Hodgpodge Questions-Volume 299

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. 'Slow and steady wins the race'...tell us about a time this was true in your own life. 

2. 'As slow as molasses'...Do you like molasses? How about maple syrup? Caramel? Butterscotch? What's your favorite of the slow moving treats mentioned here, and what's your favorite food made with that sweet treat? 

3. Your favorite slow song? 

4. Your favorite thing to make in a slow cooker or crock pot? 

5. 'You may delay, but time will not.' ~Benjamin Franklin Are you more a hurrier or a delayer when it comes to unpleasant tasks that need doing? What are you currently either delaying or hurrying to get through this week or month?

6. Tell us three things you encounter regularly or even just occasionally that you find to be annoyingly slow.

7. March is National Craft Month. Are you crafty? Tell us about something crafty you'll try in the next thirty one days. Or something crafty you'd like to try or wish you had the skill to make happen. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Five Minutes of Life In The Slow Lane

I'm linking with Five Minute Friday this morning, and yes I know it's Monday. The word prompt last week was SLOW, so I've got that covered.

Here's how Five Minute Friday works...you tell your inner critic to hush, then write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. Next hop over to the party hosted by Kate Motaung and add your link to the list. Be sure to leave a comment for the writer who linked before you, because that's the neighborly thing to do. Here goes slow-

I've slowed way down here this month, and while I'm feeling nearly back to normal I want to keep life more slow lane, less passing lane. That's sort of new for me, because we've always been top down-sunglasses on-fast lane passing the slow Sunday drivers going way below the speed limit kind of people. We're do-ers, go-ers, entertainers, travelers.

Slow helps me see how impatient I am. 

I read fast, walk fast, drive fast, talk fast.

Slow helps me see how bossy I am. 

I'm quick to spit out words, quick to act and react.

Slow tells me there are rhythms to life and I need to embrace both the seasons of busy and the seasons of stillness that come my way. 

It's quiet here. Did you know you can hear quiet?

I've spent hours sitting on the deck watching the water, sky, and woods change. Fish jump high and land with a splash, the water rippling outward in ever widening circles. Bluejay and hawks and kingfisher soar and swoop. Squirrels are tiny trapeze artists in the branches overhead. The sun rises across the cove and paints the sky all kinds of magnificent.

If I don't slow my feet and my mouth and the rushing whirl inside my brain I miss it, this quiet beauty that was made for us not to miss.

You miss a lot of things if you're perpetually on the go. Not just the what in life, but also the why. Some of life's most needed, best loved skills and traits require a slowing down of schedules, pace, and endless chatter, opinion, and activity.

It's in the slow I find space for listening and creativity. For deep thought and focused prayer. 

For awe and gratitude.

Gone Fishin' In the Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! So glad you played along with us today! If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, and be sure and leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. Everybody loves comments on a Wednesday! Here we go-

1. Have you ever been fishing? Did you catch a fish? If so did you keep it or throw it back? If you haven't been fishing is that something you'd like to try?

Fish out of water, big fish in a small pond, living in a fishbowl, packed in like sardines, this is a fine kettle of fish, plenty of fish in the sea, fish or cut bait...which fishy phrase most recently applies to some area of your life?

Hubs and I fished off the dock just this week. Didn't catch anything, but I like flicking the line out and remaining hopeful.  I'd love to catch something we could cook, but it's possible I talk too much to ever be a truly successful fisherman. 

As far as the expressions go I guess I'll say cut bait. According to my idiom dictionary the expression 'fish or cut bait' means do something useful or get out of the way. In my efforts to be helpful I sometimes end up getting in the way of productivity-ha! Recent examples would be moving deck furniture and getting the fishing rods ready for use. 

2. What's something you're always fishing for in your purse, wallet, desk, or kitchen junk drawer?

Hubs likes to call my purse 'the black hole' and he's partially correct. I seem to always be fishing for my car key or my phone even though I try to drop them in the same pocket every time. For some reason they're not there when I go to retrieve them and I end up fishing. Not the nice relaxing kind of fishing we do on the dock either. Fishing for something in my purse is usually borderline frantic. 

3. Your favorite fish tale or movie?

On Golden Pond. Who didn't want a cabin on a New England lake and an old wood boat after watching this film? 

4. Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight or night? Explain why you chose your answer.

Sunrise. Because it's full of hope and optimism.  

5. What's the oldest piece of clothing you own and still wear?

I pare down my wardrobe pretty frequently, so this is a toughie. I do still have a t-shirt from our favorite crab restaurant in Maryland I sometimes wear for working out. I think it's almost fifteen years old now. 

6. We've got one more month of (officially) winter here in the Northern hemisphere. Are you feeling the need for a getaway? What's been the best and worst part of your winter so far?

Winter has been so mild here I'm not really craving a getaway right now. We're really enjoying downtime on our deck. The worst part of the season by far has been this nasty case of bronchitis. I'm feeling much better, but I still don't have my normal level of energy back yet.  

Is it bad to say the best part of my winter so far was a trip to a tropical island? 

Okay, then that's my answer. 

Antigua.  

7.  The Wednesday Hodgepodge lands on National Margarita Day...will you be celebrating? Frozen or on the rocks? Are you a Jimmy Buffett fan? If so, what's your favorite JB tune?

I think we're meeting friends for Mexican food tonite (Tuesday) so maybe we'll celebrate a day early. I used to prefer frozen with salt, but I can't drink the super cold frozen drinks without getting a headache anymore, so on the rocks it is. With salt. 

I do like Jimmy Buffett and enjoy his really upbeat songs, but my favorite is one of his early more reflective tunes called He Went to Paris. I like songwriters who are poets, and this one is a little bit of poetry. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

We love watching the birds here, wherever we live actually, but we especially love watching the herons. There's something prehistoric about a great blue heron and we have at least two that regularly hang out on our shoreline.  

I read something called 'advice from the great blue heron' and it went like this-

wade into life
be patient
look below the surface
enjoy a good reed
go fish

I like it. Happy Wednesday everyone! 




SaveSave

Hodgpodge Questions-Volume 298

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with all your friends and neighbors. See you there!

1. Have you ever been fishing? Did you catch a fish? If so did you keep it or throw it back? If you haven't been fishing is that something you'd like to try?

Fish out of water, big fish in a small pond, living in a fishbowl, packed in like sardines, this is a fine kettle of fish, plenty of fish in the sea, fish or cut bait...which fishy phrase most recently applies to some area of your life?

2. What's something you're always fishing for in your purse, wallet, desk, or kitchen junk drawer?

3. Your favorite fish tale or movie?

4. Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight or night? Explain why you chose your answer.

5. What's the oldest piece of clothing you own and still wear?

6. We've got one more month of (officially) winter here in the Northern hemisphere. Are you feeling the need for a getaway? What's been the best and worst part of your winter so far?

7.  The Wednesday Hodgepodge lands on National Margarita Day...will you be celebrating? Frozen or on the rocks? Are you a Jimmy Buffet fan? If so, what's your favorite JB tune?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

A List To The Rescue

When you've lost your blogging mojo sometimes it helps to make a list, so how 'bout we try that? 

1. I officially have bronchitis. I am so tired of coughing and hubs would say he's also so tired of me coughing. He tries not to say it and if he does it's mostly muttered under his breath, but I get it because I'm annoying even myself. 

2. I've been coughing for three solid weeks, but finally waved the white flag and saw a doctor on Wednesday. I knew I didn't have the flu, nor did I want to get the flu, which is why I put off going to the doctor. 

3. When she heard how many different airplanes I'd been on in the past month and a half she told me to go directly to the pharmacy for my prescription, then directly home to do absolutely nothing until I feel much much better. For the record I'm not that great at doing absolutely nothing, but I'm trying. 

4. That's partly why I haven't been blogging, I just haven't had the energy or more importantly, the brain power.

5. Which is why you're reading this really interesting post all about my cough. 

6. New subject (you're welcome!)...remember Valentine's Day? Ha! Hubs needed to be out of town on the actual day so we celebrated early beginning with this-

So pretty! Still sitting in that same spot a week later, and still pretty!

7. We met Daughter2 for lunch at a favorite burger spot in town and had a great time catching up with her in person. She is too adorable for words, and has the best, brightest smile of anyone I know. Nothing says love quite like a sweet and tender-hearted grown up daughter.

8. We ran some errands while we were in 'the big city, and later that evening hubs grilled steaks in the cast iron skillet, and made my favorite dessert-

Every kitchen needs a hand held torch.

In order for me to declare creme brulee a success, it must pass the spoon test. By that I mean when you tap a spoon on the crystallized sugar you need to hear the tap-tap-tap. I'll insert a little video clip, but these things never seem to work on my blog.

It might be me?

Suffice it to say, this one was perfection.

9. We've been looking for just the right coffee table for our covered deck and had something very specific in mind. We finally found it and broke it in last night.

Daughter1's in-laws came by for a casual supper and we dined
tablesidefireside.

It's got a sweet little fire pit in the center that runs on propane, and we love it!

10. Lastly, the sunrises here. I know I over post this particular subject matter, but every single morning I just sit and watch the darkness turn all shades of pink and lavender and I need to share.

The sky literally changes color minute by minute and sometimes I miss the prettiest bit while fiddling with my camera or the door or my glasses...

Not today though. Today was especially gorgeous. 

Happy weekend everyone! 

Celebrating the Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered the questions today, add your link at the end of my post and be sure to leave a comment for your blog neighbor.

1. What do/did you call your grandparents? If it's something unusual tell us the story behind the name. If you're a grandparent what do your grands call you? Who chose your moniker?

We called both sets of our grandparents Grandma and Grandpa. We sometimes added their surname to differentiate in conversation, but in person they were just Grandma and Grandpa. My girls call my mom Mema and my mother-in-law Grandma. I'm still thinking about what I would like to be called, which may or may not be why you're answering this question today-ha! 

2. Ever taken a road trip along the California Coast? If so what was the highlight of your trek? If not, any desire to do so? What's one tourist attraction along the coast you'd add to your must-see list?

I've never taken a road trip along the California Coast, but it's definitely on my travel bucket list. I have a whole itinerary of stops I'd want to make, but Santa Barbara and Big Sur are near the top. 

3. What are three things you don't know how to do?

Wow, only three? How about three things I don't know how to do that I wish I knew how to do? 

Play the piano, speak a foreign language fluently, knit. 

4. Tom Peters is quoted as saying, 'Celebrate what you want to see more of.' If that's true, what and how will you celebrate?

Gentleness. 

Harsh, sharp, and angry is most definitely not working for us. 

I think gentleness in word, tone, and deed invites conversation, and I love that. 
In fact I'll pour the tea. 

5. Thursday (February 16) is National Almond Day. Do you like almonds? Which would you prefer-an Almond Joy or a macaron? What's something you make that calls for almonds?

I love almonds and would not turn down an Almond Joy or a macaron. If I have to choose I'll opt for the macaron. 

In France. 

I mean if we're imagining we might as well go all in, right?

I put sliced almonds in my chicken salad because I love the little salty crunch they add to the dish. I also add sliced almonds to my spinach salads. Yum! 

6. What does Saturday morning look like at your house?

Opening up the bedroom curtains to watch the sun stream in over the lake. Coffee sipped in our comfy chairs beside the sliders in the great room, or if it's warm enough out on the covered deck. Then more coffee. Then breakfast with hubs while we construct a loose outline of our plans for the day. We try to keep Saturday mornings low key and leisurely round here. 

7. Share with us a favorite book you've read this winter.

I've been reading a lot this winter and probably my favorite has been A Man Called Ove by Frederik Bachman. I really loved his book My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry and A Man Called Ove was almost as good. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

The moon was absolutely gorgeous last week. Hubs snapped this photograph from our back deck on Thursday evening...

 If you didn't know better you'd think that was a spotlight on the lake, wouldn't you? 

Raise your hand if you're singing Taylor Swift right now? 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 297

Happy Valentine's Day Hodgepodgers! Here are this week's questions...answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. Here we go-

1. What do/did you call your grandparents? If it's something unusual tell us the story behind the name. If you're a grandparent what do your grands call you? Who chose your moniker?

2. Ever taken a road trip along the California Coast? If so what was the highlight of your trek? If not, any desire to do so? If you were to take a trip along the California Coast what's one attraction you'd have on your must-see list?

3. What are three things you don't know how to do?

4. Tom Peters is quoted as saying, 'Celebrate what you want to see more of.' If that's true what will you celebrate and more importantly, how will you celebrate?

5. Thursday (February 16) is National Almond Day. Do you like almonds? Which would you prefer-an Almond Joy or a macaron? What's something you make that calls for almonds?

6. What does Saturday morning look like at your house?

7. Share with us a favorite book you've read this winter.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

A Hodgepodge That's Easy To Love

Hello Hodgepodgers! If you've answered the questions today add your link at the end of my post. We've had a few newbies join our Wednesday party in recent weeks, so if you have a minute hop over to a blog you haven't visited before and say hi. And be sure to leave a comment for your neighbor in the link list. That's how we keep the Hodgepodge rollin' right along.

1. What's the last thing you did that someone else thought was super?

I'm not sure I've done anything lately that could be described as super? Maybe something related to home decorating? 

2. The last thing you ate that tasted superb?

Two weekends ago I made an overnight French Toast recipe that my company thought was superb. It's so easy to do and so delicious. You will find the recipe here.  

3. Supersensitive, superstitious, superwoman, superambitious, supercilious, supervisor, superficial...pick a super word from the list and tell us how it relates to your life in some way recently or currently.

The list of projects I want to accomplish round here feels superambitious. 

4. Do you love easily? If you're comfortable doing so, explain why you think that is.

Yes, and I think it's probably because I've always felt loved. As a child, as a wife and mother, and most of all I'm secure in the knowledge that Jesus loves me. Not saying I haven't encountered people who are hard to love, but I'm an eternal optimist who believes the best about everyone so yeah, I tend to love easily.  

5. Valentine's Day lands on a Tuesday this year. Will you mark the day in some way? If you're celebrating with a dinner out somewhere will it be on Tuesday or will you celebrate over the weekend?

As far as Valentine's Day goes, hubs and I usually exchange cards but no gifts. I do send a little something to my girls because that makes me happy. In recent years hubs and I have had the tradition of cooking a new recipe together at home. We eat out a lot, plus restaurants often do a set menu or fixed price and eh. 

We've been looking at recipes to try, but haven't settled on one yet. And I'm not sure if we'll cook on Tuesday or over the weekend, but I think it will feel more leisurely and enjoyable to cook on Saturday so that's my plan. 

6. What's something you are loving right now?

I might be a teensy bit obsessed with online shops selling smocked children's clothing. This shop in particular. Also this one. And I can't wait to buy one of the bonnets sold here. 

7 Write a three word (or less) phrase you'd like to see on a Valentine candy heart.

Love Never Fails

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Raise your hand if you've been enjoying those tiny little conversation hearts for a couple of weeks now.  #sorrynotsorry




SaveSaveSaveSave

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 296

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. What's the last thing you did that someone else thought was super? 

2. The last thing you ate that tasted superb? 

3. Supersensitive, superstitious, superwoman, superambitious, supercilious, supervisor, superficial...pick a super word from the list and tell us how it relates to your life in some way recently or currently. 

4. Do you love easily? If you're comfortable doing so, explain why you think that is. 

5. Valentine's Day lands on a Tuesday this year. Will you mark the day in some way? If you're celebrating with a dinner out somewhere will it be on Tuesday or will you celebrate over the weekend? 

6. What's something you are loving right now? 

7 Write a three word (or less) phrase you'd like to see on a Valentine candy heart.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Monday Morning Quarterbacking

I don't have a lot to say today because we pretty much did nothing over the weekend. Oh, and it was also glorious. Sometimes nothing is everything you need.

Did you watch the Superbowl? We watched, right down to that last painful minute when the Patriots pulled out a win. None of my teams were in the Superbowl this year, but I can still get all wound up about a game. I found myself feeling a little bit sorry for Tom Brady the first half of the game, then heartbroken for the Falcons when it was all over.

I will say I didn't think there were any really fabulous ads this year, but I did love the Raggedy Old Flag bit they played pre-game. I'm glad politics stayed mostly out of the Superbowl and it felt like the country came together for about five minutes yesterday.

And props to Lady Gaga for dangling above the stadium and for singing live and for inspiring me to work out today-ha!

I haven't said too much about the house lately and that's mostly because we moved in mid-November, then BAM! Thanksgiving rolled in along with some company, then it was pretty much time to think about Christmas, then hubs and I traveled the entire month of January, arriving home on Tuesday, with company here on Wednesday, then they left Friday morning, then more company came Friday evening, then they left Sunday, then I collapsed on the couch for a week in an effort to get over the horrendous cough hubs shared with me, and now here we are Monday.

Which is why I haven't talked much about the house or posted pics of the finished product. Ain't nobody got time for that!

I'm blogging from our home office on this Monday morning, and it needs help y'all. Actually I call this room the library because we had floor to ceiling bookshelves built in, but mostly right now it looks like I'm readying for a jumble sale. All the 'jumble' is behind the desk and if I sit just so at the computer I can see the lake but not the piles. That strategy has been working for me up till now, but I guess this is the week I deal.

The piles are mostly photos (yep, still an issue in my life) and there's also an abundance of throw pillows that don't quite fit anywhere in the house, but that I can't part with either. And there's framed artwork and photographs that either need re-framing, re-matting, or a new home with Goodwill. Somebody's got to decide and it looks like that somebody is me only I'm easily distracted.

What distracts me? How pretty the view is right outside my window. Thoughts of summertime. Paperwork. Planning how best to spoil my grandchild. A baby shower brunch happening here next month. Thinking about Daughter2s pup who is still sick with we don't know what. Income taxes. What I'm fixing for dinner. Still need to think up this week's Hodgepodge questions. Laundry. An email I need to send. An appointment I need to re-schedule. The book I'm reading.

It's not just me, is it?

Okay, nose to the grindstone and all that. I will leave you with a picture I snapped on Wednesday morning. The early bird definitely catches the wormsunrise round here.

Now if only the early bird could keep that momentum going past noon.
She's going to try!

Five Minutes of Breathe

Linking with Five Minute Friday today. Here's the drill-write for five minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. Link back to Five Minute Friday and invite others to join in too. Consider yourselves invited. Finally, be generous and leave an encouraging comment for the person who linked up before you. Here we go-

Today's prompt-Breathe

I haven't written much of substance on my blog lately, mostly because we've been going at mach speed round here since November, but also because everybody is so dang cranky all the time about all the things. Have mercy it is ex.haus.ting. Does anybody have the patience or stamina or time in their day for all the endless whining and complaining and judgy judgmental judgment we're living with right now?

Breathe. 

The online world that once upon a time connected us in so many fun and positive ways feels downright ugly. The real world feels that way too and it breaks my heart a little. A lot if I'm being honest. I don't want to dip so much as my pinky toe into the sea of nastiness that's out there right now and I honestly don't know how to navigate social media anymore. If the Internet were my child I would send her to her room.

Breathe. 

I was talking with friends recently (in person and face to face which is how ideas are best shared), and we all agreed you can't go to even the simplest of social gatherings anymore without considering what you're walking in to. Will anyone be there who doesn't demand you explain and defend your position on a whole laundry list of sizzling hot topics that you'd rather not get into with casual acquaintances? Can't we just talk about what's in the delicious chicken salad or some other equally inoffensive subject matter?

Breathe. 

I don't want my blog to be a place of controversy and I work hard to keep it a welcoming little corner of the Internet. It's just that anymore it's hard to know what in the world is going to set people off. And by set people off I mean what is going to cause someone to insult my intelligence, my thinking, my education, my part of the country, my belief system and more.

Recently I replied to a comment on Twitter and a woman who doesn't know me, who knows nothing about me, called me a liar. She also identified herself in her profile as a 'Christ follower'. Okay. Somehow that didn't feel very Christ-like to me. I let it go with a polite 'we disagree', because she doesn't know me and I don't know her and we're not going to know one another communicating 140 characters at a time.

Sometimes it's hard to breathe.

I think our parents generation got it right in their efforts not to bring politics into polite conversation. And Facebook? Facebook is just a mess, and because in real life I do have people I love and who are dear to me on all ends of the political spectrum, well it's a mess. It's not a place I want to be anymore.

I want to extend birthday wishes, learn about your travels, see your babies and your grandchildren, find out about great places to dine or hike or vacation, discover new music, hear about random acts of kindness encountered throughout your day, but that's such a small part of my news feed now it's almost not worth checking in.

So how do we blog when the air is thick with smoke and opinion? When voices thunder in ways that make you want to pull the covers over you head? How do we breathe?

For me I go back to what is true. I spend less time reading Internet words and more time reading God's word. I pray for our nation and her leaders and a world gone mad, and when I want to make a point, let my feelings be known, fire off a response to an unkind word or misstatement of fact, I take a step back and I breathe.

I think our natural desire to be right, to be heard, to make our opinion known says go-hit send-now-immediately.

I'm learning to fight my natural instinct.

I'm learning to let my words sit on the page overnight and see if they look and feel the same in the bright light of a new day. I ask myself does this need to be said and most importantly, do I need to be the one to say it? We all think we need to be the one to say 'it' but really do we? Does everything need to be said?

My girls called yesterday. We talked about grandbabies, pregnancy, smocked rompers, car troubles and sick puppies that strain our nerves and our bank accounts, the triumphs and challenges facing a kindergarten teacher, and how God knows about all the things. All of them. Every last bit of our everything. He is the air I breathe.

When I remember that breathing is easy.

So Long January, Hello Hodgepodge

Here we are at the beginning of a brand new month, and with it comes a brand new edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. So glad you're starting your February here! If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. And be a good neighbor by leaving a comment for the blogger linking before you. Here we go-

1. Can you believe it's the end of January? What was the best day of January 2017 for you, and why?

We had a busy January so I'm looking forward to a little less on the calendar this next month. Best day? That's easy...January 4th. Nothing like stepping into the waiting arms of your grown up daughter on the other side of the country to make it so.   

2. What sounds make up the background noise in your life?

To be honest I love a super quiet house. The world is noisy and our lives are busy so I enjoy a quiet home. We do play a lot of music here, but if you dropped in on me on an ordinary Tuesday morning you'd find a quiet house. I almost never turn on the TV during the day. 

I love to hear the bass boats out early in the morning. The splash of a fish leaping out of the water. We have a lot of birds in our yard too, and I enjoy listening to their songs. Nature is my favorite background sound. 

3. I read on the Power of Positivity website a list of ten things to drop from your life right now. They are-

anger outbursts, people who put you down, regret, negative self talk, being a people pleaser, the notion you need to be perfect, the past (but keep the lessons learned!), gossip and judgment, comparing yourself to others, and the word hate (focus on what you love instead)

Which thing on the list do you most need to drop? Are you trying or will you try?

Gossip and judgment. Spending less and less time on Facebook helps. It's just a horrible place right now and while that sounds like a judgment I bet most people agree. When hubs and I were stuck recently, sitting for a day in the Seattle airport,  a gentleman struck up a conversation with me that has stayed on my heart and mind. 

He looked like an average Joe, had a good job, education, was in Seattle to visit friends, etc. but as we talked he began sharing with me how he'd left his wife four months prior and it wasn't turning out the way he thought it would be, how he was feeling so lost, and how his two teenage daughters were struggling with it all. He just kind of poured out his heart, and our time together reminded me that everyone has something going on 'behind the scenes' and to just be a little more gentle with the people who cross my path. 

4. What is sacred to you?

I've seen this word defined in a couple of ways, one relating to spirituality and the other used to describe something very precious to you. I always associate it with the spiritual and also think it applies to something I couldn't or wouldn't want to be without. God's word is sacred to me. My faith also feels sacred. It's a very personal thing and something that impacts every area of my life. It's what carries me through hard times, and helps me navigate the ordinary days too. I treasure it, rely on it, and would feel lost and alone without it. 

5. January is National Oatmeal month. Are you a fan, and if so how do you like it?

I do like oatmeal and in fact made myself a bowl for breakfast this morning. I have it at least a couple mornings a week and my favorite is cooked on the stovetop as opposed to instant packets. I love it with a little sliced banana, a few dried cherries, and a splash of cold milk. I don't like warm milk on my oatmeal. 

6. What feelings does twilight stir up in you?

Sometimes I feel a bit wistful when twilight settles in. It's not sadness per se, but there's a longing for something at that time of day I can't quite define. It's much more noticeable in winter months when we have shorter daylight hours, but I feel it in the summer months too. There's something about twilight that makes me think of childhood, my own and also my girls. 

7. Something you're looking forward to next month (February)?

A free weekend? We've been away most of January so I'm pretty happy to think we're sticking closer to home for most of February. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Super fun weekend with girls I've known almost forty years. Forty years? That can't be right can it? 

Apparently it can and it is. We were all sorority sisters way back when and whenever we're together we pick right back up where we left off. 

Hubs acted as photographer/cabana boy/D.J. so we included him in our selfie. He's known them all nearly forty years too so he's used to us. More or less -ha! 




SaveSaveSaveSave