Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Leafing Through the Hodgepodge

Welcome to October and the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Everyone is welcome to play along today. Answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post so we can all come say hello.  A lot of words here today so grab your coffee-


1. Are the leaves turning color where you live? Have they begun to fall? Will you have to rake when it's all said and done? Is that a chore you love or loathe?

The leaves are beginning to turn here, but only a few have fallen. Will we have to rake? Ha! We back up to several acres of forest so a rake doesn't begin to cut it. Not even close. Our lawn guys will do a couple of big fall clean ups for us and they make it all pretty. I used to enjoy raking, but on a small scale. What we have happening here would be more than a little stressful to manage with a rake. 



2. When did you last shake like a leaf?

This could mean nervous or cold or frightened and I got nothin'. I think that's a good thing, so I'm not gonna wrack my brain to come up with an answer from years back. 

3. After 20 seasons with the NY Yankees, Derek Jeter played his last official game Sunday afternoon.  Jeter has been described even by opponents as a class act, both on and off the field. The NFL is back in action this month too, with several players in that sport also making headlines. What are your thoughts on athletes as role models? Should a professional athlete be expected to act as role model or is that going beyond their job description? What responsibility do the organizations these athletes work for have when it comes to dealing with off the field behavior? Discuss.

I wish the large number of hard working professional athletes out there doing their job, raising families, donating time and monies to charities and their local communities were the ones making headlines, instead of the few who make mistakes or even break the law. 

I think part of the huge interest in Derek Jeter's retirement story, even from people who don't follow baseball or who hate the Yankees, is the fact that he's managed to play in the spotlight for 20 years without an arrest, drug bust, or some other big controversy. It makes us all feel good to know it can be done, which is kind of a sad commentary on professional sports or maybe the media. A little of both I guess. 

As far as responsibility goes, hmmm...tough one. I think individuals are responsible for their own behavior, and bad behavior has consequences. I also think professional sports organizations could do a better job of 'coaching' players about their off the field behavior, handling the spotlight, the hazards of social media, managing finances, etc. than they currently do.  

Is there a morals clause in a pro athletes contract? A code of conduct they are required to sign? Maybe that's something to consider because like it or not, they are in the public eye. If an average businessman-plumber-dentist treated his wife the way Ray Rice allegedly treated his, would the businessman be fired from his job? Lose his livelihood? Probably not unless he was arrested. The average working person is not in the public eye so is held to a different standard. Professional athletes know this and need to act accordingly. 

4. What season of the year is toughest for you in terms of your health? Why?

I'm going with fall because that's when the ragweed blooms and ragweed is typically what sends my allergies into high gear. 

5. The top six healthy food trends of 2014 according to Eating Well are-

clean eating (more veg, less meat, less sodium, limit alcohol and processed foods)
trash fish(you know those fish that are caught in fishermen nets and thrown back? It seems chefs are finding creative ways to make them more appetizing)
cauliflower (the new IT vegetable)
kaniwa-(essentially baby quinoa, so like quinoa only smaller)
fermentation (think pickling only with twists on flavor we're not accustomed to)
community supported farming-(farms operating with community support/membership)

Okay-so how many of the healthy food trends for 2014 have you experienced, encountered enjoyed? Any you've tried and said ewwww? Any on the list you'd like to try before year's end?

I eat a lot of vegetables, watch my sodium intake, drink very little alcohol, and consume almost nothing in the way of processed foods so yes to the clean eating. 

To my knowledge I haven't tried trash fish yet. I'm guessing restaurants fancy up the name to something more appealing so maybe I have? Depending on the fish hubs and I both would probably try it. We're brave when it comes to sampling new and different foods. 

I have eaten quinoa but not the smaller version, and in our house we loved cauliflower before cauliflower was cool so yes to that one. As far as fermentation goes we already eat quite a few foods that I think technically fall into that category. Yogurt. Sauerkraut. Soy Sauce. We like the Korean dish kimchi which is fermented so sure, we're on board with this one.  Like I said earlier, we're adventure eaters here, so if there's some new food trend that needs trying send it our way. 

6. In seven words or less, bid September adieu.

You were kind and oh so lovely. 

7. What's something on your October calendar that makes you happy just thinking about it?

A friend of mine is hosting a bridal shower for my Daughter1 later this month and that makes me smile.  As you know, we do complicated here. My daughters have never lived in the town we're living in now since they were in college when we moved back to the states. Daughter2 really wanted to help plan and organize a shower for her sister, but where? Daughter1 and Daughter2 don't live in the same town as one another and yada yada yada. 

A very dear friend of mine in the city we lived in eleven years and two moves ago, knows my daughter well and loves her to pieces. She's hosting the shower in her home, which is more or less central to many of the guests. 

Central meaning four hours south of us, 45 minutes east of the bride, two hours south of my mom and one sister, eight hours north of another sister and niece, an hour southeast-ish of one sister-in-law who will bring my mother-in-law who will have traveled eight hours north to get to said sister-in-law, and bridesmaids coming from hither and yon.  Just the usual.

We know we are asking much of family and friends in this season. There's expense, travel, time away from home and other activities they may have planned and looked forward to. We know people are busy. We know some will be missing other fun things in order to be at our fun thing, and we appreciate that more than we can even say.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

How about I share a picture from a bridal shower my big sister threw for me way back when? It was March 16, 1984 to be exact, and I remember thinking that umbrella was too, too cute.

I felt very well loved.


I hope my daughter feels the same on her shower day. 





26 comments:

  1. I love your shower picture! I hope you and your daughter enjoy the upcoming shower:)

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  2. I wonder what restaurants even call trash fish?? They must call it something more appealing!
    The shower does sound complicated!

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  3. We said the same thing about cauliflower! CH LOVES Kimchi; he lived in S. Korea during his pre-teen years & loved it. Me? I'd rather have bulgogi. I didn't even think about sauerkraut & yogurt being fermented. (After reading my post, you'll know where my mind was!)

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  4. Sounds like we almost have the same backyard! Our property backs up to a wooded area and we have a lot of large oaks, so the amount of leaves we accumulate is truly astronomical! It'd nearly impossible to stay on top of it. Hope your daughter has such a fun bridal shower...those are just the best!

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  5. Complication is just a thing when love, happiness and joy are involved. It will be great and it is impossible for either of your girls not to feel loved. Take loads of pix for us and give her a happy shower day hug from me!

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  6. Love love love the bridal shower photo! But, oh that makes me feel aged!!! Heck, I had a daughter almost the age of high school graduation by then. lol

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  7. Umbrellas were definitely the go to decoration in the 80's. I am sure everyone will enjoy getting together for your daughter's shower.

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  8. love your bridal shower photo. I had two bridal showers. One in NJ and one in NY. Always a fun time. I look forward to hearing and seeing your shower pictures! Its a great month for a shower!

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  9. I love the photo and the umbrella is cute! I know you are going to have a wonderful October!

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  10. Your shower umbrella brings back memories of days gone by :)
    How blessed y'all are to have a dear friend who's somewhat centrally located and willing to host your daughter's shower. Sounds like a fun time! The days until the wedding are going by quickly...but I'm sure you know that already! Enjoy :)

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  11. What a lovely gesture on the part of your friend!!!! Joyce, you have met some very kind people during your years of travel and such! I know you will have a wonderful, memory-making day!

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  12. I am intrigued by "trash" fish, lol. Wonder what that is? Loved your shower picture. And we too know all about complicated. Now that my daughter lives in another state, we still had a shower for her (baby this time!) in California where people came from ALL over. It was a BIG one, like 50 or so ladies. And it worked out beautifully. You do appreciate what others will do though let me tell you. Looking forward to hearing about your daughters...I know it will be wonderful! Enjoy your day!

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  13. Now that's the best kind of "raking" I know...pay someone else to do it. Wish I would have done that back when we still had that humongous sycamore tree in our yard. I swear that tree dropped something year round and the leaves were the size of dinner plates. haha

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  14. Bridal showers are so much fun - such happy occasions! I love your photos from the 80's - everything was simpler then - no Pinterest :-)

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  15. I'm really happy to find your blog, Joyce! My daughters and I started our blog only about a month ago and I've been wanting to connect with other bloggers who might blog about similar things. This meme seems great!

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  16. Way to go Derek! How exciting about your friend hosting the shower. It's going to be so much fun. Such exciting times for your family. Love your shower photo.

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  17. Such a lovely picture of you and your sister for your bridal shower. Hope your daughters goes well.

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  18. It was nice when we could take care of most of our leaves by mowing and using the catch basket. We put in a lot of gardens and that makes mowing not so effective. Thanks goodness we have a small yard.

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  19. Hi, Joyce! Wow...a lot of traveling going on for the shower.
    I hope all goes well and it's the best day ever.

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  20. Love your questions week after week. You really know how to get me thinking. I'm excited for you with all the wedding festivities coming up. That umbrella your sister made for your bridal shower is very pretty!

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  21. I hope all the details come together for a wonderful shower!
    September was a pretty month here too.

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  22. Given that trash fish tend to eat trash themselves, I'll take a pass on that. ;-P
    Can't wait for shower pictures!

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  23. This is my first time linking up, thank you for hosting such a fun meme!
    I 100% agree with your take on the pro athletes question. Feel much the same way on the subject!
    Hope your daughter & the whole family has a wonderful time at her shower :)

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  24. My family is far-flung across the US. The bridal shower logistics sounds like something we'd need to do for anything like this. :-)

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  25. I commend you for your adventurous eating.
    Whoa, that shower situation sound crazy! But I know you'll make it work and it will be lovely! Do you still have that umbrella? That would be fabulous if you did! Ha ha

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