Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Happy Hodgepodge!

It's a big day in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. My Daughter2 is havin' a birthday so whoohoo! Happy birthday to my baby girl. 20-somethings can so still be called your baby girl. No matter what's on the news, my calendar, or my mind, I feel easy breezy light and happy on this day in September, because she makes it so.  

Now on to the Hodgepodge...


1. On Thursday we pause to remember a dark day in history-9/11. Will you mark it in some special way?

We live in what is technically considered a suburb of NYC, so there are quite often reminders of the day as you go about ordinary life here, even on days that are not marked as an anniversary. We'll fly our flag. I'll include families, our servicemen and women, law enforcement and rescue workers in my prayers specifically.  I'll remember where I was and how I felt when I heard the news because it's hard not to remember and feel.  I will hold tight to the promises in God's word.  

2. Do you ever/still...listen to an actual radio? Watch a videotape (VCR)? Look up a number in a telephone book? Refer to an actual paper map while traveling? Set an alarm on an alarm clock as opposed to your phone?

We have a nice Bose radio in our bedroom that I listen to sometimes when I'm doing housework upstairs. I listen to the radio in my car too. I like radio. 

We still have most of our old home movies on VHS so yes, we still occasionally watch the VCR. I'm supposed to be transferring those to DVD and this question reminded me of that to-do. 

I never use an actual phone book anymore. We get several and they take up space in a kitchen desk drawer, and then new ones come and I switch them out and don't open those either. I think this should be an item we have to request.  Seems like a gargantuan waste of $$$ in 2014. 

We mostly use the GPS, but we do have an actual paper atlas in our car, and have referred to it recently.  Sometimes you just need to see the whole route displayed, and figure out what your options are. 

Hubs sets the alarm clock on the above mentioned radio to get himself up in the morning, and on boot camp days I set my phone alarm since that's earlier than he needs to be up.  Other days I don't set an alarm. I'm an empty nester, remember? 

3. Is it ever a good idea to discuss religion and politics with people you don't know?

Never say never. 
I think it depends on the gathering. 

4. What's a dish you haven't eaten all summer, but come September find yourself craving? Have you made it yet this month?

Chili.  I never make or eat chili in the summertime, but come September and football season and the slow fade to fall, I crave chili. Haven't made it yet, but I will before September is over. 

5. What's something you know nothing about?

Well that's a long list. One thing? How 'bout three off the top of my head-

The history of Micronesia
neurosurgery
the inner workings of a rocket-submarine-jet propulsion engine

6. September is Classical Music Month? Do you like classical music? If so, what's your favorite piece?

I do like classical music, and think it's suited to some occasions more so than others. Beethoven's Ode to Joy  makes me think of Daughter1 on the violin, Daughter2 on the piano, me in the kitchen making dinner. Sweet moments in the middle of long ago busy days.

I love the ballet and so do my girls, so The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky is another favorite. I also love Vivaldi's Four Seasons because it's beautiful. And these days I'm kind of partial to Trumpet Voluntary by Henry Purcell. I walked down the aisle to that one thirty years ago, and think my Daughter1 is considering doing the same. 

7. What's the oldest thing you own?

We have some antiques so in age they're oldest, specifically our clock.  These are not things we've owned the longest, but in terms of their actual age they would be the oldest items in our home. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Today my baby girl celebrates a birthday.

Okay, so she's turning 24, but let's pretend she's still this rosy cheeked, wide eyed bundle of adrenaline, with a will of iron and a face full of adorableness.  


Because really, she is.  Oh sure she's grown up in all the ways babies do, but on the inside? She is still this blue eyed beauty who stares back at her momma daring me not to fall head over heels in love. Still so full of confidence, passion, and wit. That will of iron has been forged into the most incredible sense of self-discipline, one I wish I had myself.  


She's still my girl who has always lived large, and is possibly the reason my roots need a professional. Still with those enormous blue eyes and a smile that lights up a classroom, my heart, the world.

A while back she started a blog, but has put it on hold for a while. She's got a brand new dog and a brand new classroom, which feels like a lot just now BUT!...her blog is still up, and I would love for you to hop over there today and flood her comments section with happy birthday wishes.  Here's the link-

Happy Birthday Daughter2!

Being your momma is an honor and a privilege, sometimes an adventure, but always always the great joy of my life.  





33 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to your baby girl ...

    Hey, I don't know anything about neurosurgery either (my answer on Hodgepodge, too)! LOL!!!
    AND I too walked down the aisle to Trumpet Voluntaire. Ode to Joy was in my wedding prelude music :)

    Great Hodgepodging today - thanks!!

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  2. Happy Birthday to your daughter!

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  3. It's going to be a long day...I've been awake since 2:30 AM. I hope the kids at school are in a behaving mood. Ha! Our home videos need to be transposed. I'm not sure if the task is just too daunting for me or if I'm afraid I'll mess them up. Probably should just pay someone else to do it. Happy 24th to your precious!

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  4. Happy birthday to your daughter and she will always be your baby. We seem to enjoy the same composers. Thanks for keeping your blog going.

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  5. First happy birthday to your daughter!! How sweet the baby picture is. And we both said Chili.

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  6. We have many home movies of our girls growing up on VHS tapes...wouldn't trade them for anything! I have never developed a real appreciation for classical music probably because my parents never listened to it while I was growing up. Wishing your daughter the Happiest Birthday...24 years goes by in the blink of an eye!

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  7. Had some chili (homemade with all the good stuff) a couple of weeks ago. We have a church group called "Outdoors Men in Christ"-course women belong too and this group had a dinner at church which included homemade chili! Happy birthday to your daughter.

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  8. Now I'm hungry for homemade chili. I do make occasionally during the summer since my fourteen year old son loves it, and I'm constantly trying to fill him up. I declare he has a hollow leg or something. The amounts of food he can consume is staggering.

    Happy Birthday to your daughter!

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  9. Happy Birthday Daughter 2!!!
    I will just add your three to my list of things I know nothing about.

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  10. So I must have been in la-la land when I answered the HP yesterday. I read #4 in a different way…and I completely forgot the question about old things. Maybe I'm one - and that's why I forgot! duh! I also walked down the aisle to Purcell's Trumpet Vol.

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  11. Happy birthday to your little girl! Because no matter how old our daughters get (mine turned 39 last week), they're still our little girls, aren't they?

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  12. Happy Birthday to your 'baby' girl! I'll hop over and leave her some good wishes on her blog.
    I'm longing for a steaming bowl of chili, too, just as soon as the weather dips below 90!

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  13. Happy birthday to your daughter! I have a September baby also who turns 30 this month! Yikes! And thanks for reminding me to thatw the hamburger for chili tonight. We're having perfect chili weather.

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  14. I will scoot over and say happy birthday to your daughter2! Joyce, it is another wonderful Hodgepodge! I enjoyed reading yours and will enjoy all the others today, too. Thank you for doing this for us!

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  15. Happy Birthday to your Daughter 2!!

    I like all of your classical music selections.

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  16. Thanks for inviting us over to Daughter's blog. So enjoyed reading it and leaving her a note. As we are visiting in the Midwest these two weeks and the end of summer is definitely approaching today with all this flooding, chili sounds like a menu item for the weekend. What better way to watch our grandson's football game on TV than with a steaming bowl of chili.

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  17. I like your Bible verse. I missed the one on the map. I like to look online but then we use our GPS. Happy Birthday Daughter2, have a fabulous day!

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  18. We actually had some of the same answers. We still use an atlas from time to time and we use an alarm clock radio and I listen to radio in my car. I also said chili...I really must talk to hubby about this one as he is the chili maker in the family.

    Have a great day!

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  19. Happy Birthday to your pretty girl! My husband and I sometimes listen to classical music when we are in the car late at night. I love the beautiful music and the darkness all around - very peaceful :-)

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  20. I agree w/ all the beautiful classical pieces you mentioned. Ode to Joy was a toss-up w/ Pachelbel's Canon for me. I walked down the aisle to Ode because (1) Christmas wedding and (2) my mom said that Trumpet Voluntary was originally written as a bullfighting song. Whether that's true or not remains to be googled, but she made no bones about it . And when Mama makes no bones, no bones are made. Ha!

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  21. Hi Joyce,

    I so agree with you on phone books. Such a waste of money.
    Yes, we should request them...if we want them.

    Oh Chili... Crockpot Chicken Chili is cooking as I sit here.
    The joys of having a crockpot :)

    You mentioned neurosurgery. My husband is an EEG Tech (read: brain waves) and has been in on a few neurosurgeries.

    Happy Birthday to daughter #2!

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  22. Happy Birthday to your daughter :)
    I have 2 radios actually in my office so I don't have to change channels... they're hard to get in so I don't dare touch the dials ;)

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  23. We have a sort of tradition at our house. We make chili when the snow flies for the first time. Tomorrow night might be the perfect time for some chili as we have been threatened with the white stuff overnight.

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  24. aw! Its crazy how fast they grow up isnt it?! My niece will already be 11 on Thanksgiving. I too fly my flag on 9/11.

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  25. Happy birthday to your "baby girl"! I think we will ALWAYS think of them as our "babies". Even my oldest, 15, is taller and bigger than I and I think of him as my "baby". I'm not sure he likes that...LOL

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  26. Your daughter's blog had a beautiful tribute to you! How special to have such precious daughters.
    (Slapping my hand to my forehead: how could I have forgotten Four Seasons. One of my favorites.)

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  27. With the cooling temperatures of fall I like your chili idea. Happy birthday to daughter2. Our children are a blessing no matter how difficult they may be. Thank you for visiting my blog, I do so appreciate it.

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  28. New to the Hodgepodge - so glad I found it! Thank you for hosting. A very happy birthday to your daughter. My youngest turns 16 in November *sigh*, it just seems like yesterday that she was uses my black craft paint on the walls! ;)

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  29. I totally agree with you on the phone book thing and the need for an atlas in the car; had I had one a year or so ago, it would have saved me a panic attack (literally). Thanks for hosting!

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  30. I have been thinking about chili this week, too. Maybe this cooler weekend will be the time to make the first pot.

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  31. I forgot about Ode to Joy, but as I read your blog, it totally popped into my head. Though I will say, I've only heard it in the Die Hard movies (didn't actually know what it was for awhile, just that I liked it).
    Happy Birthday to your daughter.

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  32. Happy Belated Birthday, Daughter 2! What sweet pictures. Yes, I still use my VCR. There's a limit to how many times I will buy the same movie. :) Until I can no longer find one that works (or all my tapes wear out) it will remain one of my media options. :)

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