health foods for 2018 will be -turmeric, sprouted foods (bean sprouts, breads with sprouted grains, etc), veggies in place of grains, dairy free milk, and pulses (lentils, chickpeas, etc). What’s the first thought that ran through your head when you read this list?  My first thought was “YUK”.

Of the foods listed which one might you add to your regular diet? None of the above.

Also, can milk really be dairy free?  Not to me!  I hate almond milk, and won’t even try soy milk.

Is it still milk?  Again, no, not as far as I’m concerned.  Give me the real thing, please!

4. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2018 is Ultra Violet. According to the Pantone site ‘Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking pointing us to the future.’ What say you?  I say, it doesn’t communicate those things to me.

Do you like the color purple?  No, I’m not really a fan of it.

Did you see the movie or read the book-ha!?  Yes, I watched the movie twice.

Is purple a color you wear often?  No, it isn’t.

Describe for us one purple item in your home without using the word purple.  It’s knee-length and has a jacket that goes with it.  I’ve had it for over a year and only worn it once.  I’m not sure what I was thinking when I bought it.

If you were in charge of such things what color would you select for 2018?  I’d select candy apple red!

5. Favorite book read this year?  I’m going to say the devotional entitled,  Every Day in His Presence by Charles Stanley.  I received this book as a gift, last Christmas, and it’s been such a blessing to me all year.

Random:

Yesterday was our oldest grandson, Caden’s, birthday.  He turned nine!

It scares me to death when I think about nine being half-way to eighteen!!!  Oh, be still my heart, where is time going?!  Wasn’t it just yesterday when he was getting a bath in the kitchen sink?

Apparently not!   And wasn’t it only a week or two ago when we celebrated his third birthday in my kitchen?

I guess not.  Time has a way of slipping by…

Happy Birthday, again, Caden.  I hope the next nine years don’t pass as quickly as the first ones did–and I hope Mimi and E are here to experience every one of them with you.

Saying Goodbye To January With A Hodgepodge…

 Is it just me, or has the month of January flown by in a blur?  Our January days have been relatively uneventful, but the time has still flown by.

As always, I’m thankful to our hostess, Joyce, for always making the time to host The Hodgepodge. If you’ve never joined us, and would like to, please click on Joyce’s button.  Here are this week’s questions:

1. Share a winter memory from your childhood.

The #1 thing I remember most, from the winters of my childhood, is being cold!  The houses we lived in, while I was growing up, were older houses, and they were not insulated at all.  Our homes were heated with fireplaces or gas ‘space heaters’, so parts of the house were always unheated.  There usually wasn’t any heat left on during the night, so I always woke up to a cold house!  I always got dressed for school standing in front of a small heater.  There wasn’t any heat at all in the bathroom!  We heated the bathroom with the steam from our very hot bath water.  Oh, and we had so many covers on the beds, you could hardly turn over during the night!  (I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I married Ed because our first home had central heating.)

2. What was on your blog this time last year? (Besides the Hodgepodge of course!) If you weren’t blogging, what in the world were you doing with all that free time?

I don’t even have to go back and look because I already know the answer to this question!  I was blogging about the early adventures of Ed’s “mandatory retirement”!  Believe me, there were more than a few twists and turns in those adventures, and I was never without blogging material!

3. Ellen Goodman is quoted as saying, ‘We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives…not looking for flaws, but for potential.’

Do you see more flaws or more potential in your life at the start of a new year? Have you done anything specific this month to address either one? Does the new year truly begin for you on January 1, or is there some other month of the year that feels like a fresh start and new beginning?

At this point, I can see plenty of flaws in my life, but there’s still some potential here, as well. I’m trying to work on some of my flaws, but I haven’t tapped much of my left-over potential, so far.  The words of an old song come to mind… “He’s still working on me.  To make me what I ought to be.”

January is just another month, to me, although it’s a rather depressing month after all of the excitement of Christmas.  I’ve never been one to make or get caught up in New Year’s resolutions.

To me, spring feels more like the time for a new beginning, than January.  I feel “refreshed” with the arrival of warmer weather, some buds on the trees, and the arrival of early spring flowers in the yard.  Come on spring!!!

4. Who’s an athlete you admire or respect and why?

I admire and respect Tim Tebow, formerly of the Florida Gators football team.  I think he’s a very talented, upstanding athlete who hasn’t been able to get a fair shake [in the NFL], in my opinion, basically because he’s an outspoken Christian, both on and off the field.  Singer, Blake Shelton, apparently agrees with me.

5. Do you like cream in your coffee? Whipped cream on your pumpkin pie? Cream cheese on a bagel? Sour cream on a baked potato? Cream of wheat for breakfast? Have you ever had a scone with clotted cream? Of all the creamy foods mentioned, which one sounds most appealing to you right this very minute?

My answer is “no” to all of the questions above.  The most appealing choice, to me, would be whipped cream on pumpkin pie.

6. Where were you last kept waiting for ‘hours on end’? Or for what felt like hours on end? How well did you cope?

I was last kept “waiting for hours on end” at the dermatologist’s office when I had Moh’s surgery done on my face, in December. (This surgery is time-consuming, and I was told to come prepared to spend the day.) We were only there about three hours, but it felt more like six! Of course, I was fortunate, because the doctor got all of the cancer on the first try.  I think I coped quite well, considering I had to have multiple shots [in the face], as well as a hole [the size of an M&M] scooped out of my face!

7. Believe it or not, when next week’s Hodgepodge rolls around it will be February.Huh?!? Bid adieu here to January in seven words or less.

So thankful January’s been an uneventful month!

Random:

I haven’t had much newsworthy to blog about lately, and I’m glad.  No news is good news, as far as I’m concerned.  I needed the break.

I suppose the most interesting thing that’s happened around here, lately, was Brad and Jennifer accompanying Jennifer’s “doctor boss” and his wife, on an ‘all expenses paid’, weekend trip to Orlando, Florida, to watch the “Royal Rumble” wrestling event. The trip was Jennifer’s Christmas gift from her boss, and it was a generous one!

happy wrestling fans at the “Royal Rumble”

In other news, today is my sister-in-law’s birthday.  She’s been my SIL since 1963, but she was my baby sitter prior to that!  In fact, that’s how she and my brother met.  Kay’s the closest thing to a sister I’ll ever have, and I love her dearly.  She also reads my blog.  Happy Birthday, Kay!  I hope you enjoy your special day, and I am really looking forward to our visit, next week!

Kay, celebrating her last b’day

Chillin’ With The Hodgepodge…

I don’t know about where you live, but it’s finally turned winter in our neck of the woods!  We woke up to a chilly 24 degrees, yesterday.  Today isn’t a whole lot warmer at 26.  Come on, grab a cup of something hot, and let’s indulge in some ‘Hodgepodge’.

1. Speaking of skating…when did you last ‘skate on thin ice’, ‘skate over the details’, ‘encounter a cheapskate’, or just plain skate?

During 2015, I felt as if we were ‘skating on thin ice’  almost every day.  We seemed to go from one crisis right into another.  So far, in 2016, we’re just plain skating.  Things have been much calmer.

2. What would you say is the biggest problem of people your age?

I think one of  the biggest problems of people my age [I’m 61] is staying physically fit.  It’s hard to get motivated to exercise, especially in winter.  Then there’s also the problem of not being able to exercise due to medical issues.

3. What’s your favorite accessory? Is it something you wear every day, often, or only on special occasions?

I’m not a person who wears a lot of accessories, so I’m going to say “my wedding rings”.  Since I no longer work outside the home, I only wear them on special occasions.  I don’t like to wear jewelry while I’m at home.

4. January 20th is National Cheese Lover’s Day. Are you a lover of cheese? What’s your favorite dish made with cheese? Last thing you ate that contained some kind of cheese?

I like cheese, but I don’t love it.  My favorite dish made with cheese is pizza.  The last thing I ate containing cheese was taco soup, on Sunday night.  I sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on top of it.

5. What’s something guaranteed to make you roll your eyes?

Dealing with any kind of government agency is guaranteed to make my hair stand on end, and  my eyes roll.  The USPS immediately comes to mind, in light of the issues with getting our mailbox moved.

6. Your favorite book series?

I don’t have a favorite book series, but I enjoy reading anything written by Nicholas Sparks, and have a collection of his books.  I also like John Grishom novels.

7. Why did you choose your profession?

I’ve spent the majority of my life (30 years) staying home and being a wife and mother because it’s the only thing I ever truly wanted to do.  I have no regrets.

However, there was a time, when I chose to work in our local elementary school, as a paraprofessional, for 14 1/2 years. Originally, I wanted this job in order to be close to our children, who were all in school, by then.  The children and I had the same hours and holidays, and it worked out well.

Later, after all of the children moved on to a private school, I continued working as a paraprofessional simply because I loved working with children and helping them learn. Of course, the extra income came in handy, too.  I paid the children’s private school tuition or my car payment with my meager salary each month.

Random:

I was deeply saddened to learn about the death of Glenn Frey, this week.  I have been a fan of The Eagles since way back in the early 70’s.  Ed and I were still newlyweds when I first heard the song “Take It Easy”, and instantly fell in love with their sound.  I bought every album The Eagles made, through the album Hotel California, and I played them all to death!  I even convinced Ed to take me to see them [in concert] when their tour came to Savannah, where we were living at the time. It was the first rock concert I’d ever attended, and the place where  this naive country girl first smelled “pot”. Ha!  What an experience that night was!

Since I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, too, I’m well aware of many of the conditions Glen Frey must have suffered with during his final time here on earth.  I’m sure his death brought some much-needed relief, but I’m sure going to miss the man and his music.

Catching Up On Monday…

I’ve just spent the last seven days immersed in Christmas decorations!  It took me exactly one week to put them all up, and exactly one week to pack them away.  What a relief it is to be finished!

Of course, it still looks a bit like Christmas in our house because the ‘year round’ tree is now decorated with snowmen and icicles.  That ‘year round’ tree is about the only thing around here that resembles winter, though!

the ‘year round’ tree (and some of my snowman collection)

Whenever I look outside, it’s hard to believe it’s actually mid-January.    Our lawn is green, and needs mowing. New leaves are on the Sycamore tree, while one Japanese Magnolia tree is covered in blooms, and two of our Azaleas are covered with blossoms!   What’s up with that?  Our temperatures have been up and down, but not cold enough to kill the grass, yet.

January blooms

I haven’t mentioned my face in a while, but it’s continuing to heal.  The surgical sites [from skin cancer] don’t look as good as I’d like, but they are getting better, as time passes.  I’m faithfully  applying Mederma twice daily, as directed by the surgeon, in hopes this will help reduce the scaring.  Time will tell.

Ed and I are trying to get back to our low fat, low sugar, low cholesterol diets, now that Christmas is over.  It’s so hard!  I have to confess, we gave in, last night, and finally tried the new pizza place in town (Marcos Pizza), which has already been open for over two months.  I felt a tad guilty for eating the pizza, but it was sinfully delicious.  Today, it’s back to salads and baked chicken!

I’ve been trying to get back into my walking routine, and that’s hard, too.  Ed and I only managed to walk twice last week.  It had been well over a month since we’ve walked for exercise. Since then, Ed’s apparently gotten in better shape, while I’ve gotten worse!  I could hardly keep up with him, yesterday. Only a month ago, it was just the opposite.  Clearly, I have my work cut out for me!

My back has continued to improve since my surgery, in September.  Some days are better than others, but, on really good days, I hardly have any pain at all.  I still can’t sit on our couch (or any couch, for that matter) for very long, without discomfort, and I always use a lumbar support pillow in my favorite chair, but I can live with that.  The best thing of all is being able to walk again, without pain!  The surgery was worth every penny it cost.

Ed and are trying to plan a trip to Florida to visit with my brother and his wife.  We haven’t been to their house in about three years.  In fact, we haven’t been anywhere, overnight, in about three years!  We have so many animals to see about, it’s easier to just stay home.  However, soon, we are planning to leave our animals in the care of our daughter, so we can take an over night road trip. We learned, when Ed had his heart attack, our pets can survive in the care of others.

That’s about all of the news I have today.  So far, 2016 has been delightfully quiet, and uneventful for us.  I hope the trend continues…at least for a while longer.

frozen blossoms

Update:  I wrote this post last night.  This morning, we woke up to 31 degree temperatures and heavy frost!  Could this be the beginning of winter for us?  My frozen azalea blossoms think it is!

Happy Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” Hodgepodge…

My house is in total disarray, with boxes of decorations scattered all around, but, I’m sitting in my chair participating in The Wednesday Hodgepodge, like I have nothing else to do.  “First things first”, I always say.  Another thing I always say is “Thank you” to our Hodgepodge hostess, Joyce, because I always look forward to our Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Here are today’s questions:

1. Did you watch The Charlie Brown Christmas special Monday night? Who’s your favorite Peanuts character and why?

No, I didn’t watch The Charlie Brown Christmas special on Monday night because I was playing Christmas music while decorating the kitchen tree– a tree I had much trouble with.  I decorated it, un-decorated it, then discovered it had a broken limb, and had to start all over with a brand new tree, but, I digress…

I’m not a big fan of Charlie Brown, but my favorite Peanuts character is Snoopy.

“Most psychiatrists agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch is excellent therapy for a troubled mind.”~Linus

Would you agree?  No, I can’t say that I agree with that one.  Sometimes my mind gets “troubled”, like it is this week, but I don’t think sitting in a pumpkin patch would help 🙂

2. Describe a sound from your childhood. What does this sound bring to mind?

The tinkling sound of music playing, sort of like that of a music box, reminds me of the ice cream truck that occasionally traveled through our neighborhood during the summer months when I was a child.  A neighborhood visit from the ice cream truck was a special treat!

3. You’ve won a trip to a winter wonderland…would that excite you? Which one of the following would you most want to experience (or which one would you dislike the least)-see the Aurora Borealis in Norway, stay in Sweden’s Ice Hotel, go dogsledding in Lapland Finland, take a winter wildlife safari in Yellowstone or celebrate Winter Carnival in Quebec?

Well, I’m from the south, so I’m not sure how excited I’d be to win a trip to a winter wonderland.  I probably freeze to death since I’m not really used to temperatures below 40 degrees!

Of the things listed, I think the Winter Carnival in Quebec sounds like the most fun, to me, while staying in the Ice Hotel sounds like a nightmare. (I shivered while looking at the pictures!)

4. Who or what keeps you humble?

The Bible teaches humility, so God keeps me humble.

5. What part of preparing for Christmas do you like the most? Explain.

I love decorating the house for Christmas.  I have many storage containers of decorations that I’ve collected over the years, and I love sifting through all of it each year while trying to decide what to use.  Many of my decorations (animated dolls, villages, cookie jars, etc.) were gifts, and each one has a special memory attached.  For instance, this week, I set out my “nutcracker” cookie jar on a shelf, and thought of our daughter’s old boyfriend, Richard, who gave it to me.  I fondly refer to the cookie jar as “Richard” 🙂

6. Gingerbread-yay or nay? Is making a gingerbread house part of your family holiday tradition?

Yes, I do like gingerbread, but I prefer the “cake-like” gingerbread, with whipped topping, over cookies.  Our family has decorated one or two gingerbread houses, over the years, but it’s never been a family tradition at our house.  I think our daughter-in-law, Christina, decorates gingerbread every year with her boys, though.

7. What’s one thing you want to start, do, or complete before the calendar rolls into a new year?

I’d like to get our mailbox moved!  We’ve been trying to get approval [from the post office] to do this for several months.  You may recall, a while back, when a truck lost control and destroyed all three of our family’s mailboxes which are located on the main highway, 1/4 mile from our house.  Well, all of our paperwork is now in order, our little dirt road has been re-deeded to the county (because they lost the original deed), and the it has been named since it’s now a public road.  We even have an official road sign at the end of it, AND a new address, but the post office is still dragging its feet!  Will we ever get our mailboxes moved???

Random:

Our daughter had surgery to remove her skin cancer from her nose, followed by plastic surgery  yesterday.  She was actually finished with both surgeries by lunch.  She said the Moh’s surgery wasn’t too bad, but the plastic surgery was a bit rough.  Her nose is very swollen and sore, and she has a bit of a black eye, but she survived and has the ordeal behind her.  Praise the Lord!

Jo Jo (gray) and Baby (white), playing together

In other news, we lost another beloved member of our “cat family”, yesterday.  “Jo Jo”, who was born feral [at Ed’s mom’s house] a couple of years ago, but later followed Ed home and became our pet, has died. We have no idea why, but “Jo Jo” suddenly became ill and died, with very little warning.

We enjoyed having “Jo Jo” as a member of our family, and watching  him grow up.  “Jo Jo” had established himself as “quite a tom cat”, and was an awesome mouse catcher. “Jo Jo”  quickly became quite attached to our youngest cat, “Baby”, when we got her as a kitten, and could often be seen playing with and grooming her.  R.I.P. “Jo Jo”, we’ll miss you.

 

Some Soggy Friday Fragments…

I almost hate to post anything today, since I’m still in the midst of a case of ‘cabin fever’. However, in reading everyone’s blogs and Facebook posts, I can see that I’m not alone in this!    Some folks are dealing with ice and snow, others with cold and rain, but everyone seems to be dealing with something!  We’ll get through this winter of 2015, I know we all will!

Ed and I planted the first of our garden, on Monday, in between showers of rain.  It’s rained every day since!  If the potatoes, onions, carrots, and garden peas don’t rot, it will be a miracle because we’ve gotten 3 1/2 inches of rain in just two days… The fact that we plant our garden on raised beds of dirt [because of the way our tractor works] could be a saving factor, but it’s too early to tell.  Meanwhile, we have tomatoes, peppers, squash, and cucumbers growing in cups in our laundry room!  What a pain it is to wash clothes, these days 🙂  Thankfully, these seedlings will be soon be spending warmer days on the back porch, until it’s time to transplant them!

Everything is soggy outside, and our chickens appear to be bored.  Apparently, chickens must lay more eggs when they’re bored!  I picked up seven eggs, yesterday.  Seven eggs from ten chickens is pretty good, especially when three of the ten are older hens.  Our egg count is almost up to 100, in less than six weeks time!

Since the weather has been wet and cold, this week, I’ve been watching a lot of television.  I’ve watched several movies, some recorded weekly shows, and even caught the rerun of the 40th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live.  Watching the original cast members of SNL brought back some very old memories!  I was only 21 when the show debuted–and that seems like almost a lifetime ago. (It was!)  Chevy Chase has gotten old…

It’s been a l-o-n-g week for Ed.  He doesn’t do well when he’s cooped up in the house!  He tried to go outside, in between rain showers, but he wasn’t able to stay outside long.  He’s been restless, and has been in and out a lot this week. (which drives me crazy)  Some retirement days can be challenging.

Speaking of Ed, he’s started a new hobby.  He’s been trying to learn how to play the guitar.  Ed already knows how to play the piano, but it’s been years since he’s played.  Ed says playing the guitar is more difficult than playing the piano because (a) his fingers are short, and (b) the tips of his fingers are soft and tender!  Time will tell if he rises to the challenge.

I’m thankful the end of the month is finally here!  February has been our first month of living on our new budget.  Even though Ed’s still getting paid every two weeks, from his previous job, we went ahead and put ourselves on a ‘paid once a month’ budget, in preparation for the days ahead.  Let me just say, this has taken some getting used to!  I bought one of those coupon organizers and separated our monthly money into categories.  Now that the end of the month is here, we have $9.00 left in the ‘extras category’, and $26.00 left in the gas/oil category.  All other categories are empty!  I couldn’t help but wonder what the cashiers thought when I pulled out my handy coupon organizer to pay 🙂

That’s it for this edition of Friday Fragments.  As usual, I’m linking up with Mrs. Fours, @ Half-Past Kissin’ Time.  If you haven’t already done so, why not hop  on over and join her party!  Enjoy your weekend.

 

Friday Fragments #287…

Another week is coming to an end…and what a week it’s been!  This winter weather is seriously working on my mental attitude.  Sunshine has been in short supply, this week, and it’s so hard to get up and get motivated on a gray, cloudy day.  Our temperatures haven’t been bad, in fact, I’ve had the air conditioning turned on for two days, this week, but there hasn’t been a lot of sunshine.  More rain is forecast for the weekend.  Will poor Ed ever get to burn that field off???  I’m beginning to have serious doubts!

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There is one other thing that’s playing a big part in my mental attitude, and it’s called a reduction in Hormone Replacement Therapy.  Oh the joys of growing older!  In December, I asked my gynecologist to reduce my  HRT dosage, so he did.  Although my doctor was fine with the current dosage, I wanted him to reduce it, in an effort to eventually stop HRT altogether.  Although I’m tapering the dosage down gradually, I can sure tell a difference in my attitude–and my sleeping habits!  Hot flashes at 3 a.m. are not fun!

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Apparently, a reduction of Hormone Replacement Therapy has done more to me than make me cranky and sleepless!  On Wednesday, I somehow managed to misplace my glasses!  I’ve looked this house over, at least a dozen times, and I’ve failed to find my glasses!  For now, I’m wearing a pair of old glasses, but if my regular glasses don’t turn up soon, I’m going to be forced to buy a new pair.  This ordeal brought to my mind some of the past adventures we’ve been through with Ed’s mom--like the time she lost her false teeth!   Like I said, oh, the joys of growing older! (To any of my children, who may be reading this post:  Fasten your seat belts.  Bumpy roads [in life] are probably ahead!)

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By yesterday I’d developed a serious case of ‘cabin fever,  so I got up, got dressed and hit the road!  I spent the entire day shopping.  I shopped for Valentine’s Day gifts.  I shopped for garden seeds.  I even shopped for some trees, too.  I didn’t buy any trees, but I may go back and get some later!  I’m in the mood to plant something!  Oh, and by the way, there was sunshine all day, yesterday, but it rained (again) last night.

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Speaking of planting something, I’ve got 24 cabbage and lettuce seedlings growing in the window, along with three cherry tomato seedlings.  They are pretty puny since sunshine has been in short supply around here, but hopefully, they’ll perk up once the sun begins to shine regularly.  I’ve been placing them outside, on the porch, whenever the weather permits–and hoping I don’t forget to bring them back inside!  (that aging factor, again!)

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I enjoyed watching some of the Winter Olympics, last night.  We watched some Snowboarding and Figure Skating.  While watching, I  couldn’t help but think of years past, when Ed and I have watched the Olympics together.  Does anyone else remember skaters,  Randy Gardner and Tai Babilonia, or Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding?  (I’m probably really revealing my age now!)  You just never know what’s going to happen during the Olympics, which is part of their allure.

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Ed attended little Micah’s funeral, this week.  Micah was the seven-year-old son of one of Ed’s former co-workers, who recently passed away from Lymphoma.  Ed brought home one of the funeral programs.  On the back of the program was a quote from Micah.  It read:  For Lymphoma is the most rarest of all.  Remember to be brave, and always face the cross!  Don’t be scared of fear, and put fear behind you.   Written by Micah,  November 2013.  Some profound thoughts from a little boy who’d just turned seven, don’t you think?

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That’s it for me, today.  I’ll be linking up my fragments over at Halfpastkissintime, and, as always, thanks to Mrs. 4444 for hosting!   Have a great weekend.

Hello Wintery Hodgepodge…

It’s cold and wet outside, but it’s a great day for some ‘Hodgepodge’.  Thanks to Joyce, we’ve got another great set of questions!  Here they are, along with my answers:

1. It’s been said that one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. Do you think that’s true? Do you find that an easy exercise most mornings? What’s something positive you told yourself today? If you missed that boat, what’s something positive you could tell yourself tomorrow?

Yes, I think it’s true, and I believe having a positive attitude is at least 50% of the battle.  If the sun is shinning outside, then being positive is pretty easy.  If it’s cloudy and dark outside, I find it somewhat more difficult.  My positive thought for the day: We’re expecting a winter storm ‘event’, this evening (Tuesday).  I’ve prepared for the worst, but am telling myself our meteorologists are probably blowing things out of proportion, and the conditions are not going to be as bad as predicted.  

2. There will be karaoke at the next party you attend…are you in? Or will you be faking a sore throat?

I can’t sing a note, so I’d be faking a sore throat!  Actually, if that party was held today, I wouldn’t even have to fake the sore throat, since I really do have one.

3. January 29th is National Puzzle Day…what’s something you’ve found puzzling recently?

These days, I find most of the decisions, made by our government, very puzzling.

4. Jigsaw, crossword, acrostic, logic, sudoku, word search…what’s your favorite kind of puzzle, and when did you last work one?

I don’t much care for crosswords, since they seem to ‘tax’ my brain, and make my head hurt!  Jigsaws are fun, but I get impatient before it’s finished.  Word searches are my favorite, but it’s been quite a while since I’ve attempted one.

5. Recently a writer by the name of Amy Glass ruffled feathers with a post she wrote saying she looks down on young women with husbands and kids and she’s not sorry. Among other things, she says women will be equal with men when we stop saying house work and real work are equally important. You can read the whole piece by clicking here.

What say you? Do you think men and women are equal in the 21st century? Why or why not?

I genuinely feel sorry for this woman because she’s missing the greatest blessing(s) a woman can have!  If she ‘looks down’ on women with  husbands and children, this tells me she must not have either one!   

While there are women who can do the same jobs as men, and men who can do the same jobs as women, in my opinion, they can never be equal because they are different–and for this, I am thankful.

6. What’s a product you’ve noticed in the grocery store that you’d like to try, but haven’t yet?

At the moment, I can’t think of anything  I’d like to try, unless it’s a mango. I’ve never tried mango.

7. The author, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) was born this week in 1832 (January 27th). Which character from his celebrated novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, would you most like to meet, and why? Here’s a link to a character list if you need help on this one.

You know, I’ve never really liked Alice in Wonderland!  I’ve never read the book, but I’ve watched some of the movie, a couple of times.  (I lost interest both times.)  Truthfully, I wouldn’t care to meet any of the characters, except for, maybe, Alice.

Random:

The weather is the topic of choice, in our neck of the woods.  In fact, it’s all I’ve been hearing about for two days!  It’s a very big deal when snow, sleet, and ice is predicted for our area!  All schools and some businesses have been closed, and people were advised to stay home last night and this morning.  (Poor Ed and Jennifer had to go to work, anyway, since hospitals never close.)

Unfortunately, many people living in counties to the north of us, got caught in the snow, which arrived earlier than expected.  Many people couldn’t make it home from school or work yesterday.  It was a traffic nightmare in and around Atlanta!  Some spent the night stranded in traffic, while others had to spend the night at schools.

Fortunately, our area (further south), seems to have missed the brunt of the ‘winter event’, as I’d hoped.  A few counties around us have gotten a light dusting of snow, but  we haven’t seen any snow at our house, only rain and sleet.  Our temperature is currently around 30 degrees, but I can hear sleet falling, as I write.  Our front porch is covered with ice.  (Darn, I wish we’d covered that porch, when we built it!)  Our temperatures are supposed to stay below (or just above) freezing until tomorrow.  As for me, I plan to stay inside and stay warm!

Hello Hodgepodge…

Hello Wednesday, and hello Hodgepodge!  The time has come for us to jump into another though-provoking, informative set of questions, provided by our gracious Hodgepodge Hostess, Joyce, so let’s get to it, shall we?

1. Are you a force to be reckoned with? In what way?

Most of the time I don’t think I’m much of a force, but I certainly can be a force to be reckoned with whenever it’s necessary.  For instance, I can become as fierce as a tiger, when it comes to my children.  (I once went toe-to-toe with a doctor, concerning my daughter’s prenatal care.  I told him I’d, personally, hold him responsible if anything happened to her, because he was trying to send my daughter home, even though she’d been sent over to the hospital for an emergency c-section!)

There have, also, been times in my life when I’ve had to take a stand for what’s right–or should I say, because of something that wasn’t right?! (I left a job I loved, because of a classroom ‘situation’ beyond my control, but I didn’t leave without taking a stand!)

2. What are two things you love about the wintertime? Or, if love feels like too strong a word, what are two things you ‘like’ about winter?

I love not having to deal with bugs (flies, gnats and mosquitoes), and I love Christmas!

3. Pomegranate, kumquat, persimmon, kiwi, and guava are all fruits said to have health benefits, particularly during the winter months. Do you have a favorite on the list? Are there any on the list you haven’t tried?

I love kiwi, but don’t care for kumquat, persimmon, or pomegranate.  I’ve never tried guava.

4. I passed a local church yesterday and noticed they had this on their outdoor sign- ‘When all else fails, do the right thing.’ Your thoughts?

My thoughts are ‘do the right thing’ in the first place, not after everything else fails– and what kind of church would put such a thing on their sign, anyway?!   (I think not one I’d want to attend)

5. Do you ski? According to one list I’ve seen, the top 5 ski destinations for 2014 are-St. Anton Austria, Whistler Canada, Cortina Italy, Tahoe USA, and Zermatt Switzerland. Of the five listed, which would you most like to visit? We can make skiing optional if that helps the non-skiers with their answer.

I’ve never skied, nor have I ever wanted to.  Of the five destinations listed, I’d choose Tahoe USA–because it’s the closest destination, and I don’t particularly enjoy traveling.  Once I got there, I’d be a spectator, not a skier, and I’d be perfectly content to drink hot cocoa and watch.

6. What’s the last thing you looked for online? (Besides my blog!)

I’ve been looking at some infrared heaters.

7. What saying, slogan, quote, or motto have you seen lately that inspires you for the new year?

Random:

I found the above quote on Facebook, last night, and it ‘spoke’ to me.  So many things are ‘up in the air’ for our family, at the moment.  Ed is struggling with the decision of what to do with his parents’ home place, as well as his mother’s car (her most prized possession).  The problem is, the home place sits right in the middle of the old family farm, where most of our family lives, so we don’t want just anyone living there, but nobody in the family is interested in buying it, at this time.  I hope before the end of 2014, all of these situations will have been resolved and we can move forward.

There’s also another situation facing our family, in 2014.  Our son-in-law has now been out of work for about a month.  He did contract work at a nearby military base, but his company’s contract ran out in mid-December.  Fortunately, our SIL had enough leave accumulated to provide his family with a pay check through Christmas.  He had to apply for unemployment assistance, this week.

We all know what the situation of the government is, concerning money, so I don’t know when, or if, he’ll get his old job back.  I’m praying for him to be able to find work  soon.  We’re going to have faith that God will provide, and things will work out how they’re supposed to, but prayers sure would be appreciated for these tough situations facing our family.

Life After…

I don’t know about anyone else, but the first few days following Christmas are always difficult ones for me.  First of all, there’s the ‘let down’ of not having Christmas anticipation anymore.  Next, there’s the clutter that Christmas always leaves behind.  Last, there are those cold, dreary days of January to deal with!

This week has been especially cold and dreary, but I’ve kept myself busy packing away the last of the Christmas clutter!  I’m happy to say that I packed away the last piece of Christmas decor on Wednesday afternoon, and it’s a big relief to have the house back to normal again!  Of course, the house always looks empty and plain, once the decorations are put away…

The Polar Vortex has moved on, and we’re experiencing temperatures back in the high 60’s today!  It almost feels like summer, compared to the beginning of the week!  Unfortunately, it’s cloudy, dreary, and occasionally rainy outside–which makes it seem like winter, even though it doesn’t feel like winter!  These kinds of days make it hard for me to stay active or positive.

I was beginning to have a bit of ‘cabin fever’, this morning, so I made a trip to town–in the rain!  It was the first time I’ve left the house since last weekend, and it felt good to get out of the house.  It was a costly get-away though.  It cost me nearly ninety dollars to get out of the grocery store–and everything I purchased fit in the bottom of the shopping cart!  I nearly died when I had to pay $4.29 for a bottle of Heinz 57 Sauce, and $4.19 for a bottle of pickled peppers!

Speaking of Heinz 57 Sauce–our grown sons still like to remind me of how stingy I used to be with the sauce, while they were living at home 🙂  I watched the bottle like a hawk, and constantly warned them not to waste it!  After all, boys will be boys, and they don’t think about how much something costs when piling it on their plates.  I, often, had to stay after the oldest son about not eating all of the cheddar cheese, too!  These days,  he says his wife gets after him 🙂

This morning, I took the first tour of our garden, following Monday and Tuesday’s freezing temperatures.  Some plants are in really bad shape, while others have recovered nicely.  The collards, cabbage, and carrots seem to have recovered and are looking okay.  The mustard, turnips, lettuce, and cauliflower–not so much.  I can’t even begin to tell you how dead our poor cherry tomato plant is–even though we tried our best to save it.  The good news is, soon it will be time to plant a spring garden.  We could be planting potatoes, garden peas, and a second crop of carrots and greens in as little as six weeks!

The carpet guy is supposed to come tomorrow to re-stretch our living room carpeting.  We’ve been dealing with a few stray wrinkles for several months, and they need to be removed.  I’m really dreading what all of this entails…  We have a lot of very heavy furniture that will need to be removed, not to mention all of the books and decor that will have to be moved first!  I’ve already packed up two huge boxes of curios, and that’s just the beginning.  My biggest fear is that I’ll pack everything up, and the guy won’t show up!  That would be our luck.

Speaking of not showing up–a contractor was supposed to come this week to give us an estimate on building a cover for our front porch.  His wife finally called yesterday to say that he’d come down with the flu!  He’s not sure when or if he can get to us, now.  Ed and I refer to this type of situation as “Bacon Luck”.  I hope something works out for us.

At least someone in our family had some “Good Luck” this week.  Our daughter-in-law, Jennifer, got a new job!  She’ll still be working at the same hospital, but in a different department, which doesn’t require working any weekends!   Life after maternity leave will soon be beginning for Jennifer, and I wish her (and baby Evan) well with their transition.  Not working weekends should make the transition a little easier!

That’s about it for my Friday Fragments.  I’ll be linking up with Mrs. 4444 over at halfpastkissintime.  See you on Monday!