Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Fly Me To The Hodgepodge

The Hodgepodge is back so let's get right to it. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger linking before you because that's the neighborly thing to do here on a Wednesday. Here we go-
1. Tell us about a time you felt like you were 'flying by the seat of your pants'.

It's hard to think of a specific example, but I do know I feel this way pretty often-ha! One instance that came immediately to mind was the time I subbed in a high school chem class and the regular teacher had left about 5 minutes worth of work for a 50 minute class. I was forced to wing it aka fly by the seat of my pants. 

2.  When or where would you most like to be 'a fly on the wall'?

The delivery room when baby boy makes his grand entrance. 

3. 'Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.'-Henry David Thoreau 

Would you agree? Why or why not?

Hmmm...not always, although there are certainly times when this is true. We do need to stop and smell the roses, and in the slowing down will sometimes find happiness has been sitting on our own front doorstep all along. 

There are times too though, when the chase itself makes me happy.

4. Share a favorite movie, book, or song with flying in it's title, lyrics, or theme somewhere.

I love the movie Fly Away Home based on the true story of the young girl and her dad who helped some baby geese get from their home in Canada to the warmer waters of North Carolina. I also love the song played at the end of that film-10,000 Miles by Mary Chapin Carpenter. 

Another favorite flight themed film and book would be October Sky, the movie based on Homer Hickam's memoir- Rocket Boys. Such a great story! 

5. What is one task or chore you tend to do 'on the fly'? Is this something that really needs to be done another way?

Dusting. Eh. It just keeps coming around, doesn't it??? I do periodically give the house a thorough dusting, but a lot of times I'll be walking by a piece of furniture, will notice the dust, and do a quick wipe with the swiffer. Not the same as actual dusting which does need to happen on a more regular basis round here. New construction people. 

6. What was happening the last time you thought to yourself or said aloud, 'Wow, time flies when you're having fun', and you meant it.

Spring break. Last week. I wrote about it here

7. This Thursday is National Garlic Day. Will you add garlic to your menu on Thursday? Do you like garlic? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?

I love garlic and cook with it fairly often. As I type these answers I've got a pot of lentil soup on the stove and there's a big clove of garlic in that. Not sure what I'm making yet on Thursday, but it's possible there will be garlic on the menu somewhere. My favorite dish made with garlic is my homemade pasta sauce. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's been so much fun to see all the baby gear available for new parents in 2017. While we were out in WA Daughter2 helped her sister set up the baby swing my son-in-law's parents bought for their new grandson. 


Yes this is a swing.  

Remember when this was the swing to have? 


The picture doesn't do it's size and scale justice, but that's my Daughter1 chillaxing in her baby swing c. 1980-something. 

The swing that required a ten foot radius to operate. 

By hand, because you had to crank that handle about a hundred times around to keep the swing going for approximately 48 seconds. 

The racket it made while you were cranking was akin to somebody operating a jack hammer in your living room, and then  just as your sweet baby was drifting off to sleep, the motion would end and you'd have to crank it again startling your baby into a level ten stage of alertness. 

My kids loved their swing. They especially loved when their Daddy would stand in front of it and make funny faces every time they came towards him. I can still hear the giggles. 

Today's swings plug into the wall so no getting a cramp in your arm winding that thing up. It sways, bounces, glides and swings, in blissful silence if you like. Or you can play music from your own handheld device on it which is why you have babies when you're young...you know how to do things like connect a playlist on your phone to your infants swing. 

We've come a long way baby! 



23 comments:

  1. Our baby swing was one of the first to have batteries!!! We were SO happy not to have to crank! Worth its weight in GOLD!!

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  2. Yes, dusting is definitely an on the fly activity! I anticipated hours of blissful slumber while gently swaying in her swing but Sophia screamed bloody murder every time we tried to put her in it so that was the end of the swing in our house! Have a great week!

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  3. So many new and wonderful things out there for modern day parents. Some of it is so much better than what we had but then there are the things that turn out to be completely useless. I think the latter are things marketers use their magic to convince parents they need it. But those swings? We LOVE the new swings! I'm with you on the dusting. Not from new construction though. Here, we need to replace our HVAC system. The duct work is a mess and the dust is out of control!

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  4. I remember those swings like your daughter's. Your daughter is so cute sitting in it. The new one, I've never seen. My grandson hasn't used a swing too much. She has him in a bouncy seat more often.

    Dusting is a good answer to that question too. I do that on the fly most of the time.

    Thanks for the questions again this week.

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  5. love your answers! We have twins so had two swings - imagine how much room those took up!! I think we borrowed them and one was wind up and was plugged into the wall socket!! Thank you for writing these questions every week.

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  6. Hi Joyce... I loved Fly Away Home too! We had one of those noisy swings too. Have a great week!

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  7. Your commentary on baby swings had me grinning along in agreement, especially the bit about getting the baby sweetly off to sleep only to have to crank it up again. Poor children! Wonder if a collective generation suffers from some psychological malady from that. Ha! The new swings look very intriguing. I just learned that I will be a great-aunt for the first time early next year. A baby swing is definitely a necessity.

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  8. Joyce, you gave me my first chuckle of the day with your very accurate description of the old baby swings :) Our daughter had colic, so she spent a lot of time in hers. It's amazing how baby gadgets have changed over the years!
    Welcome back, and enjoy the rest of your week!
    Kathy (Reflections)

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  9. Well if the grid goes down, they'll wish they had the dinosaur swing. Lol. Your description made me laugh. I so remember that scene! Also love the two movies you mentioned and the theme song from fly away home. Thanks for the Hodgepodge, Joyce.

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  10. I think my oldest had that same swing. Click...click...click...

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  11. Starting my day with giggles. Love your descriptions here, Joyce! I haven't had babies, but as the oldest of four kids, I do remember my baby sister sitting in a swing like that one. Thanks for this week's fun Hodgepodge!

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  12. I think all we "older" moms on here could identify with your baby swing recount. Our first one had a canvas seat and often sleeping baby would wet it - no disposable diapers back then - and it would have to be removed washed and dried and reassembled before it could be used again. Had to chuckle reading your dusting answer. I could have written it. Glad to be back on the Hodgepodge this week. Thanks and enjoy your week.

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  13. Had to laugh with your description of the swing you had for your daughter. I wouldn't have even known what the new swing is had you not described it. Too bad they don't make a size for adults. The description sounds wonderful for people of any age. :)

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  14. So funny about the swing. My friends and I (one soon to be grandmother) were just talking about having to crank the old swings and waking your baby with the noise. Have a great day!

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  15. Not only swings (the one we had for our kids was even more prehistoric than yours) but car seats, strollers, etc. have all changed so much. I practically need an engineering degree to set up the Pack-n-Play!

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  16. Oh yes, the baby swings of the dinosaur age. That description of them winding down JUST as the baby is blissfully sleeping, only to jerk awake again -- oh, so true. And the clicking ... I remember it well. I do think an electric one would have its drawbacks, as when the power goes out.

    I tend to dust "on the fly" too. Once in awhile I dust an entire room properly, but it takes almost no time for it to get dusty again. One of the things I like least about housework ... it just won't stay done.

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  17. I love Fly Away Home, it is always a joy to watch that movie. Glad you had a similar answer to mine on a task on the fly! That is one fancy swing and I remember the swings back when our children were babies. Enjoy the rest of your week Joyce.

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  18. I completely forgot about that beautiful move and I think I noticed it may be on Netflix so I might watch it again. The baby swing is NICE! All the memories of the old swing are sweet. Everyone seems to dust on the fly. I pull out the dust rag when company is coming.

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  19. Oh my gosh, I'd totally thought that about the newest and greatest 'swings' these days. We actually had an electric swing which was fancy compared to the wind up. And actually had to remove a chair to make room for it. ha. Remember the 'johhny jump up?' We 'hung' the girl child in that all the time, it helped with the colic she had. Ugh. Aww, the memories. ;)

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  20. Our era had that awful wind-up swing, but I don't think babies minded. The new one shown is a thing of beauty!

    On the fly pretty--have done that too many times.

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  21. That's a sophisticated piece of equipment there if it does all those things! When are they going to invent the nappy changer? lol But trust me, a fly on the wall of the delivery suite? Not a good idea. It's hard seeing your child go through pain and although I'm glad I was there to support my daughter I've had better experiences.

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  22. I hated to miss the HP today but I had the Tea up Reveal linkup today and just didn't have time to do both. Oh, these swings are amazing and you definitely did a great job of describing the old ones. But, at the time, I thought they were "the cat's meow." How funny! See you next week for the HP.

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  23. Glad you are back really missed this bloghop (this is Gina from mylifeinablog) or from giligansisland but I am here to stay with this one

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