The Hundred Acre Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go- 

1. On January 18th we commemorate A.A. Milne's birthday. Milne is the author of the beloved classic Winnie the Pooh. In many ways Pooh represents innocence and simplicity. His optimism and ability to see beauty in everything reminds us to appreciate the little things. What are three little things you're appreciating in mid-January? 

~precious long time friends who go out of their way to see us when they're in the US...

~this gorgeous bromeliad they brought as a gift...

~conversations with my grandchildren...

2. Piglet teaches us even the smallest of individuals can achieve big things with the proper amount of determination. How do your current responsibilities make you feel? 

I'm retired and have grown children so my current responsibilities are not overwhelming. Of course there are occasionally tasks that add stress to my life, or logistics that frustrate me at times, but for the most part life is pretty manageable in this season. 

3. Tigger is known for his enthusiasm and energy, his boundless joy and love of life. What's something you're interested in learning more about in this new year? 

naturally building my immune system, gardening, pastry dough, memory boosting tricks

4. Eeyore, while a melancholy character, teaches us the importance of resilience and perseverance. How do you stay motivated and persevere in difficult circumstances. 

To put it simply- I focus on what I can control, avoid negative people, get enough sleep, and pray. 

5. Last thing you ate that was made with honey? 

I don't know if it was the last thing I ate that was made with honey, but it was a recent thing made with honey and it was scrumptious- Crispy Baked Boursin with Hot Honey. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

January is wedding month in our house...

...cheers to my youngest daughter and her wonderful hubs celebrating three years married this week. 

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 534

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here to share answers with the universe. See you there! 

1. On January 18th we commemorate A.A. Milne's birthday. Milne is the author of the beloved classic Winnie the Pooh. In many ways Pooh represents innocence and simplicity. His optimism reminds us to appreciate the little things. What are three little things you're appreciating in mid-January? 

2. Piglet teaches us even the smallest of individuals can achieve big things with the proper amount of determination. How do your current responsibilities make you feel? 

3. Tigger is known for his enthusiasm and energy, his boundless joy and love of life. What's something you're interested in learning more about in this new year? 

4. Eeyore, while a melancholy character, teaches us the importance of resilience and perseverance. How do you stay motivated and persevere in difficult circumstances?

5. What's the last thing you ate that was made with honey? 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Five Minutes Of Pattern

Linking up with Five Minute Friday today, and here's how that looks- 

Tell your inner critic to hush, then write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. Then hop over to the Five Minute Friday link up hosted by Kate Motaung and add your blog to the list. Don't forget to leave a comment for the writer linking before you, because that's the neighborly thing to do.

Today's prompt-pattern

I remember being a little girl of about nine or ten, accompanying my mom to the fabric store. Back in the day there were lots of fabric stores and there was always an area set up with big conference style tables where you would start your hunt for just the right thing. 

There were enormous catalogs to peruse...McCalls...Simplicity...Butterick...these were my favorite, and we'd spend a lot of time trying to find something I loved that my mom would be able to sew. Choosing the fabric was my favorite part of the experience and sometimes I'd want a particular material, but my mom would explain it wouldn't work well with the pattern we'd chosen

We'd settle on something then go home to lay out the pattern and cut the pieces of material to fit. She'd pin and sew and I'd try on, and it was fun to watch it all come together. My mom loved buying fabric and had a couple of trunkfuls she never made into anything, but couldn't part with either. Sometimes when I think of my mom I picture her at her sewing machine. She didn't have a dedicated room but she made it work, sometimes in the dining room, sometimes in my brother's room after he went off to college. 

I learned to sew somewhere along the way, mostly by watching and my mom teaching, but also in Home Ec in junior high and high school. Is that still a thing? I learned to follow a pattern, but I didn't stick with it and don't own a machine anymore. 

I have a lot of friends who quilt so I know there are still fabric stores out there, but they seem few and far between now. Do you still choose a paper pattern or is everything somehow digital in the 21st century? Do you sit in a store in a too big chair and turn pages in a too big book until you find the dress that calls your name? 

Do you lean over your mama's shoulder and beg to press the pedal and guide the fabric through the machine? Does she lean over yours as she helps you hold it straight? 

Do you grow up and write a blog where a word sparks a memory? 

An Ice Cold Hodgepodge

Welcome to another week in The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. What's a change you'd like or need to make this year? 

I want to make some small changes to my morning routine, and have been giving some thought as to what that would look like.  

2. Break the ice, on thin ice, ice skating, tip of the iceberg, ice cold...which icy idiom applies to your life right now? Explain. 

Ice cold. The weather was abysmal today, pouring rain, blowing wind, gray foggy skies, and cold temps. Cold for South Carolina anyway. 

3. What's a project you've been putting off? Will you get to it this month? This year?

I need to tackle some of the boxes in my attic and will get to at least some of them this month. Definitely this year. 

4. Of the fruits that grow well in winter which ones have you tried? Which is your favorite? 

pomegranates, clementines, persimmons, passion fruit, pears, grapefruit, lemons, pomelos, kumquats

I don't think I've ever tried a pomelo, but the rest I've tasted and enjoyed. I like all fruit so it's hard to choose a favorite. Of the fruits listed we probably consume more clementines than any of the others, and they're definitely one of my favorites. I also love anything lemon so that one ranks right up there too. 

5. What do you think it means to be courageous? 

My book club just finished reading and discussing The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, and there was a quote in there about courage I liked...

'Courage is fear you ignore. It wasn't the fear that mattered in life. It was the choices you made when you were afraid. You were brave because of your fear, not in spite of it." 

I think courage is doing what's right in spite of the threat of danger, difficulty or, in 2024, cancellation. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

What day is it? I feel like I'm still in 2023, my Christmas decorations are still mostly up (coming down this week though!), and I'm not mentally organized for a new year. We had a fabulous new years weekend with a houseful of friends here, then we had three of our grandchildren in the house for a fun few days, the tile replaced in our master shower, a car repair to organize, and whew! I think I'm almost ready to call it January 1st. Happy new year!

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 533

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there! 

1. What's a change you'd like or need to make this year? 

2. Break the ice, on thin ice, ice skating, tip of the iceberg, ice cold...which icy idiom applies to your life right now? Explain. 

3. What's a project you've been putting off? Will you get to it this month? This year?

4. Of the fruits that grow well in winter which ones have you tried? Which is your favorite? 

pomegranates, clementines, persimmons, passion fruit, pears, grapefruit, lemons, pomelos, kumquats

5. What do you think it means to be courageous? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

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Obsessed With The Hodgepodge

Happy new year Hodgepodgers and welcome to the first link up of 2024! If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words were chosen). Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2024-

hack, impact, at the end of the day, rizz, slay, iconic, cringe worthy, obsessed, side hustle, wait for it

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Are any of these a regular part of your speech? Is there a word not on the list that you'd like to add? 

I've asked this question several years in a row now, and most years I haven't heard of more than half on the list. This year's list feels a bit more familiar, although I've still never heard anyone utter the word rizz. If I have to choose one from the list to banish I guess I'll go with side hustle. I'm not opposed to people having a 'side hustle' but for some reason the phrase itself grates. 

Perhaps if so much of what goes on in the world today weren't legitimately 'cringe worthy' we could quit saying it. 

I don't know that I use any of these words/phrases very often, but I think obsessed is probably sprinkled into my speech here and there. 

2. What do you wish you'd done more of last year? Less of? 

more of-writing

less of-overthinking 

3. A place you'd like to visit in this new year? Do you think you will? 

England. Do I think we will? Absolutely. 

4.What are three words to sum up or describe your 2023? 

busy, joyful, 'grand' 

5. What advice would you like to give yourself as we begin a new year? 

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Nine years ago today my first born baby girl married her sweetheart...

...what a lovely life they've made.  

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 532

Happy new year! And welcome to the first Hodgepodge of 2024! Answer on your own blog, then jump back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words were chosen). Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2024-

hack, impact, at the end of the day, rizz, slay, iconic, cringe worthy, obsessed, side hustle, wait for it

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Are any of these a regular part of your speech? Is there a word not on the list that you'd like to add? 

2. What do you wish you'd done more of last year? Less of? 

3. A place you'd like to visit in this new year? Do you think you will? 

4.What are three words to sum up or describe your 2023? 

5. What advice would you like to give yourself as we begin a new year? 

6. Insert your own random thought here.