Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Brought to you by the Letter B

Welcome to this week's edition of the weekly Hodgepodge. You'll find this post sandwiched between letters A and B in the April A-Z Challenge, and if you don't know what that means, click the button on my sidebar to read more.

If you're visiting from the A-Z today, you'll find my B post just after this one. I host a weekly meme here every Wednesday, and I'm determined to keep it going in addition to the challenge this month.  That might be optimistic, but that's me.

Here are my answers to this week's questions. Answer on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post. Hodgepodge links only here today, please! 



1. Since the questions posted on the first day of April it seemed only right to ask-when was the last time you did something foolish?  If you can't answer that one, try this one-when was the last time someone fooled you?

A couple of weeks ago I thought I'd lost the dog. She went out one door and I came in another, and when I went outside later to let her in, she was no where to be seen. The gates on the fence were closed and locked, but the snow was still pretty deep so I thought somehow she'd maneuvered herself up the snowhill and on to freedom. Had I been thinking clearly I would have realized this was physically impossible for her to do, but let's just say I was not thinking clearly. 

Hubs was at work and I was bordering on hysteria. Actually I think I crossed the border. ahem. I got in my car and drove around the neighborhood, even stopped someone walking to ask if they'd seen her. I drove home, trying all the while to figure out what to do next aka sobfest. I walked in the house, glanced over into the family room, and there she was sitting in her chair. Good grief. I guess she came in the garage door when I went out the kitchen door, but seriously I felt like an idiot. A happy idiot, but still...

2. What's the last biography or non-fiction book you've read? Was it any good?

Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Hughette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune  by Bill Dedman.  I read this one as part of my book club, and really enjoyed it.  I loved the history and her father's story almost more than her own, but all in all it was a good read. 

3. Garlic-friend or foe? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?

Definitely friend. I love garlic, and am not sure I can choose a favorite dish.  How about roasted garlic spread on really good bread? 

4. Several spring flower festivals happen in the US during the month of April. Of those listed which would you most like to see in person...The Skagit Tulip Festival in Skagit Washington, The Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville Tennessee, The North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington North Carolina, or Daffodil Festival Weekend on Nantucket Island Massachusetts?

I'd be happy to see any or all of them, but if I'm forced to choose I'm going with The Skagit Tulip Festival.  Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, and seeing the Northwest corner of the US is on my travel wish list. 

5. How do you choose which blogs to read?  What is something that will make you stop and read every time? Something that makes you say, 'eh, think I'll skip this and move on to the next'?

A catchy title for starters. And the layout needs to be easy to read. I appreciate paragraph breaks and fonts that are not overly complicated. I'll read a longer post if you've got something to say, but if you're going to make me 'click to read more' you better grab my attention from word one.  

I tend to back away from the very busy blogs with tons of stuff on the sidebar, flashing icons, and music that plays when the blog opens.  

6. April is National Mathematics Education Month so tell us, when did you last use math?

Friday morning I paid some bills before we headed of town. Using a calculator is math, right? 

7. In honor of the A-Z challenge which kicked off on April 1...choose one word beginning with the letter A to describe your yesterday.

Agreeable

8. Insert your own random thought here.

So, fun news...my Daughter2 just started blogging. You'll find her site (It's Elementary) by clicking here. She's planning to join the HP today, and I know she'd love for you to stop by and say hi. 

Daughter1 is participating in the A-Z Challenge this month and you'll find her blog (Sincerely Shannonhere.  Complete coincidence she and I both used the same word for Letter A. Must be something in our DNA! 

My A-Z Post on the Letter B will follow this one. 






24 comments:

  1. First off, I love the very last line of your "Boys will be Boys" post!!! That was just the topping on the cake.

    How fun to have both your daughters blogging. I will definitely go read her answers to Hodgepodge [it's a favorite meme for me, y'know] ---

    Hope you have a super day.

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  2. I so wish I could have found the time to participate in the A-Z Challenge, but with my working from home now, I do well to blog 2-3 times a week. I loved your story for #1 and am so glad it had a happy ending. I think that's great that both of your girls are blogging now! I'll definitely pay her a visit!

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  3. Honey makes a delicious spread with roasted garlic!
    I forgot about music on blogs. How about the ones where the print is so light you can barely read it?
    Blog on Daley Women!!!!

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  4. Good thing for me that the bloggers I follow are good at returning visits because I just cannot come up with creative titles. :-(

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  5. First of all, I enjoyed your "B" post of the A-Z Challenge. You have such a gift for writing!
    Next, I agree with your points on what makes you choose to read a blog. Having background music playing is a definite 'turn off' for me, too.
    I'm excited that Daughter 2 is joining the blogging world, too. I already read Daughter 1's blog, from time to time, so I can't wait to visit #2, as well.

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  6. Yes--Using a calculator is math; even this teacher says so! :)

    I love that your daughters blog, too. I've emailed their links to myself to check out when I'm not rushing off to work.

    Thanks for hosting!

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  7. I agree with you, Joyce, about busy blogs! If it takes too long to load I'm outta there!

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  8. Oh my goodness...my heart fell at your fur baby story! I'm so glad everything turned out well!

    Kudos to your daughter for blogging! As a teacher, I've found it very therapeutic. It's a great way to reflect on teaching and simply life, in general (as you well know). Have a wonderful day!

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  9. How fun that both of your daughters are blogging! My oldest son started a blog for the teens in his youth group, and I was thrilled to have another blogger in the family!

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  10. Tulips are my favorite as well! I also said catchy titles but i kind of like the instagram picture slide show. I feel like i get to know the blogger a little better. You are so great and coming up with this questions every week! I have participated in this for the last month and i have enjoyed every minute and every week. Thank you so much for hosting this.

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  11. Apparently it's been too long since I've done this! I didn't mean to enter twice. Sorry!

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  12. Funny how each person changes when the households are melded. The first year i was married I had to go home for a good fight because my husband doesn't fight.

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  13. Great questions this week! Love your "losing the dog" story. Bless your heart! And, you nailed it on what makes one choose a blog to read. I cannot stand having to "click" to read more and the constant music drives me bonkers. Going right over to read #2's blog, I already read Shannon's and really enjoy it. They should come by it naturally for sure.

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  14. Thinking I'd lost a beloved pet would definitely bring on hysteria here! So glad all's okay. She's a beautiful dog, by the way. The book sounds interesting. I'll have to look into that. Thanks! And thanks for the Hodgepodge, Joyce. It's so much fun.

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  15. I agree about blogs with too much stuff on them. I'm checking out lots of blogs with the A-Z Challenge and immediately just skip over ones where I can't even figure out where the blog post is.

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  16. Glad she is okay, I have gone into hysteria many times over one of our dogs when they were actually safe and sound! Growing up we had a puppy who made a hole in the bottom of a mattress and was sleeping inside. That was when they just had fabric covering the bottom of the box frame. Finally we saw the dip under the bed, it was crazy!

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  17. I'm not big on background music on a blog either because lots of times I have my own music on.

    I'll try to get by an check out daughter 2's blog.

    Have a great day and thanks for the Hodgepodge.

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  18. I was gone all day yesterday and forgot about the hodgepodge, but I enjoyed it as always. Glad your dog was OK, and I definitely agree on the music thing. I just avoid those, lol. Hope your day is a good one...I am definitely going to check out your daughter's blogs now!

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  19. Joyce, I thought about skipping HP because of AtoZ (too many letters!), but the questions were too much fun to pass up. By the way, was the dog snickering when you came back?
    Blessings,
    Linda

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  20. Using a calculator had better be math. Blogs with music have given me heart attacks LOL.

    Thanks for hosting :)

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  21. Its okay to use a calculator! :) Have a great day!

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  22. Thanks for the advertising momma! Loved your comment and so glad our girl wasn't lost :)

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  23. I can imagine the panic when you couldn't find the puppy. I've had a few of those myself. So glad that she was sitting there in her chair when you arrived back home. :)

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  24. Sorry I laughed so hard about the lost dog...I do that all the time freaking out thinking I can't find her and she is usually right behind me. Hope you had a nice Wednesday I'm playing catch up today!

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