Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Ice Ice Baby in the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Vol 10

We had more snow overnite Monday which is not really news I know but on top of that snow we now have a miserable icy ice falling. It's crunchy. And slick. And heavy. And quite often when there is ice the power has no where to go but out. Hopefully that won't happen here today but I'm answering my questions early and setting it to auto post just in case.


1. Do you like your name? Were you named after someone? If you have children how did you settle on their names?

I don't dislike my name, how's that? My family calls me Jo and I like that. Hubs and I were in complete agreement when it came to choosing a name for daughter1. We both loved her name even before we had children and while it wasn't unusual it wasn't a name you heard often. It still suits her.

Daughter2 shares her name with my paternal great grandmother and hubs paternal grandmother...it makes life a little bit simpler when there is a relative on both sides of the family tree with the same name. We love her name and it fits her to a T.

2. How do you define success?

Knowing my purpose and accomplishing what I set out to do, never mind the reward. There may be some missteps along the way and likely some failures too, but at the end of it all, knowing that whatever I've achieved was done while always remaining true to my convictions.

"The secret of success is constancy to purpose."

3. Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy?

I like them both which should come as no surprise since I like words and word puzzles. I don't watch Wheel of Fortune very often because it frustrates me when I see the puzzle and they don't. Hello! Why are you buying a vowel when the puzzle is already practically solved??? I like to play along with Jeopardy in the privacy of my own kitchen, however I would never make an attempt at being a real live contestant on that show.

4. If you could own any single object that you don't now have, what would that object be?

Wow, this question could go a million different directions...I'm going with a house on the water. A house is an object, right?

5. What is something that inspires you?

People who quietly serve...unselfish hearts make me want to do better.

6. Meatloaf-yay or nay? If its a yay how do you make yours?

Yay! I don't make it very often though. I like to use a combination of ground beef/pork/veal and add finely chopped onion and green pepper, some bread crumbs combined with a little milk and a beaten egg, parsley and pepper. Before I bake it I add a mixture of ketchup and brown sugar on top. Yum!

7. Which is more admirable-the ability to organize and be methodical or the ability to adapt and make do?

I had to really think about this one but I'm going to say the ability to adapt and make do. I feel like organizational skills can be taught but the ability to adapt and make do comes from inside of us. Somehow, adapting and making do implies hardship may be involved and I admire those who are able to make the best of things in difficult circumstances.

8. Insert your own random thought here-

Because my husband had a lot of travel this month he felt he needed to show me how to operate the snow blower. This is something I've had absolutely zero interest in learning because, really, why? We have a long drive which is auto plowed whenever it snows. By auto plow I mean I don't even have to pick up the phone and arrange it. We go to bed with snow falling and we wake up to a plowed driveway. We do need to clear our walkway though and that's mostly what we use the snow blower for. And I suppose it's possible there could be some sort of emergency requiring me to leave the house before the trusty plow shous up but still, eh. Hubs sometimes uses it on the backyard too so he can clear an area for the dog. Yes, he snow-blows the yard...I couldn't really see myself doing this but he was insistent. Whatever.



Before he left on his first trip out of town this year he pestered asked me at least 72 times to come outside for a demo. Daughter2 was home at the time and she encouraged me to humor him so I did and guess what? I liked it. I really did. There was actually something quite satisfying about operating gasoline powered machinery.


And that my friends is me in a nutshell. Why does hubs always have to pester, cajole, and in general talk me into doing something I think I don't want to do-won't enjoy-or that will be too much effort/work/trouble when I know I almost always end up liking it. When he says I sometimes make him crazy I don't think he is referring to the 'good kind' of crazy, do you?

27 comments:

  1. You learned to operate the snow blower??? I'm impressed. We've owned/lived where we NEEDED one for about 10 winters and I have yet to learn how to use it. :) I think I am smart. (NOT implying that you are not smart...) On the other hand, my hubby does not travel like yours does. Oh, and our snow blower is about twice the size of yours.

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  2. Something about those tools with power behind them, big or small! My daughter about had a cow one night when she came in and I was using the drill on the wall in the den. I was putting up the dartboard. She made me promise not to put her dad's picture on it.(it was after he had left) It was great therapy and using the drill was awesome...lolol. Enjoyed all your answers! Hope you enjoy the chocolate!
    until next time... nel

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  3. We don't have snow here, thankfully, though I have seen some lovely snow pics this year.
    Thanks for your efforts with Hodge Podge.
    Have a great week.
    Jan

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  4. I like your definition of success. I think it has made something click inside me. Having a purpose and fulfilling it properly is one of the best feelings in the world. Thank you!

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  5. We also have to shovel a place for the dog!!! She is a Yorkie and most snow is a problem for her.

    Thanks for having us, it was fun!

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  6. We have auto plow as well and we just got a power shovel that is fun to use and easy so that I like. Snow blowers still intemadate me.

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  7. Good for you working the gas powered machinery....I learn to use ours for the same reason, ours is a monster! Love your quote on success! Great HP today!

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  8. Joyce the whole snow blower thing is funny. In my house, I am the one teaching someone else how to use tools. That snow blower looks like my gasoline powered edger, which I LOVE!!!

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  9. I need to get ready and leave for work. I'll be back later to read. Thanks again for doing the Hodgepodge.

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  10. You come up with the best questions and I so enjoy participating. Thought your answers were awesome and don't you just love it when you actually enjoy something like running a snow blower. How funny!

    Sunshine and lollipops to you!

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  11. I could see having fun blowing snow. Especially if you could chose who to blow it on ;-)

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  12. I often figure out the puzzles on Wheel of Fortune, too, but I know it might be a different story if I were actually a contestant there.

    I use a similar topping on my meatloaf!

    I think adapting can be learned in some ways. I used to be very haphazard with my time and had to learn to schedule, but then got so caught up scheduling that I would get VERY irritated when things didn't go according to schedule, so had to learn to loosen up and roll with it sometimes. A friend who had grown up a missionary kid was wonderfully balanced with scheduling/organizing and adapting/making do, and I learned so much from her when we worked together in our ladies' group at church.

    Hope you stay warm and safe and the power stays on!

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  13. Well lets hope your husband is home before more snow comes on Friday. Otherwise you may have to put your new found knowledge to use as I heard this morning possibly 4 more inches of snow. Your husband would be so proud:)

    By the way, I too asked for a house, but mine is a vacation home in Vermont. A girl can dream....

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  14. That ice on top of snow doesn't sound nice!

    You know, my husband has to "insist" that I try something SEVERAL times before I may or may not try it...you know it only took me until age 26 to get my driver's license! LOL

    Can't believe it's already been 10 weeks since you've been doing "Hodgepodge"...thanks for the great, thought provoking questions--and the chance to give a random thought at the end! Stay warm :)

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  15. Our snow blower has a pull start, I not sure I could even get the darn thing started. Of course if Nick was out of town and we had enough snow to need snow blowing--Nick's dad lives just down the street and I'm sure he'd bring his snow blower down and do our walks too.

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  16. Yea for you on operating the snow blower! That last picture is beautiful!

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  17. Loved reading your answers. I am no good at Jeopardy. I picked a cabin as an object! Way to go with the snow blower. I remember using one many years ago when I was a whole lot younger. Thanks for hosting Joyce and enjoy the rest of your week.

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  18. My hubby would love it if our driveway was automatically cleaned. We don't get much snow here, but we did last week. Then we had the ice to tend to.

    I like to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy just for fun. I do get excited when I can answer a question and the contestants have no idea.

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  19. I simply cannot operate our snow blower. It is too big. If I am in desperate need a friend will come and plow me out, and then I shovel up the excess.

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  20. The snow blower does rock my world in comparison to a shovel.
    Now I am so curious as to daughter2's name. I already know what number1 is.
    Oh, for the curiousity of it all!

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  21. I can't even comprehend living somewhere where we had to own a snowblower.

    You already have such interesting questions - and answers!

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  22. Hehee! I'm the same way about Wheel of Fortune, if I watch it. It's VERY frustrating when the answer is right in front of them and they're buying more letters.

    Love your definition of success, and your answer to number 5. They seem to tie in together a bit too :)

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  23. I have a feeling we're gonna need a snow blower tomorrow, however, we don't have one. So snow shovel here we come!

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  24. Gas-powered machinery... You go, Joyce. ;) Honestly, I think I'd rather the snow blower than the lawn mower here in the dead of summer. Can you say sunburn? Oi. But then again, I've never 'lived' in the snowy parts to test that theory. ;) And the buying a vowel bit? I feel the same way! Ha... Solve the puzzle already!

    {oh... and my sunglasses are Kenneth Cole, Reaction... but I bought mine at Marshalls. And really? Fish have personalities? Should I feel guilty now? ha.}

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  25. hehe, nice job with the snowblower!
    i really am sad that i've missed all the snow at home!
    that doesn't mean i'm not ready for summer though!

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  26. I actually had to teach Rich how to use the snow blower properly which is what you get when you have only sisters and so your dad has to teach the "boy jobs" to his girls.

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  27. The whole snowblower thing really amuses me because my husband tried to teach me at least 5 times and I just could never get it. I finally just opted to stay home when he couldn't do it!

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