Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Coming up Roses in the Hodgepodge

Here we are again, smack dab in the middle of the week, although it feels more like Tuesday don't you think?  Monday holidays always throw off my internal calendar. You should know it doesn't matter if you answer on Tuesday or Wednesday or some day later, just answer. And link! Don't forget to add your link!

Here are my answers to this week's questions~

1. What question do you often ask yourself?

Why did I come in here? Ha. Okay, seriously...

What's next?  

But that first question is one I ask myself pretty often too. 

2. Do you grow roses?  What's your favorite color of rose?  Ever been given a dozen roses?  Where was the prettiest rose or rose garden you remember seeing?

We don't have any rose bushes in our yard, but I'd really like to plant one or some. You need more than one I think. I was at my sister in laws this past weekend and she had beautiful yellow roses climbing up her deck.



I had rose envy.

My favorite color rose is either yellow or the peachy pink. The yellow typically don't have the scent some of the others have, but I do love their color. I love being on the receiving end of a dozen roses and have been many times throughout my married life. Hubs knows how I feel about fresh flowers.   

I think roses are beautiful no matter where they grow, but I especially love the Queen Mary Rose Garden in Regent's Park, London. The rose garden at Blenheim Palace isn't too shabby either.
  

Oh, and the roses growing at Hever Castle are also spectacular~



Suffice it to say there's no shortage of beautiful roses in gardens all around the UK.  

3. Do you read the freshness dates on grocery store products?  Will you use eggs past their 'use by' date? Take medication that's expired?  Buy a dented can?

I definitely read the dates on grocery store products and never buy dented cans.  It annoys me if I get home and discover I bought one by mistake.  Eggs typically don't last beyond their 'use by' date around here, so that's never been an issue for me.  As far as expired medications go, sometimes I'll go ahead and use them. Nothing with a long ago expiry date as I assume its effectiveness is reduced, but something close to expiry I'll most likely use.

4.  Should athletes be role models?

I think in the eyes of children they always have been, and likely always will be, and that's what matters. For better or worse.   

Why is it so often 'worse'? 

Kids look up to athletes and as such I'd love to see athletes rise to the occasion.  Some do...just recently Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder donated a million dollars to tornado relief efforts in that state.  I'm a fan of Tim Tebow too...his charity does wonderful things for sick and abandoned children and I like to see athletes (and celebs) using their fame for good.  

There are many athletes out there doing all sorts of things for charities close to their heart. I wish we heard as much about their 'escapades' as we do the ones that involve breaking the law, talking smack, and in general displaying bad manners for all the world to see.   

5.  Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first explorers to reach the top of Mt. Everest on this date (May 29th) back in 1953.  What's something you hope to achieve in your lifetime?

My name on something in print.  

6.  What would you do if you had twenty acres of land and the money to develop it any way you choose?

Build the family compound my hubs is always talking about. He's only half kidding and I'm on board. We'd have a cottage for my mom, and one for my in-laws, plus a house for me and the hubs. Then a couple of houses for my girls and their eventual families, and maybe a guest house with a ginormous kitchen/dining space for big dinners with friends and holiday gatherings. 

Oh, and I'll be needing my 20 acres near the water please.  

7. If I invite you to a party with a 7 PM start time, what time will I actually see you there?

I'll be there close to 7PM. Definitely not before 7, but I won't stroll in an hour after either. It goes against my grain to be late, even fashionably so. I don't like to be the first one to a party though, so probably ten or fifteen minutes after the start time. Unless of course it's something requiring 7PM prompt.  Then I'll be prompt! 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I was thinking about some of the pretty rose gardens I've visited, and remembered another favorite and familiar spot I should have mentioned-my girl's university. There is an absolutely gorgeous rose garden in the middle of campus...a perfect spot for taking graduation pictures which we've done on two separate occasions now.

Daughter1 in 2010- 


...and Daughter2 in 2012-


We'll be snapping a few more pics when we're back on campus in August. Daughter2 will be receiving her Master's Degree, and I'll once again be sniffling my way through Pomp and Circumstance.


You'll find beauty every which way you turn on this gorgeous campus...


I'm going to miss this place.  





34 comments:

  1. Yellow roses are my favorite however I have a passion for any rose. Loved your pics!

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  2. Gorgeous yellow rose. Yes, I agree, if you have one rose, you should have another...and another, and another. Let your garden grow!! LOL

    Congrats on your daughter's accomplishment. Our son is now working on his PhD -- it's a pride thing.

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  3. [sorry, the "Anni" is me...Hootin' Anni...I'm in my bird photo blog admin instead of my personal blog this morning]

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  4. Hmmmm. I could definitely invite you to dinner. Late makes me bananas!

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  5. Congratulations to your daughter!!! I love the graduation pictures! You always select lovely backdrops!!

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  6. Congratulations to daughter! Love the picture of the rose gardens.

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  7. Lots of interesting questions - and answers! I'm not so sure I'd be wishing for my name in print, however. There are a lot of possibilities, and not all of them are positive. The photos of your daughters are lovely, and I hope you get to build your family compound. :-)

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  8. So glad I was able to squeeze a post in today. So enjoyed your answers and I'm betting that you will see your name on something in print and I'll be first in line to buy it. Loved all the rose pictures. Happy day to you!

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  9. I love your family compound idea! Such beautiful rose pictures!

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  10. Good morning! I have missed participating in this and hope I can get back to it soon. I enjoyed your answers today as always. I especially liked your plan for the "family compound" haha. Great idea! Enjoy your day!

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  11. Congratulations on your daughter's upcoming graduation.

    We both said that we didn't want to be the first at the party. ;-)

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  12. Wow, that IS a beautiful campus! You also have a beautiful daughter. I'm curious to see if many people answer with a simple, Yes, they will be prompt. My answer kind of had a lot of variables to it when I thought about it. I was going to say that if I find a dented can when I get home it kind of bugs me too! Thanks for hosting, as usual.

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  13. Yellow roses are my second favorite :) I would like my house to be close to the water and with a ginormous kitchen too, I forgot to mention that. That must be a great university for both of your girls to go there and one return for her Master's degree.

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  14. I love the idea of the family compound! I've always said that if I were rich I'd build a huge house with the upstairs having it's own entrance and rooms enough for all the kids. That way, they would always have a place to go if they needed it.

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  15. Oh, those Rose gardens are so beautiful. And, love the photos of your daughters. It must be nice to want a family compound, I know that is something I would not dream of LOL

    Lucy from Lucy's Reality

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  16. Fun questions, this week! I don't know how you do it, but I'm so glad you do :) As for getting your name in print, you definitely should!

    Loved your rose garden photos! So pretty.

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  17. I can't get the days straight either - are you sure it isn't Tuesday? I think you will get your name in print - you are a great writer, especially when you write about your daughters :-)

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  18. Have to admit I do ask myself that question often "Why did I come in here!" Love the rose gardens you showed, so pretty. My husband always says "you don't really think they expire on that exact date" which is probably true but I don't go to far off from it. Your name on print, that would be cool! I'm with you on #6 and #7. Enjoy your day....

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  19. I love your garden pictures and that beautiful rose in the middle of it - your daughter- she is gorgeous and congrats. I love roses too. And your name is sort of in print with this blog. Thanks for doing this - it's fun. sandie

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  20. LOL, rose envy!
    That is a beautiful campus, what school is that?

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  21. Such beautiful rose gardens! I hope you do get your name in print and I don't doubt that you will. Your daughters had a lovely campus and are beautiful, as always! You and I are the same about punctuality. Great questions and it's so fun to be back!

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  22. Haha - last night my hubs looked at me, as we were getting ready to start a movie, and said "Are you going to do computer stuff tonight?" and I said no... but then I remembered it was Tuesday night, not Monday, so I begged his apologies and said I had to do my Hodgepodge blog! He just laughed and rolled his eyes... :-)

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  23. I nearly forgot that it was Wednesday! Well, I did forget until just a few minutes ago. Short weeks mess me up. It has nothing to do with age. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it! LOL

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  24. Our answers bear a striking resemblance this week! From the why am i in here. Question to yellow roses to building a compound for the kinfolk! Bet daughter 2 is more than ready to graduate.

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  25. Sorry I didn't link up. Your linky wasn't up when I had to go to sleep last night, and I wasn't able to jump online till 2 pm today.

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  26. Pomp and Circumstance moves me too. I think it's the pride of competing a major task for me or whomever it's played for.

    I always try to be just a little early. In the past to lend a hand if I can, but now because I do want to be the first to arrive with chair or walker to NOT draw attention to my disability. Earlier this month at a conference I was sitting at the breakfast table and was joined by one of the organizers and we chatted for a while over breakfast. I mentioned something about my chair and he said "Wow, I hadn't even noticed." Made my day.

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  27. Enjoyed your pictures of roses!

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  28. I feel the same way about the town my kids have gone to college. Four years ago our son and daughter-in-law graduated, this year Daughter-in-law graduated from medical school and next year our daughter will graduate from pharmacy school! We've been going to visit them there for 9 years! This is the town that Hubby grew up in and still has an aunt and uncle who live there. I think whenever all our loved ones are gone we still may need to just go there to spend a weekend.
    (Remember I was going to go to your daughters' university town in April? The company first postponed the meeting, then canceled it. :( )

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  29. Beautiful photos of roses. I like what you would do with so much land, I guess a lot of us would like to keep our kids and grand kids close to us.

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  30. I'll be watching for #5. :) And I always ask myself why I came in here. Sometimes I ask myself where it was that I was supposed to be driving. Trials of a 50-something woman. Have a great day.

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  31. The next to last picture looks like a carnation tree. LOVE those. There are a couple by the hospital I walk by to get to the garage. I also love the smell of honeysuckle which is in bloom now.

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  32. I remember visiting many gardens in Europe, but don't really remember those two gardens. Your photos are beautiful and your daughter is gorgeous.

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  33. What gorgeous pictures! And your daughters look so much alike in these photos! :)
    Your question number one? Your first answer is very much my real answer...haha!

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  34. love the photo with the fountain and cherry blossoms!

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