Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Happiness is the Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to the 92nd edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. I feel like I'm running beside the car this week with the long weekend away, a Monday holiday, and then hubs tacking Tuesday and Wednesday on to that as vacation. And by vacation I mean he's painting the laundry room. I guess I won't go off on a tangent here about the joys of home improvement projects and how I made three trips to the paint store in a two hour time span since he was wedged behind the washing machine trying to get the baseboards taped. I'll just get on with answering this week's questions-


1. In your opinion, what's the most important job in the world? Oh, and parenting is a given so besides parenting, what's the most important job in the world?

It's impossible to choose just one because one, without the support of others, won't allow for a free, productive, and safe society. How about my top five? Farmers, our military, water/sewer/electrical engineers, doctors, and firefighters/police officers. That covers food, clean water, power, health and safety.

2. Share a favorite or not so favorite memory of a childhood birthday.

The first one that came to mind was a slumber party I had in the 6th grade. We didn't have big parties every year so this one stands out. My mom let me have quite a few girls over and we had our sleeping bags lined from one end of the living room to the other. When I was in school sixth grade was the last year at the elementary level, and we were full of ourselves I'm sure. We played truth or dare, stayed up til all hours, and ate way too much junk food. The party culminated with the girl sleeping beside me throwing up in her sleeping bag sometime in the wee hours of the morning. Good times.

3. Peanut butter-crunchy or smooth?

Smooth. I'm not a fan of the crunchy.

4. William Butler Yeats is credited as saying, " Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that, but simply growth, We are happy when we're growing." Your thoughts?

Not sure I agree entirely. I guess it depends on what type of growing we're talking about. Growing as in learning a new skill or becoming more proficient at an old one, becoming more independent, building something for the future...then yes I'd say growth and happiness go hand in hand.

There are other circumstances in life where growth, while necessary, is also quite painful. A devastating illness? A broken relationship? You certainly grow from those hard experiences, and often that sort of growth opens the door to future happiness, but I don't know that we'd say we're happy as the growth is occuring.

Peace is what I crave, and that is possible in any circumstance.

5. What's something that makes you cringe?

Again with the list? I didn't think these questions thru very well, although I suppose there is someone out there capable of answering with 'just one thing'.

I am not that someone.

What makes me cringe? The sound of the dental drill, insects that crunch when you squash them, hanky panky movie scenes with my mother sitting beside me, listening to anyone floss their teeth, poor grammar from a public figure or educator, the old intro to ABC's Wide World of Sports where the ski jumper went careening off the side of a mountain...to name a few.

6. Name a song that always puts you in a good mood?

A song? Seriously? Just one?

Here are the first few that popped into my head...Dancing Queen by Abba, Born to Run by Springsteen, Firework by Katy Perry, Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show, and Undignified by David Crowder Band.

7. The answer is yes. What's the question?

Is it sometimes hard to come up with these questions every week?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I made the Texas Sheetcake cupcakes that are all over Pinterest lately for hubs birthday last weekend. As my grandma would say, "Oh my stars!" I could literally go swimming in the icing-so delicious! You'll find the recipe I used here.


I have more to say about the weekend and hubs birthday, but he deserves his own post so I'll save the rest for tomorrow. Better late than never, right?



28 comments:

  1. The comment about watching hanky pinky scenes with your mother made me smile. Many moons ago, my mom had my sister watch The Blue Lagoon with her. I was barely a teenager and MORTIFIED!!!!!

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  2. The sheet cake cupcakes look delicious. Not sure I could eat just one. :) I like your answer about happiness/growth. The conclusion about peace is a good one. Praying for peace.

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  3. I've always wondered how you come up with these questions. I have a hard time asking my boyfriend questions when he asks to be interrogated (we're strange, lol). I'm super grateful for this hodgepodge and look forward to it weekly!

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  4. Oh lucky you! I didn't have a slumber party til i was 18! My sister had one as a teenager and it went so bad they didn't want me having one. I begged & begged and my parents finally let in. :) Anyway Hope you have a good week and happy late Labor Day to you!

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  5. I think that you do a marvelous job making up these questions each week. I too had a problem narrowing things to just one, but the thought process is still interesting. :)

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  6. I told you I'd be back today! ;) So glad you shared the recipe for those cupcakes, Joyce...I'm a serious chocoholic! Love your song choices, although I'm not familiar with Wagon Wheel. I, too, remember having sleepovers for birthdays. We'd stay up all night long and laugh ourselves silly!

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  7. I love Kate Perry's Fireworks also. It also puts me in a good mood! Those cupcakes looks delicious. I am going to check out the recipe.

    Have a good day, Joyce!

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  8. I often wondered how you came up with the questions. It must be hard! Love the song choices.

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  9. The questions indeed were thought provoking this week...to be sure. But of all the memes I've come across YOURS is best by far.

    Now on with your answers, I have to add this...I've never heard of Wagon Wheel, nor Old Crow Medicine Show. I'm gonna have to go 'tubin' this morning to find a video of it.

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  10. "hanky panky movie scenes with my mother sitting beside me" make me cringe - SO TURE! Or pretty much any slightly inappropriate movie scene! I see movies in a totally different light when I watch them with my mom and sometimes come away thinking "how did I like this movie before?!" Funny how that works...Happy Wednesday!

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  11. Loved your answers Joyce and I can see I must check out Pinterest when I get home. Those cupcakes look and sound delicious.

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  12. One of my favorite movies of all time is Love Actually. But, the first time we saw it was the first time we went out with Deanie's (at that time) long time boyfriend's family. I was sitting right beside his mother and you can just imagine how I felt during the scenes of the couple who were acting as stand-ins for the porn movie. I nearly died! I thought it was hilarious but was scared to death to laugh. Later we found out that we were both feeling the same way! Of course the husband deserves his own post! Happy belated birthday to him! Have a great day!

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  13. I did a few things as a list also.... some I just put my first thought, though I have others I could have listed. Those cupcakes look really good and I may, even with my very limited pantry right now, have the ingredients to make them!!! If I do I will be making them and taking some with me to my Women of Faith conference this weekend to share with my girlfriend.

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  14. Definitely going to have to check out those cupcakes ... DD and DSIL love Texas Sheetcake! I imagine it IS difficult to come up with good questions each week ... and you do such a fantastic job! Thanks!

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  15. I agree with most of your "things that make me cringe" list!

    I also crave peace in any situation, and that's been my recent prayer.

    Those cupcakes look positively divine, too! Yum!!!

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  16. I cant imagine how hard it is to come up with the questions... & 92 times? you're amazing!!! We thank you for the fun you let everyone have! :)

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  17. Hard questions this week. I loved the cupcakes were they as yummy as they looked. I love Dancing Queen too...makes me want to dance. I agree with you about public speakers and poor grammar....and I also cringe when people smack while they are eating....or talk with their mouths full.

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  18. 1. Good job on covering all the important things we need.
    2. Oh childhood memories. Some fun, some not so fun. Somewhere that friend talks about her most embarrassing moment being when she threw up in her sleeping bag at a birthday party. ;)
    3. Smooth? Humph.
    4. Peace. A good goal.
    5. Good list. I'd have to agree with all of those.
    6. I'll have to look up some of those songs.
    7. Thanks for thinking up these questions so we all can have some fun and actually have some fodder to be able to write.
    8. Looking up that recipe....

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  19. Haha, the paint thing makes me chuckle. I have a hard time visualizing what a paint color might look like. Which is why most of the house is the same basic tanish. ha

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  20. I find that for me happiness is easy, it's peace and balance that I always seek and work for.

    I know eight questions a week is difficult, but VERY much appreciated!

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  21. You really amaze me at how you come up with these questions every week. Great job!! Now that I'm over my weight loss challenges,I'll hopefully be getting back to more regular blogging.
    Can't wait to hear about your birthday weekend.

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  22. Since I gained a bit this week at Weight watchers, I have to be extra good this week. No cake for me!

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  23. Those are great choices for #1. Well throw up is never fun but those sleepovers were always my favorite parties to go to. Yes that skier always made me cringe! I do love Firework by Katy Perry, it is a feel good song for sure.
    My husband would love those cupcakes. His mom who lives in Texas makes the best sheet cake!!

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  24. What a good husband you have, using his vacation time to paint. Wow! I'm sure impressed!

    Loved your answer to #1 and your cringe list was great!

    Can't wait to hear about Hubby's b'day.

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  25. Yeah, I think Yeats was full of bologna. Maybe the result of growth can bring happiness but the growth itself can be downright nasty!

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  26. I bet it is a bit of a challenge to come up with the questions. But, it is fun answering them and seeing how others do as well.
    I am glad I joined in and I appreciate the warm welcome that I received. I look forward to becoming a regular participant.

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  27. Love your answers! Your description of slumber parties brought back memories. I used to love them.

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  28. Great questions! Those cupcakes look sooo yummy and your cringe choices made me cringe just thinking about them, you had some good ones--the hanky panky scenes--soo true. Lol. Have a great weekend Joyce!

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