Hello Monday Musings

Good Monday morning everyone. How was your weekend? Ours was cold, really cold for South Carolina. We had snow on Friday which is a rare treat. It's come and gone now, but was so pretty while it lasted.

The temps were freezing and it was a really wet snow, and yes I know wet isn't the best adjective to use here, because isn't all snow wet? This was not the light and fluffy kind, so I didn't get out in it. 

Someone did though, and he loved it. LOVED it!!

He does an army crawl across the grass and it makes us all remember what he was like as a puppy living in the Pacific Northwest. 

There's something about a snowy day that inspires me to cook. Hubs and I started the day with blueberry waffles which are hubs favorite, but not something I make on the regular. I also made a pot of chili for dinner because that's in the snow day bylaws. 

Saturday we had some errands to run and opted for a breakfast date before making a few fun stops like filling up the gas tank and wandering the aisles at CVS. We came home and I finally cleaned out the pantry. I don't know how the pantry periodically ends up so out of order, but I pulled everything out, wiped down all the shelves, got rid of a few things, then put it all back in mostly the same place, but not quite. 

Change is good. 

Also reorganizing the pantry is a satisfying job to have done. 

I put a roast in the crock pot before we left on Saturday and the house smelled so good all day long. Did you come here today to read about what we ate all weekend long? If so you're in luck lol. I made the Mississippi recipe which calls for a packet of ranch dressing, and didn't realize until it was too late that the ranch mix I bought was spicy ranch. I didn't even know Hidden Valley made a spicy ranch mix? 

All's well that ends well though because we like spicy here. It honestly didn't change the flavor too much,  a tad more peppery than usual but very tasty. 

A pretty low key weekend overall...reading, football, watching the snow fall, comfort cooking, and a few small projects crossed off the to-dos. I finally made my winter bucket list, and always refer to my calendar when I  create my list to capture anything eventful I know will be happening. While we don't have any big trips or significant travel on the calendar this winter, the calendar somehow still manages to look awfully full. 

There will be grandkids in the house this winter and I might make a bucket list with them once they're here. I usually do one in the summer when they're visiting, so this would be different and fun I think. In the meantime here's mine-

So how was your winter weekend? Frosty? Fun? Filled with family? Do you have a winter bucket list? 

Linking today with Holly and Sarah for their Hello Monday weekend recap blog hop. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 585

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then skate back here on Wednesday (January 15) to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1.  It's been said January is 'the month of opportunity, inspiration, and change." Which of the three do you need most right now? Elaborate. 

2. Do you consider opportunity as something that comes to you or something you create for yourself? 

3. The British Museum opened on this date (January 15th) back in 1759. Do you like visiting museums? Do you have a favorite? 

4. It's National Oatmeal Month (yes, apparently it gets a whole month as opposed to a single day). Do you like oatmeal? How often do you eat a bowl of oatmeal? How do you like yours? What about an oatmeal cookie? Is that a sweet treat you enjoy? 

5.What's something useful you learned in high school? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Ten On The Tenth

Joining Marsha today for her monthly 10 on the 10th prompt which is this-

I didn't do a year end recap on my blog this year, so I'm thinking this might take it's place. Scrolling back through the prior year's pictures it's funny the moments you see captured there that were so special as you lived them, but that were then pushed to the recesses of your mind as time rolled forward. It was fun to pull them out and dust them off.  

Here are ten for keeps..

1. A new little someone to love joined our family in February. 

The baby shower my daughter's friends hosted for her was truly so special. 

These friends praying for Sugar, who arrived just a few weeks later, is a moment I don't want to forget.

My own momma meeting her for the first time a few weeks later is another memory I'll treasure. 

2. There was a whole lot of lake fun this year-

3. Cousin time was for sure a favorite...

And even with all the comings and goings and people moving countries we still managed to squeeze in a whole lotta fun with grandkids in the house. 

4. Lots of happy celebrations happened this year, including a 2nd birthday..

Fireworks on the 4th of July...

A summer bridal shower and traveling to two different weddings of kids we knew when they were still just kids...

5. There were some fun weekends spent with college friends...

6. A great big outdoor project that will be enormously enjoyed in 2025...

7. Tea in Cambridge with my daughter on my birthday was a 5-star highlight from 2024...

That day was part of a fabulous trip to England taken with my hubs to mark our 40th anniversary....

8. Not enough sister time in 2024, but what we did have was special...

And I loved that my momma had a day at the lake with her three girls plus one granddaughter all together...

9. As always I am so grateful for the beauty that surrounds us...

10.  And last but not least, there was the Christmas holiday spent with littles to round out the year.

There was an awful lot to love in 2024. I knew this of course, but looking back and writing it down helps make it all stick. And while I'm sure I could have made a list of things I'd rather forget, it felt really good to count my blessings. 

'Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.' Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's The Hodgepodge. Period.

Welcome to the second Hodgepodge of the year, the 584th edition of all time. That's a lot of questions, wouldn't you agree? We press on...if you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then be a good neighbor and leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), 

sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

I use cringe, 100% and period on occasion, but wouldn't say they're a regular part of my speech. I had to look up the word skibidi. I've never heard it used or used it myself and it's safe to say I have no plans to do so going into the new year. 

None of the words bother me too much, but if I have to pick one I'll say I think era has become tiresome. 

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

I love soup and make lots of different kinds this time of year. Hubs would say my vegetable beef soup is one of his favorite meals. Good ol chicken noodle is probably my favorite. I love the way my house smells when a pot of soup is simmering on the stove, and a bowl of homemade chicken soup just says comfort to me. I make my own and that's my preference, but I can eat the canned variety too. I like Progresso's homestyle chicken and noodle if I'm having soup from a can.

3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

I enjoy the changing seasons and don't mind a little bit of winter in December-January. We have some cold weather here, but it's rare for us to have snow. I miss it a little. Now, I do not like the late snows or a long winter like we had up north, but there's something cozy about a snow day where everyone is in and the world feels quiet. We may have some snow here on Friday, but I'm not holding my breath. 

I don't ski anymore and like I said we won't really have snow that amounts to anything here so not a lot of true winter activity. I love a walk in the woods on a winter day and we'll make that happen for sure. 

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 

I like this color. I like shades of brown, particularly the darker tones. While I don't have this exact shade I do have something close to it in some of my decor, and I'd definitely wear this color too. 

In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

A cup of mocha please. 

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

I'm going to say the snowball effect. Our outdoor project started out as 'landscape the hill', then picked up speed and quickly snowballed into a waterfall, outdoor BBQ bar, patio, and new furniture for all, which somehow also included a new couch for the indoor pool table room too. It's more like snowmageddon as opposed to one little snowball. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A random throwback to 2014 when we lived in the wilds of New Jersey and had a ridunkulous amount of snow every other day...

And icicles that could literally kill you perched on our gutters...

The neighborhood sky tried to make up for it...

And our Gordon Setter was in her glory...

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

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A Heart's Desire

 Linking this post today with Joanne (Slices of Life) for Talking About It Tuesdays 

2025 is bringing a pretty big and exciting change to our family. I haven't said anything about it on my blog because I've kind of been holding my breath making sure all the pieces would actually come together, but that seems to be happening so it feels okay to talk about it here now. 

Y'all. Don't stop praying for something that is truly your heart's desire. 

When my oldest daughter graduated from high school eighteen years ago (huh???) we were living in the UK. She hopped the pond to attend university in South Carolina and then we moved to NJ and she moved to D.C., and then she got married and moved to Washington State, and then we moved to South Carolina, and then she moved even further away-South Korea, then to a town outside of Nashville, then to Cincinatti, then to England and whew. It's a lot, isn't it? 

All that to say we have not lived geographically near one another since she was eighteen years old. 

I have occasionally referred to this circumstance as the thorn in my side. I have prayed a lot of prayers for my girls in adulthood. Jobs, spouses, married life, childbirth, child-rearing, and yes I still ask God to bring them geographically nearer on a regular basis. Near enough for a cup of tea on a Monday morning or lunch now and then without planes, trains, passports and rental cars being part of the deal because this is my heart's desire. 

My youngest daughter has been living about 3.5 hours from us for the past three years and we consider that very near. We can go by car and it's not too far for a weekend drive which is nice. Hubs and I have spent most of our married life living far away from family so we know how to do this, but still it's not my favorite. Whenever a move is on the horizon for daughter1 I ask God if maybe the next location could be just a little bit closer to me.  

She and her husband just celebrated their ten year wedding anniversary, and in the last ten years my son-in law has completed the final four years of a five year residency, four years of orthopedic surgery, and then another two years in specialized orthopedic fellowships. 

Most recently they've been living in Cambridge (England) while he wraps up his final fellowship. Just before they moved to the UK he accepted a job with an orthopedic practice that will begin once they're back stateside. 

That job is here. 

Where I live. 

They are coming home and where we live is where they will live. 

I don't even know what this looks like, all I know is my daughter and her family will be living within arms reach. We can go to the kids sporting events and programs. We can have dinner together on a random Wednesday.  We can spend one on one time with each little grand since logistics aren't complicated. 

They can come for a swim in the lake, then go home and sleep in their own beds. Or their parents can go home and the kids can have a sleep over at Nana and Pawpaws. My daughter can go to the dentist and get her hair cut without three kids in tow. She can hang out with her sister more often which makes her so happy. 

We live in a small town and I imagine we'll run into one another in the market or Hobby Lobby and other places we'll both frequent. 

They will of course make their own friends here, settle in to their own routines and find their own favorite places, which is as life should be, but to have them near means so much. The in-laws also live nearby and they're as excited as we are for fewer Facetimes, and more actual face time. 

So all these many words to say this... 

I've been praying for many many years for something that I couldn't quite work out how it would ever happen, yet here we are in 2025 and my daughter and I are going to be 'neighbors'. 

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7 (The Living Bible)

More Than Words

Good Monday morning friends. I'm not going to do a weekend recap because ours was spent mostly de-Christmas-ing the house which is such a chore and not that interesting to read about.  Hubs remarked that we put out fewer decorations this year but it seemed like it took us longer to get everything taken down. I tried to be more intentional in how I stored things for next year, which contributed to the process moving at a snail's pace. 

Anyway it's done, or at least it's mostly done. Always a few stray bits and bobs that turn up once we've lugged everything to the attic. 

Let's talk words. 

Do you have a word of the year (WOTY)? Is this something you always do, sometimes do, have never done? I've had words from time time, but only when I truly felt there was a word I couldn't escape. That's how God speaks to me. He has to flash something in great BIG BOLD letters everywhere I look, and then I pay attention.

I know some people just pick a word they like and call it their own, but that's not how my words have happened. My experience with a word of the year has gone something like this-I go into it in January thinking my word is going to make the coming year look one way and then my year ends up looking a whole 'nother way. 

I haven't had a WOTY since 2019 when I chose the word 'delight'.  Sounds pretty doesn't it? Sounds like you're in for a year full of awe and wonder, right? 

If you've been around here for a while you might remember 2019 was the year one daughter had a cancelled wedding, and then right about that same time my other daughter and her husband told us they were expecting baby boy2 and would be transferred to South Korea three months before his birth, so yeah. 

It's a little scary choosing a word.

You know what though? 2019 actually did turn out to be a year of awe and wonder, just not in any of the ways I'd envisioned. Sometimes hindsight is a gift, and I can look back at that year and see how I learned to delight in Him, even as life presented some most un-delightful moments. 

So I've landed on a word for 2025 and it's this-anchored. 

Anchored means, "to make something or someone stay in one position by fastening him, her, or it firmly." In the Bible the word anchor is an emblem of hope, and a definition I read in a Bible dictionary added this, which I love, 'held by an anchor, moored, fixed in safety'. That feels like a good way to go in to a brand new year. 

I always like to have a verse to memorize and mull over that relates to my word, and while there are several that apply I picked this one-

I expect come December I will once again look back, and stand amazed at all the many ways God does exceedingly more than I can ask or imagine. 

If you have a word, I'd love to hear it. 

And I always feel like the new year should officially begin around the 6th, so happy new year everyone! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 584

Good morning bloggers. I plan to post the Hodgepodge questions on Sundays this year instead of Tuesdays, in order to give everyone a bit more room in their calendar to answer. The link will still go live on Wednesdays because this is still the Wednesday Hodgepodge. 

Here are this week's questions. Answer on your own blog, then skate back here Wednesday (January 8)  to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), 

sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 

In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

6. Insert your own random thought here.