Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Zig Zagging Through the Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge...add your link and join the party!

1. My daughter earned her Master's Degree this past weekend....what's something you've 'mastered' in recent weeks or months?

Not sure I've actually mastered anything...the art of napping? 

2. What song most reminds you of your childhood?

Wow-how do I choose just one? I'm going with the first few things that came to mind, random as they may be... Lady Willpower by Gary Pucket and the Union Gap, Jimmy Mack by Martha and the Vandellas, and I'm into Something Good by the Herman's Hermits. My big sister would play these on her stereo, and let me and my little sister jump and dance on her canopy bed. Shhh...don't tell my mom. 

Hymns also make me think of my childhood and Sunday night sing alongs in our pew on the left. Give Me That Old Time Religion because we loved singing this one in family devotions, and then kind of the antithesis of that-House of the Rising Sun because my brother played it end.less.ly on his guitar. 

Really I could write paragraphs in answer to this one.

3. What do you think of single gender groups and/or events? Should every group/event be open to both genders?  If not, what sort of exceptions do you think are appropriate?

I am a fan of single gender groups and events, particularly in the tween and teen years.  I don't really understand this pc idiocy that says everything needs to be open to everybody. If we're talking about an employment situation that's one thing, but I think it's healthy for male and female alike to spend time with 'their own kind'.  

4. What's your favorite spice? Your favorite dish containing your favorite spice?

This is a really tough one for me, since I love spice of every kind. The first thing that popped into my head was basil, and my favorite dish made with basil is a caprese salad. Wait-no it's not, it's Thai Green Curry.  They're not made with the same variety of basil, but I like it all.   

5. I saw this question on Marla's facebook page, and asked if I could
stealborrow it for the Hodgepodge...thanks Marla!

Chevron patterns are everywhere!  Do you like it or think it's a little too much?  Do you own anything 'chevron'?

You know, back in the 70's we had chevron too...we called it zig zag-ha!  I do have one summer dress with a chevron print, and that's enough for me. It's really cute, but I don't think I'd want a whole house or wardrobe filled with the pattern.  A little bit goes a long way.  

6. What's something you disliked as a child, but can fully appreciate now?

Hmmm...brussel sprouts, day trips to Longwood Gardens, my super skinny self, and looking younger than my age.  

7. What can irritate you very quickly?

Slow drivers in the left hand lane...aka the passing lane.  It's called the passing lane because it's meant for passing, not for lallygagging.  In the UK they ticketed drivers for that!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I love surprises except when I don't. Monday night hubs came home from work and went down to the basement to work out.  Surprise!  The water heater was leaking-ugh. The plumber kindly came out that evening to see what he'd need to order, and by noon on Tuesday the new one was in.  

Happy Birthday Hubs! 

Ha-his birthday is still a couple weeks away, but I like to shop early. 
A shiny, brand-spankin'-new water heater is an okay present, isn't it?





38 comments:

  1. I almost said drivers camping out in the left lane, too.
    I didn't even think about listening to the Supremes in front of the hifi, playing with my dolls while the older siblings were at school.
    Good answer on the gender question, but then again, you wrote the questions!!! :) I wasn't thinking about teen years...I took that question to mean a whole different thing!

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  2. Ya, the actual birthday present was the plumber...no, not that way...it was that your hubby didn't have to replace it, it was done for him. See? Oh never mind. LOL And here in Texas, they DO ticket those who use the passing lane for anything other than passing. Of course that is out on the open highways, not in the cities. Once you're outside the city limits, there are signs every mile or so that tell you it's for passing only!! But the speed limit here is 75 now, which I'm not too fond of at my age.

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  3. Slow drivers in the left lane is annoying.

    I like basil too and have been given a new recipe using it ... I need to try it soon! Like maybe tonight? ;-)

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  4. Again, we have some very similar responses! ha! And, boy, do I agree with you about the slow drivers in the left lane! It seems especially bad around here because we have so many vacationers who have no idea where they are going...and know they have to make a left turn somewhere! I sometimes wonder if the rule "slower traffic to the right" is even taught in drivers ed classes anymore because people seem so clueless! (Can you tell it annoys me too? ha)

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  5. I much rather have a hot water heater for my birthday than no hot water at all, for sure. Actually, we replaced our hot water heater a little earlier this year. Love the new one. Didn't really realize how bad the old one had gotten.

    I can have a bit of a road rage when it comes to drivers like that too. haha

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  6. Oh yes...hymns...I completely forgot about this! I grew up in a small, Baptist church and knew those hymns by heart!!

    I almost said basil for the answer to the spice question as well, but then I got over-analytical and thought it was an herb, so...

    I have grown to love basil this summer!!!

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  7. Of course the hot water heater counts as a birthday gift. One year my hubs got a dishwasher! :) Maybe that and dinner out. But it doesn't even have to be a birthday for that now, does it? :)

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  8. Oh good songs.. I could go on and on for that one as well. While we don't have many that do the lollygagging in passing lane we do have the ones that come out of nowhere blocking you from passing. They go just fast enough to prevent you from getting over in the other lane to pass.. grrr that irritates me to no end.

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  9. I hate when life deals those nasty little surprises like 'leaking hot water heaters'. Ugh!

    I'm currently working on 'mastering' the art of napping, too :)

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  10. ahh, what a blessing that your hubs just happened to go down and find the leak before it got really bad and ruined things though! And ugh - slow drivers in the fast lane - my dad always drives at 55 mps - "After alll, that's the posted speed limit!" and living in LA, I'm just positive one of these days he's going to get run over or shot! Good grief. :-)

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  11. My favorite hymn is "The church in the Wildwood" It was my grandmother's favourite.

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  12. Congrats to your daughter. I'll do my karate bow to her & call her Master now :)

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  13. Could one have grown up in the South and not have Hymn Sangin's as part of your heritage? And a very good part, I might add. I think you and I agree on the Chevron, and what about rick-rack zig-zag?

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  14. Can't say I ever heard the secular songs you mentioned from your childhood. But hymns? Yes. Give Me that Old Time Religion--yes--and now I'll be singing that all day:) . I agree with your term "pc idiocy" re: gender combining of everything these days. Thanks be to God we can afford the luxury of hot water heaters. When ours went kaput a couple years ago, 24 hours of cold water made me extremely grateful for what I always take for granted

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  15. Yep, that would count as a birthday present in our house! lol! Oooh, those slow drivers are very irritating and they look completely clueless when you drive past them. Also, the ones that either merge onto the freeway too slow or won't let you merge in. Have a fabulous day! Thanks again for the link up.

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  16. I think it counts for a birthday present. Of course this is from a woman who is horrible at buying gifts so maybe you shouldn't listen to me.

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  17. My daughters went to an all girls school, so I am a big proponent of same sex environments. These girls were so different - in a good way when they were at school. No makeup - hair in a messy bun and safe to be silly - all the while being comfortable to be smart :-)

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  18. I was thinking younger on the music question. I was in love with Peter Noon! I could agree with you on brussel sprouts, I wouldn't touch them as a child. Good answer on slow drivers in the passing lane. I guess I could have said people on their cell phones!!!! Household things like having to replace the water heater irritate me very quickly. Glad it was a quick repair.

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  19. I remember and have Herman Hermits old record! Can you believe that? Loved them too.

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  20. Oh yes, the passing lane. I think some states are better than others with that rule. Maybe all states should have signs on the side of the road reminding drivers about it ;)

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  21. I had a crazy hard time narrowing it down to one song. My dad was a musician and my mom had the radio on all day long so I grew up hearing music all the time. All of your picks were songs I heard growing up.

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  22. Good morning! Enjoyed this as always. I LOVED the song Jimmy Mack too, but when I was older I changed the words to Jimmy Mike (which is my youngest son's name) and sang it to him dancing around the room...now I can't ever think of the song as something else, haha. Also a HUGE fan of same gender gatherings and parties! And that chevron pattern? kind of tired of it already, haha...Enjoy your day!

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  23. We are of a like mind on so many of these! The music especially. I immediately had a long list of songs come to mind and it was tough to choose just one.

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  24. Loved the questions this week. You outdid yourself.

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  25. Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, HUGE!! I can't believe I forgot about Motown, it was in our backyard! Of course it was burning back then!

    Ditto on the boy/girl thing.

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  26. Goodness. Surprises are only welcome when they're wanted, eh? SO fun learning more about you--although you can keep the brussel sprouts. *cringe* ;)

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  27. congrats to your daughter!! very interesting questions today----i got hooked on the spice question, for some reason---i really love tarragon, rosemary--curry, sage, hmmmm not many i don't enjoy---i need to replenish all of my spice cabinet!! have a great wednesday joyce :)

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  28. oh yes slow drivers in the fast lane! They have the fast lane for a good reason! I agree on Brussels sprouts too, i didnt used to care for them either.

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  29. I believe that would pass for a birthday present to hub (lol) Congratulations to daughter and hats off to her parents!

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  30. I feel your pain, we recently had to replace our hot water heater. What a mess!
    until next time...nel

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  31. Ha ha, Zig Zag. Good one. Totally counts as a Birthday present! Ha.

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  32. I could have written an entire post about #2. As a matter of fact, I may have once before...LOL I nearly did write way too much- I had a whole paragraph before I deleted it and went with the one I did. Congrats to your lovely on her graduation! I'm glad she went right into the master's program. If I hadn't done it that way, I probably never would have gone back to do it.

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  33. YUP that's a good birthday gift if you ask me. Love the Zig Zag as well, that is what it was called in my day too.

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  34. I so love reading your answers to these questions. It is a lot of fun to get to know you through them. :)
    You would laugh to know what music makes me think of my childhood (or the other way around): NKOTB. Haha! Chicago was high on my list of favorites (Peter Cetera), and any cheesy love song that was mournful and soulful and angstful. ;) (Sinead O'Connor, indeed.) But mostly those New Kids.
    Congratulations to your daughter!!
    Oh, and the Chevron stripes?! Swoon! I am completely in love with a heather gray/white combo right now. In fact, in Target there is a crib sheet set with that pattern and I found myself thinking,"I sure wish we had a baby so that I could get that!" I checked to see if it was soft (flannelly or like a jersey knit) because if it had been I was going to buy it and make something out of it for myself! It was not, though...just regular cotton sheet material. :( haha! By the end of the fall, I will have something in my wardrobe with that pattern...I have now determined it!

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  35. Great answers...I love basil too, I have a plant on my patio that has gone to great use this summer. I just made pesto and froze it for winter tomato soups! Hope your having a wonderful summer, it's gone by way too fast yet I'm looking forward to fall! Congrats to your daughter grad school! Happy Wednesday!

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  36. love the hodgepodge, so good to be back :)

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  37. One of my petty annoyances also involves highway driving. It annoys me to no end when someone cuts in front of me to get to the lane to the right of me, especially when I notice that there are no cars behind me. These morons feel compelled to cut over in front of me for some reason. Grrrrrr!
    Also, I don't really get the "Chevron" question. In any event, I do enjoy participating in the Hodgepodge. Thanks for doing it!

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