Wednesday, January 4, 2017

New Year, New Hodgepodge

Happy New Year! As a reminder there will not be a Wednesday Hodgepodge next week, January 11th. I've got a lot of travel on my January calendar and will need a breather right about then. We'll be back with a new edition the following week, January 18th. In the meantime, here we are. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then go say happy new year to your neighbor.
1. Share one favorite moment/memory from your Christmas holiday.

In recent years the candlelight Christmas Eve service has become my favorite part of the holiday. There is something so moving about a candlelit church filled with voices softly singing Silent Night. It really helps me put the whole holiday in perspective. 

2. What was the best thing you ate over the holidays? Was it homemade or store bought? If it was homemade did you make it?

How in the world do I choose? I ate far too many delicious somethings over the holidays. These candy cane snowball cookies are maybe my favorite sweet treat. I think. And  hubs cooked steaks in the new oven for our New Year's Eve meal and that was another favorite. Daughter2 baked the cookies and hubs cooked the steaks so yes, all homemade. 

3. What was one of the most beautiful things you saw over the holidays?

Sunrise in my own backyard two days before Christmas...


Sunrise is my favorite color.

4. What does fresh start mean to you?

A fresh start is a brand new heaping helping of hope, whether it's January 1st or just the beginning of a brand new day.  I think it's why I love the early morning. No mistakes yet, no words said that I'd like to unsay, no irritation or resentment over some little hurt,  just endless possibility and opportunity to be my best self. My favorite verse captures what fresh start means to me-

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23 

5. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very positive and 1 being not so great) how would you rate 2016 in terms of personal achievement and well being? Explain.

I wouldn't rate it a 10, but it wasn't a 1 either.  I have room for improvement in a number of areas so let's give it a 6 and skip explaining why.  

6. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse, or just general uselessness. Go here to read more about how the words were chosen or, if you're like me, to find out what in the world the word or phrase even means or the context in which it's used. There were quite a few on this year's list I'd never heard before.

Here's the 2017 list of banished words-

You, Sir-focus-Bete Noire-Town Hall Meeting-Post Truth-guesstimate-831-historic-manicured-echo chamber-on fleek-bigly-ghost-Dadbod-listicle-get your dander up-selfie drone-frankenfruit-disruption

Which word on the list would you most like to see banished in 2017? What word or phrase would you add to the list?

I must have been living in a bubble this year or builidng a house or something because I haven't heard of half of these, certainly not to the point of overuse. 831? ghost? Huh? I've certainly heard enough of 'town hall meetings' and post-truth sounds suspicisouly like 'not true', so I guess I'd choose to banish one of those if I must choose. 

What overused word would I pick if I were in charge? Well I'm kind of weary of the word safe space. I feel like it's impact has been lost in the post-election brouhaha. There are people in this world who genuinely need safe spaces, who are persecuted, abused, tortured. College students (and others like them) feeling sad-disappointed-angry about election results, in my mind, do not fall into that category and they've co-opted the word to the point it has lost real meaning. 

7. Large or small, light or deep, share with us one goal you have for the new year.

Read through the Bible chronologically and finally!! get my videos transferred to DVD. Do we still use DVD? Whatever format we're using now, that's what I need to do with my old videos and I resolve to make this the year it happens. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

A song I'm loving lately...if you're stubborn like me maybe it will encourage you too. Happy New Year! 





25 comments:

  1. I love your answer to #4. Beautifully said. I love your positive spin on a fresh start! I too love mornings - it's my favorite time of the day. Safe traveling Joyce, and I'll see you here in two weeks.

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  2. It's good to be back to the old Hodgepodge, Joyce. Love that last song - I've never heard it before. Safe travels this month.

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  3. That is such a beautiful sunrise picture, Joyce. I'm so happy for you that you are in your new home, a wonderful way to begin the new year. I too am reading through the chronological Bible this year! Thanks for your commitment to the Hodgepodge through thick and thin.

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  4. I said safe space too!!!!!!
    Love your fresh start verse, new mercies, every morning.
    Good luck with your goals, they are worthy!
    Happy New Year friend!

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  5. Happy New Year, Joyce, and thanks for another great set of questions. I love your answer to #4, and wish I'd have thought of all of that! So true.
    That was quite a list of banished words and phrases. I'd never heard most of them either. Ha!
    Enjoy your travels in the days ahead,
    Kathy (Reflections)

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  6. I know what you mean about the Christmas music at church...there is just something about it...I too ALWAYS feel like it's where I feel Christmas the most. And I LOVE LOVE that song at the end. We sing it often as part of our worship at church. Oh, and those sunrises you are experiencing are some of the most gorgeous I have ever seen. Sure can see why you'd find yourself out there most mornings! Have a good week!

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  7. Oh, I am with you on "safe space." Didn't think of it, but that is one we could be done with.

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  8. Great is Thy Faithfulness every morning! Thank you Father! I was unable to participate this week on the Hodgepodge, (have been Cotton Bowling it for the past five days in Dallas) but my answer would have also been the glow of candles across the sanctuary on Christmas Eve as Silent Night is sung and hearts are tuned to the meaning of that special night. Have safe and memorable travels.

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  9. I'm part of a group that uses the safe space phrase a lot. They are not college students but most of them--I'd guess 90%- are truly afraid and they have the life stories to support that fear. So I wouldn't take safe space away. As with anything, there are those who will overuse or abuse and take the focus off those who are truly in need or afraid... When I hear these stories, I realize that I have lived a truly safe life and I am most grateful for it. I'm not sure I would have survived as some of those have. I also like that they have made me very aware of my surroundings and not turning a deaf ear or blind eye to things I see. I helped a young woman get out of a car in which she was being hit by her 'friend.' I doubt I would have noticed before. Good with the bad I suppose. I'm so glad you're loving your beautiful new home. What a blessing to be surrounded by all that gorgeous nature as well! Sunrise is pretty nice around here, too. Tucker and I like to go over to the beach or the nature trail since it ends at the marsh. I started reading the bible through in August and I'm still going. We raised the girls in a Baptist church so we got a lot of bible during those years. I've missed it so I decided to take the plunge and read it through again. I've still got VHS tapes I need to transfer to...what? Dvd? Something on the computer? Seriously, what do we do now????? I hope your travel plans include visiting your sweet girl on the other coast. :) Safe travels!

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  10. Hi Joyce,
    I really like how you answered number 4 and I am going to add it to my journal today.
    If you have time, tell me how you go about transferring video to DVD? My mom and I were just discussing this over the holiday. So many home videos we are not sure what to do about.
    Thank you,
    Carla

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  11. We finally found a church that played traditional Christmas songs. It made me very happy. Nice Bible verse. I use DVD. I have a handful of videos that should be transferred. I need to still take all my DVD movies and put them in the binders I bought to get them downsized. Enjoy your travels!

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  12. Beautiful sunrise! Yes, I am stubborn too. I read through the bible chronologically last year although I think I was doing another plan before switching so am starting from the beginning this year. I love candlelight Christmas Eve service but we missed it this year. With Christmas falling on a Sunday I just couldn't make it all work. Thanks for another week of great questions :)

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  13. Christmas Eve services really are a great centering time for sure. I have so many things to say about that whole safe space deal...oye. Enjoyed reading your fresh start ideas. Happy New Year!

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  14. Well, guess we can read through the Bible together this year. Neat! Sounds like you have a busy month ahead, enjoy your travels. Our church has never had a Christmas Eve service and I don't understand that at all. Perhaps I need to voice my opinion about that. See ya when you return to the HP!

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  15. Your house affords you the loveliest views ever!! It's interesting because I love sunset. The time to reflect on my day and give thanks for making through one more puts me in my happy place.

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  16. I love that song, I've not heard it before. I must've been in the same bubble because I haven't heard some of those words either. Ha.

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  17. I love our Christmas Eve service, too. The soft glow, the joyful music, happy faces, thoughts of all that happened in our church family in the last year, all of it is a good feeling because God is with us. I so agree on number four and that is why I'm an early morning person, too. Your sunrise is gorgeous and that view every morning would be a truly awesome reminder of fresh starts. Happy New Year.

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  18. Good luck with your video transfers. Happy New Year!

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  19. Best wishes to you on getting your videos into whatever the current format is. We need to do that, too, at some point.

    We've read the Bible through several times. We learn something new each time. It is always a great experience. Wishing you many blessings as you go through the Bible this year.

    Have a blessed day!

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  20. I'm right there with you on "safe-space". Good grief!! Thanks for this week's questions, Joyce. It was yet another fun HP!!

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  21. Your sunrise shot is INCREDIBLE! Happy 2017!

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  22. Great answer to #4 Joyce and that sunrise is beautiful. Happy New Year.

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  23. I used to love the early mornings and now my body changed, I can't get out of my bed ! What a beautiful view you had with this sunrise in your garden ! We were quite good with food over Christmas and New Year, I am not a sweet girl and we had Sushis instead of the traditional turkey !

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  24. What a beautiful sunrise! I've read through the chronological Bible several times and really enjoy it. I'm sure you will as well.

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  25. Beautiful picture of the sunrise. Reading the Bible chronologically will give you a different perspective on God's wondrous plan unfolding throughout time. Enjoy the journey! Speaking of journeys, enjoy your upcoming travels and Godspeed. I look forward to your return on the 18th. Thank you for your kind words and best wishes. All the best of God's blessings in the new year.

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