Talking Turkey in the Hodgepodge

Welcome to the 150th running of the Wednesday Hodgepodge! It's a fun way to mark the weekly mid-point...thanks for playing along.  Add your link at the end of my post and then hop around and say hi to all your friends and neighbors-

1. Describe a typical Sunday in your childhood.

We went to Sunday School and church every single Sunday. My mother always warmed up a coffee cake while we were getting ready for church, and while she was and is an excellent cook, on Sunday mornings the cake was not homemade. My favorite was Sara Lee's Butter Streusal coffeecake...we all  thought that was such a great treat. Can you still buy Sara Lee Butter Streusal coffeecake? 

After church we typically came home for lunch, which was oftentimes more like dinner. Sometimes another family would be invited. One Sunday a month we went to a restaurant and that was a big deal. Back in the 1960's the average family didn't eat out like they do now. I also remember that every once in a while my dad would make potato soup for Sunday lunch, and that's still one of my favorites.

Hmmm...so far most of my Sunday memories are spelled f-o-o-d. 

After lunch my parents would read the paper and in winter months my dad would build a fire in the fireplace, which was sort of special.  Our fireplace was in the living room, aka the fancy room, so lounging in front of the fire there felt like a treat. I guess my sister and I played or finished homework.

We usually went back to church on Sunday evenings, but I didn't mind.  I always loved church and the people there. Sometimes after the evening service the youth group would go to someone's house to hang out or we'd go out for ice cream. I remember the feeling of wanting to make the day last. I still hate to see Sundays come to a close.

2. How comfortable are you with uncertainty?  Explain.

I'm finding a way to be comfortable with it. I don't always succeed, sometimes uncertainty makes me cranky, but I do think I'm learning to let go of what I cannot control in this season of life, which is a lot actually.

3. What's something you've accomplished recently that might be described as crafty, as in 'arts and crafts' crafty? If crafty doesn't work for you, how about handy? Or both.

I am what you might call a wanna be crafter. I have ideas, but the end result rarely matches what's in my head. Mostly I've made peace with that. Yesterday I put together a little 'crafty' thing to hand out to board members at a meeting I'm hosting. I like to give the board some little treat every month, usually something related to the season as a way of saying thanks for volunteering.  I'd seen cute potpourri bags on Pinterest so I bought the supplies and set to work. Essentially all I had to do was drop the ingredients into a bag, tie it up with a bow, and then add a tag. Sounds simple enough, right?  

I ran into trouble right off the bat because the only oranges in our market were the size of pumpkins, so I really needed larger bags.

I made it work though, maybe not as perfectly perfect as Pinterest, but these ladies are just going to take it home and dump it out of the bag and into a pan anyway. Their house will still smell delightful, even with a too big orange in a too small bag.    

p.s.-I am even less handy than I am crafty. Isn't that one of the reasons you get married?  

4. Have you ever worked in a 'food place'. What did you take away from the experience?

Yes. I worked as a waitress when I was in college in a tiny town called Jonesborough Tennessee.  Lots of people know this town now, as its home to a huge storytelling event every year, but that event was just taking root back in the early 80's.  I waitressed in two restaurants owned by the same gentleman who happened to be the mayor.  One was called The Parson's Table and it was in an old church.  The sister restaurant was next door, and was called The Widow Brown's.  The food was delicious and it was a pretty nice place to work as far as the food industry goes.

What did I take away from the experience?

Some people are shockingly rude.

Everyone should do this once in their life.  

Food smells linger in your car, in your hair, on your clothes, and inside your brain. 

5. Cold turkey, talk turkey, what a turkey...in recent days, which turkey phrase or idiom best applies to you and why?  Click on the word turkey if you need to read more about the meaning behind each phrase.

Gonna have to 'talk turkey' later today so I'll go with that one.  
See #7. 

6. If you could have any one guest join your Thanksgiving dinner table, who would it be?

Just one? How about someone with no where to go? I hate to think about people alone on Thanksgiving Day.

7. What is one thing you must accomplish today?

I have two meetings requiring my attendance. One will be fun, the other I'm not real excited about. How's that for honest?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of crafting...I went to AC Moore last weekend and picked up several bits and pieces needed for three Christmas gift projects I want to complete before Christmas (obviously).

Christmas 2013. ahem. 

So far the bag is still on my counter. 

When it comes to crafting I think that saying 'my eyes are bigger than my stomach' applies.  Or maybe I should say  'my intentions are bigger than my ability to get things done'  

Here's hoping I surprise myself!