Wednesday, April 1, 2015

ABC. Easy as 1.2.3.

Hi Hodgepodgers! And A-Z'ers! And random people reading here! If you're visiting from the A-Z challenge today you'll find my post for letter A in #8. I host a weekly meme on Wednesdays, and try to keep it going during the A-Z. 

Everyone is welcome to join the fun here on Wednesdays, but I will ask you not link to the Hodgepodge unless you've answered the questions. Thanks for that! 

Now on with the show-


1. In honor of the date...when were you last sent on a 'fool's errand'?

It might have been just before Christmas when I bought the wrong colored outdoor lights and the wrong colored candles for my Advent wreath, all on the same trip. I hate when I do things like that. 

More recently, I sent hubs on a 'fool's errand' just yesterday. I gave him the empty print cartridge boxes to replace, and he did. Except our printer has two different black cartridges and I gave him the wrong box for black ink, so he's headed back to the store today to get the right one. He's a good egg. 

2. Peter Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, The Energizer Bunny, The Easter Bunny, Rabbit (Pooh's friend), White Rabbit (of Wonderland fame), or the Trix Rabbit...which of these 'famous' rabbits can you best relate to right now?

Peter Rabbit is described as mischievous and disobedient so much as I love him, I'm not him. Rabbit is described as liking to be in charge and a little bossy...hmmm...that could be me, although not so much this week. And I'm definitely not feeling energetic or silly just now, so let's go with The Easter Bunny. I did manage to fill baskets for my chicks and even got them shipped in a timely fashion.

3. When did you last find yourself scrambling to get something done? Explain.

Probably finishing up the tax organizer on the very last day of February. I have a system for completing these things, which goes against the general rules you'll find in every 'how not to procrastinate' book. I answer all the easy questions first. Then I go back later and fill in the questions that I have paperwork for, but that don't require a lot of data uploading. 

On the very last day, the day it is actually due, I scramble to fill in the hard stuff. And by hard stuff I mean the investment categories because those sections use terms like non-qualifieds, ISO's and other ridiculous words that make my brain hurt. I always get it done though, and isn't that what really matters?

4. Last time you were up at the literal crack of dawn? Why? Last time you stayed up all night? Why?

I'm up most days at the literal crack of dawn because that's how my internal clock ticks. I enjoy early mornings, seeing the sunrise over the mountain, and most especially the quiet and that first cup of coffee. I've never been a person who functions well late at night, not even back when I was a college student. I don't think I ever stayed up all night studying. 

The last time I was up all night was April 29, 2011 aka Will and Kate's wedding. Yes the royal Wills and Kate. I got up in the middle of the night to watch coverage from the very beginning, and then we had company come for the weekend, so essentially I stayed up a whole 24 hours. 

5. Crack a book, crack a bottle, crack a joke, crack an egg...which one have you done most recently?

Probably a book. I crack one of those open pretty much every day. 

6. What's your favorite part of a typical weekend? Tell us why that's so.

Friday afternoon. Okay, I know that might not technically be the weekend, but I love the sense of anticipation that settles in around here on a Friday afternoon. It's a solid chunk of time where I don't feel like I need to be ticking something off my to-do list, and we normally have a relaxed casual dinner out that evening, which I look forward to.  

7. What's something I'd find on a bookshelf in your home? Other than a book I mean!

Framed photos. I realized just how many we have when we put our house on the market. Realtors recommend you remove some of the personal from your home so potential buyers can picture themselves in the space, and not be distracted by your adorable children. 

They don't say that exactly, but that's what they mean. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today begins the April A-Z blog challenge, details of which you'll find by clicking the button on my sidebar. Most days I'll write a separate post to cover the letter of the day, but on Wednesdays I will likely incorporate the day's letter into my random space as part of the Hodgepodge. 

Here we go-
A is for All About My Theme

Well, not all about my theme, because telling you everything on Day 1 would defeat the purpose of the challenge. Also, unlike years past I haven't thought this one all the way through. It's going to be a bit of blogging by the seat of my pants, which I like to think I'm something of an expert at so not gonna worry. 

Except I kind of am, because lately I feel so out of synch with my blog, and more importantly with my writing voice. We all have one and normally mine runs nearly unceasing like a loop through my head. These days there's so much else clamboring for brain space that I'm going to have to work to become reaquainted with the writer in me. 

Raise your hand if you've hit mid-life and are surprised to find your brain is too full instead of nearly empty? 

'They' say when you hit a writing roadblock you should just write what you know. True confession here, the list of what I know is actually not that long-ha! And I've covered much of that short list in previous A-Z challenge years, namely travel, parenting, marriage, so what's left? 

What's left is probably the elephant in the room and my theme for this year's challenge. In the past three months I've seen my first born marry and move to the other side of the country, my husband has retired from the company he worked for some 30 years, we've put our house on the market, and are relocating somewhere sometime. 

Change. 

We all deal with it, embrace it, or avoid it at various points in our lives, so it feels relevant. Plus it's broad, which leaves room for me to talk about pretty much anything under the sun, but also share some of what I've learned, and continue to learn as life swirls and shifts and goes left when I thought we were going right. 

Stay tuned. 



I couldn't resist. 
And y'all know there was some truth in the lyrics of this earworm. 
You're welcome. 





25 comments:

  1. I crack a book everyday too, just not first thing in the morning.

    Looking forward to following your A-Z posts again this year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very much looking forward to your A to Z! I like your topic, it hits me smack where we are heading.
    Here is to a relaxing Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. As always, a great Hodgepodge, Joyce. Maybe I'll find the courage (and determination) to give A -Z a try next year. I'll look forward to yours!! I've been thinking about change lately, too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Joyce. Talk about a half empty brain! First of all I forgot to put the hodgepodge button on my post and then I just realized that I missed one of the questions! I stayed up to watch the royal wedding too! Looking forward to reading the rest of your A to Z challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am again amazed at how similiar we are! Some of our answers are so alike! Sorry about your snow. It's funny.... I had 4 or 5 Facebook friends put up pics yesterday afternoon from NW NJ... pretty to see. Glad it's not me! (teehee) It's springtime here in SC! Hallelujah!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great post today in the hodge podge, Joyce. I'm going through a little writers block at the moment as we buy a lot and contemplate the building of a house. Too much stuff in my brain to be creative!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yeah, I stayed up for that wedding too! There's something about all the traditional pomp and circumstance that goes with those royal events that lures me in.

    ReplyDelete
  8. When we sold our house 5 years ago, I was so blessed that we had to move before we sold it as I would have greatly missed my family pictures and personal effects that they recommend you remove when you try to sell. I got to take it all with me and set it up in our new home. Take THAT realtors. HA HA

    I am not sure what qualifies as midlife, if it's just based on age, I am pretty close. Having said that, I have MORE in my brain now than I ever did. I have learned more in the last 5 years than my first (cough, cough) number of years. At least it feels that way. My brain is going all the time. I am constantly thinking, researching, learning, and honestly wanting to write. My husband keeps telling me I should write a book. I laugh and ask him what about. He shows me my personal writing and says, this! Yeah, half empty brains at half age ... not in my home.

    ReplyDelete
  9. If it weren't for our family time, during weekends, they'd be just like any other day, now that Ed's retired. Which brings me to the subject of your A-Z Challenge--Change! Now there's a subject I can relate to, especially during these past 2 months! I'm looking forward to the rest of your posts on the subject.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Can't wait to read about how you are dealing with all the change. I feel so many changes coming, so soon and while exciting, is so nervous making too. We all need to stick together :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. So enjoyed all of your answers and so admire the fact that you take on the A-Z challenge each year. Think it would cause me to have a near nervous breakdown right now. :o)) Looking forward to yours though. Happy Easter my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Joyce -good luck with the move -hey love that song-so true!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am so glad to hear that others also deal with what to blog about from day to day or week to week, whatever the case may be. But, "Change" is certainly a topic all of us can relate to. Enjoyed your post today, Joyce and feel a bit overwhelmed on your behalf right now. One day at a time my friend, one day at a time. Happy Easter and He is Risen!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I figured most people would say getting papers together for taxes. I loved watching the Royal Weddings. Not often we see a real fairy tale.

    ReplyDelete
  15. One of the biggest drawbacks is missing out on the hodgepodge because of the A-Z (I know I could do both on wednesdays, but I want it to look uniform). Would you consider putting a second linky on the Hodgepodge post for the A-Z'ers?

    And I have to confess that blogging by the seat of your pants made me laugh :) I definitely did that last year!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Here via the A to Z challenge.
    Great post and the hodge podge sounds like a fun thing. I might join in next week (two posts already is enough for today). I've felt out of sync with blogging recently too.
    My A to Z http://writerinawheelchair.co.uk/2015/04/a-is-for/

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sounds like a great topic for you! I look forward to reading your A-Z posts. Thanks for another great week at the Hodgepodge :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. My blog is a sort of seat of my pants thing. I love it for the outlet, but there are times when it is slow going finding something to write about.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Fridays were always Pizza nights and even retired we still have pizza. Change is a good theme for A-Z

    ReplyDelete
  20. I bet your (not so little) chicks still love to get their Easter baskets even if the mailman has to play Easter Bunny. Nothing like getting goodies from Mom. Hallelujah my hubby does ALL the taxes for us; my only responsibility is to itemize the donations.

    Best wishes in the A-Z. I waffled up until yesterday about plunging into this year, but stuck with my hunch that it would become a burden since I don't have a theme or a passion for it this year. I'm very much looking forward to reading about your dealings with change as I'm not many years behind you.

    ReplyDelete
  21. That realtor thing is so true! When we were selling our house down south, i felt like our realtor was so bossy telling us to remove this change that etc. It wasn't exactly the happiest time in my life.
    Happy Easter to you!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Nice to find your blog - now only another 1800 to visit -

    ReplyDelete
  23. Your David Bowe song selection is a persistent "ear worm." Your right about change affecting all of us. It is the one true constant in life. Good luck with the A to Z Challenge this year.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Looking forward to your A-Z. I always think I'm going to try it one of these years…sigh. I know you will have lots of food for thought for us about change. A pastor once reminded me of the saying that the only constant in life is change. Knowing that should make it easier, right? :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. I am always late with my post it seems but I do enjoy these....and your answers......I'v also read your posts for the A-Z challenge...I thought I might play along but it is kind of late and the joining is closed besides I could never do it every day...
    Change is challenging....just when we think life might be settling down , there is a big change.......I said to my daughter, aren't we glad we don't know the plans God has for us....I'll be keeping up with your new challenge and seeing how things turn out for you...
    Mama Bear

    ReplyDelete