Hodgepodge Take Out

Welcome Peeps! It's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. 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 before you because that's what makes a blog hop hop. Here we go-

1. What's a word that describes your life? A word you wish described your life?

A word that describes my life? Full.

A word I wish described my life? Accomplished. 

2. Back in my day we___________________________________?

...had to wait one whole entire week to watch the next episode in a TV series. 

3. When it comes to takeout are you more likely to opt for Italian, Mexican, or Chinese food? Does a typical week at your house include takeout?

We don't do a lot of takeout here because we live a long way from any place that would make the take out option convenient. We've never done Mexican takeout. I do like Chinese takeout, but as I said that's not a great option here. We do Italian every once in a blue moon, but honestly it's just easier to eat in a restaurant. By the time we bring takeout home it's cold which means reheating and eh, that's not my thing. 

4. Think about the people you most respect. What is it about them that earned your respect?

I think without exception it would be their high integrity. Oftentimes it's also their brains and/or skill in a particular area, a strong work ethic, and the way they treat others in addition to integrity, but never without it. If a person lacks integrity I will struggle with respect. 

5. What's something your friends might see and say is 'so you'?

British stuff, hedgehog stuff, lake life stuff to name just a few. Also I felt like I needed to look up an official definition of the word 'stuff' so I did, and it totally works for me here. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Happy Easter everyone! Love wins-

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 346

I will refrain from mentioning here how I haven't been on my blog since last week's Hodgepodge. Consider it unmentioned. 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 peeps.

1. What's a word that describes your life? A word you wish described your life?

2. Back in my day we___________________________________?

3. When it comes to takeout are you more likely to opt for Italian, Mexican, or Chinese food? Does a typical week at your house include takeout?

4. Think about the people you most respect. What is it about them that earned your respect?

5. What's something your friends might see and say is 'so you'?

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Springtime In The Hodgepodge

Hello Hodgepodgers and Hello Spring! I spoke to my mom (up north) a little while ago and she said they're expecting a foot of snow on Hodgepodge Day. I have to say she was not real excited and I don't blame her. Our forecast Wednesday is for wind and I'm getting my hair done which seems like an icky combination but hey, at least it's not snow.

Did you come here today for a weather report?

Let's move on...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 person before you because everybody can use a little springtime cheer. Here we go-

1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you're looking forward to in this season of the year.

Does more daylight fall under the category of weather? If not that's my answer. I'm also really looking forward to having my mom, my mother-in-law, my daughter's mother-in-law, one of my sisters, my niece, BOTH of my daughters AND my grandson here on Mother's Day. 

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards? Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases? Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

Windows or baseboards-ugh! I'd rather have a cup of tea and watch hubs take care of those things. Hubs is washing windows as I speak and I think he kind of enjoys it, plus he's particular so carry on hubs! I guess that leaves me with the baseboards.

Closets over the garage any day. And I'll dust the bookcases and leave the fans for hubs. I think a ladder is required for some of our fans and I don't do ladders. Well I do, but he'd rather I not.

I'll wipe down the lights and let hubs handle the outdoor furniture. I wipe down lights and switches in bedrooms and bathrooms on a weekly basis anyway. 

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? Sour cream? Whipped cream?

I don't eat a lot of any of these products. Let's go with cheesecake for the cream cheese and I make a yummy sour cream pound cake which is pretty much the only thing I use sour cream for, so pound cake it is. 

Now whipped cream is another story. Give me a bowl of whipped cream and a spoon and I'm good. I don't ever actually do that, but I easily could. Angel food cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream is one of my favorite desserts so that's my answer. 

The fact that I picked all desserts is not lost on me.  

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?

According to that list I've been pronouncing regime incorrectly. Hmmm. The word acai always gives me pause. I have to think the pronunciation in my head before I say it aloud. Again, not a word I'm saying often but when I do I have to really stop and think before I speak. 

5. What's a song you love with the word 'rain' in the title or lyrics?

I wanted to be different and original but I love CCR and especially their song Have You Ever Seen The Rain so that's my pick. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Hubs and I went to see the movie I Can Only Imagine on Monday afternoon. It's the story behind the song of the same name (by Mercy Me) and we both really enjoyed it.  I'm just going to go ahead and say it, but sometimes these films with a Christian theme aren't very good. The intent is good but they're not well written or well-acted. This one I thought was well done on both counts and is a wonderful story of forgiveness and redemption. Plus the song is a favorite of mine so I loved hearing how it came to be. Has anyone else seen it? Did you like it? 




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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 345

It's spring! The calendar says so even if your temperatures do not. Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then jump back here tomorrow to share answers with all your friends and neighbors. See you there!

1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you're looking forward to in this season of the year.

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards? Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases? Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? Sour cream? Whipped cream?

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?

5. What's a song you love with the word 'rain' in the title or lyrics?

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Monday March Madness

Good Monday afternoon. I intended to say Good Monday morning, but it is Monday and when I sat down to blog I got distracted by
Pinterestall the things on my desk. There's still a pile, but it's smaller.

So anyway who is loving the madness of March? By madness I mean the NCAA basketball tourney, and not the crazy winter weather that's around. Not around here of course because our weekend weather was gorgeous. We text friends up north pics of us sitting outside in shorts and they text us pics of their patio furniture buried in snow. I do not miss the March snows.

Basketball! You don't even have to follow college hoops to enjoy the NCAA tourney. So many underdogs pulling off upsets and ruining my brackets but still so exciting to watch. I love it because any school can pull off a win and so many games have gone down to the wire.

Question-are you running heat or a.c at your house? It got warm here last night and I informed hubs I was not going to be able to sleep without opening some windows or turning on some air. We're trying to keep the windows closed until the pollen settles down and he informed me we don't run the a.c. in March. Huh? When did that become a rule?

I say when it's 77 degrees in the house we run a.c. no matter what the calendar tells us. I like it about 57 for sleeping but hubs thinks that's nuts so we meet in the middle some where. Also I turned on the a.c.

The view from my pillow first thing in the morning-

The post in the center is one side of a window frame but I didn't take the time to pretty up the shot. This is sunrise au natural.

Friday hubs and I drove to Asheville for the Vintage Home Show. It was a beautiful day for a drive and look whooo we saw en route just hanging out on the power line.

He looked me right in the eye and I gotta say it was a little creepy. I had my window rolled down and it felt like he might swoop right on in. He flew off instead and had an enormous wingspan. So cool!

In my opinion the Vintage show was just okay. It was really crowded and I did get a few ideas for the house but we didn't buy anything. We went over to Sierra Nevada for lunch instead because lunch is always a good idea.

If you've never been and you're in the Asheville area Sierra Nevada is worth a stop, even if you're not much of a beer drinker. They spared no expense in the build and it's absolutely gorgeous. Their food is wonderful too, and the setting makes it even better. Since it was such a nice day we ate inside then hung out for a while at the ginormous firepit out back.

Saturday Daughter2 and her boyfriend came out to the lake for St. Patty's Day and we went to a local favorite spot that was having live music and a food truck featuring Irish fare. They have one of those shuffleboard games, not a court but similar to an air hockey table, and it's my new favorite. I think I've talked hubs into getting one for the house.

Sunday afternoon daughter2 and I attended a fun event near the small big city which I'll talk more about later. Today let's discuss this picture she snapped-

My baby girl is sooo photogenic. Why do my eyes look so tired? I blame the pollen but I'm sure it's nothing a week at the beach couldn't fix. Or a heavy concealer. Or a nice pair of sunglasses. And also maybe a smallish nap. We had a splendid afternoon and not to sound like a broken record but this weather! Fantastic!

We watched a lot of basketball all weekend long, and the 'kids' played a little cornhole too. You have to zoom in to get the full effect, but my daughter's face in this picture makes me smile. She takes her game playing seriously.

Definitely her mama's girl!

Now I need to wrap this up...hubs and I are off to see a movie because it's Monday and we're retired empty nesters. Ha! Take that Monday!

It Was Grand

Always hard to write about our trips to the PNW. Breathtaking scenery and time with family. The end.

Well not really because it's me, but in a nutshell...she laughed she cried she booked another trip. And because I'm always a glass half full kind of girl I will say that while living thousands of miles apart is a never ending tug on the heartstrings I'm so proud and grateful for the way my daughter and son-in-law are managing life with the cutest baby boy in the world. They're the sweetest little family and I love watching them grow.

Normally when we travel west my daughter waits in the cell phone lot at the airport, then pulls up to the curb to collect us. But this time we stepped off the escalator into baggage claim and were greeted in person by our little mancub's smiling face.

He smiles y'all. He is just a happy happy boy and even as I type this I feel a smile spreading across my own face all these days later. Joy is contagious.

It poured rain the first day of our visit, but the rest of our days in the PNW were filled with glorious weather. Cool but sunny, and in the great state of Washington sunny skies are everything. I honestly can't get over the beauty of this place and we enjoyed walks around the neighborhood which, when the sun shines, offer stellar views of my favorite mountain.

May I just say strollers have come a long way since my own raising-baby days. Also car seats, sleepwear, jumping apparatus, and baby food packaging. This baby boy loves his chow.

Hubs is the man of a million funny faces, sound effects, and general hijinks and has always been something of a baby whisperer. His little grandson is completely smitten.

The feeling is mutual. FYI my son-in-law had a birthday at the beginning of the month and the balloons were too entertaining to part with just yet.

Friday night hubs and I manned the fort while the 'newlyweds' had a rare date night. What a treat! For everyone! Secretly we hoped baby boy would wake up so we could snuggle him, but wouldn't you know he slept like a champion.

You might need to strap in while I explain this next picture. I live in SC and my friend L lives in Texas. We met almost fifteen years ago when we were both living in England and have remained good friends ever since. Her son who is currently living in Oregon went to high school with my daughter who is currently living in Washington, about two hours from one another. In a happy coincidence L and her hubs were visiting their son the very same week we were visiting our daughter so of course we had to make an in-person meet up happen.

There were not a lot of dining options along this section of I-5, but we found a place online and decided to chance it. Parkers Restaurant and Brewery is located just a few miles from the Mt. St. Helen's Visitors Center in Castle Rock WA and what a great find! I want to give them a shoutout because the menu was large, the food delicious, the service fantastic, and everyone we dealt with was so so very nice. We all shared desserts and the raspberry cheesecake was one of the best I've ever eaten. I hopped over to their website and apparently it's made by Tony and it's famous so there ya go.

These two thoroughly enjoyed themselves and didn't make a mess at all-ha!

 Our babies have babies.

I can't quite get over it.

Sunday afternoon we all got out for some fresh air and Vitamin D and took the mancub to a nearby park.

Did you play in a park with a view like this when you were a kid???

Those are the Olympic Mountains in the background, absolutely stunning and impossible to capture with a phone camera. Impossible for me anyway. Another operator might do better.

Daughter1 made her famous shrimp and grits for dinner Sunday evening, a favorite of my hubs and her hubs both. We were leaving early Monday and I always have to fight the blues a little starting the day before departure. This little guy is a mover and a shaker and I've told my daughter she better strap on her track shoes once he's really on the go. If he's awake he's a-movin'.

She laughed, she cried, she booked another trip.
How could she not?
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Hodgepodge A La Mode

Slowly but surely getting back in the groove here at home. More slow than sure, but that's how cross country travel always goes. In the meantime here are my answers to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. Best place you've been lately?

Here-

The Evergreen State. There will be a blog post just as soon as I get my act together in The Palmetto State. 

2. What's something you should say yes to today? Or this week? Or even this year?

Today? A cup of tea. Or a nap. Or maybe both. 

This week? Making a start on the spring cleaning. I'm feeling motivated. After my nap I mean. 

This year? More writing. 

Do I say that every year? Seems like it. 

3. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in any way, shape, or form? If so tell us how. In Western cultures the color green is typically associated with jealousy, nature, good luck, and growth. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'green'?

As far as St. Patrick's Day...some years I make corned beef and cabbage and hubs will drink a Guinness. Does that count? We've never been to a parade or party on the day. When I hear green I think spring aka nature. It's greening up here nicely and there will be plenty of yellow too. In this part of the country we accumulate pollen the way northeasterners accumulate snow. 

4. What's a product or service you love so much you'd happily be their spokesperson? Tell us what makes you such a fan.

I thought of all kinds of answers like J.W. Marriott hotels, Pimms, Ann Taylor, Minted, and England Tourism, but how about we go with something simple and delicious (see I really could be the spokesperson)-Palmetto Cheese. I used to make my own pimento cheese but this one tastes homemade and is every bit as delicious with none of the work. I could even find it in my NJ supermarket so it's not just a Southern thing. 'Palmetto Cheese...the pimento cheese with soul.'

5. March 14th is Pi Day. How are your math skills? What's the last thing you did that required math of any kind? And most importantly do you like pie? What's your favorite kind? With ice cream, whipped cream, or please hold the cream?

I'm okay at math but I think we all know words are more my thing. The last thing I did that required math was just this morning as I sorted out the checkbook and recorded receipts from our trip out west. Words are way more fun. 

And I like the second half of this question better than the first-ha! 

I do like pie, but it's hard to pick a favorite. Cherry or coconut cream would both rank high on my list. Also I don't have a list but if I did they'd be near the top. I'll have a small dollop of ice cream on the cherry and my coconut cream pie recipe is already topped with whipped cream so no need to add anything else to that.  

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Most of my random thoughts today relate to my trip to Washington so I think I'll save all the extra words for a Thursday blog post. See you there! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 344

This is my first day at home after a week of west coast travel which means it's entirely possible this week's Hodgepodge will reflect my jet lagged sensibilities. Answer the questions on your own blog then fly back over here tomorrow to share answers with the universe.  Here we go-

1. Best place you've been lately?

2. What's something you should say yes to today? Or this week? Or even this year?

3. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in any way, shape, or form? If so tell us how. In Western cultures the color green is typically associated with jealousy, nature, good luck, and growth. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'green'?

4. What's a product or service you love so much you'd happily be their spokesperson? Tell us what makes you such a fan.

5. March 14th is Pi Day. How are your math skills? What's the last thing you did that required math of any kind? And most importantly do you like pie? What's your favorite kind? With ice cream, whipped cream, or please hold the cream?

6.  Insert your own random thought here.