Wednesday, March 25, 2020

We're Baaaack...The Wednesday Hodgepodge Volume 361

Good morning! It's been a while hasn't it? I'm looking forward to 'seeing' some familiar faces here, and hopefully new faces too. If you're new to the Hodgepodge welcome to a happy little corner of the Internet. In this age of social distancing, isolation, and general unease, the Wednesday Hodgepodge feels a lot like having coffee with old friends. And it looks like we're going to have several weeks to get reaquainted, ahem.

Let's get started...answer the questions on your own blog, then hop back here and add your link at the bottom of my post. Then hop over and visit (at the very least) the blogger who linked before you. Comments make the world go round or at least the blogosphere. Don't forget to post the button code (located in my sidebar) or a link back here so your blog readers can play along too.


And we're off-

1. Howdy Hodgepodgers. It's kind of fun to be back, isn't it?  Last time we met was September, 2018. Tell me something big-important-happy-or sad that's happened in your life since that date. Just one thing. We don't know how long this current isolation situation is going to last and we might need to dole out our news bit by bit.

I suppose we've each one experienced all of the above in the past eighteen months because life is like that. I may ask this question another three times until we've shared something from each category. I'm going to start with the happy which is this-


I have a new grandson, born halfway around the world to my daughter and son-in-law who are currently living in South Korea. We were fortunate to make it to Korea two days before his birth and had the most wonderful month with this precious family. I wrote a few posts about our travels which you can read if you're so inclined, starting with the post linked here 

While I hate the distance I am so very grateful we traveled when we did. We facetime regularly which I guess is now every grandparents new normal, and it's not the same but is still pretty great. We are completely smitten with this new little man and his big brother. 



2. Might as well get this out of the way early on...COVID-19. On a scale of 1-5 how serious are you about keeping your distance? Explain. fyi-I didn't create the scale but have seen it several places online. Also fyi-we won't only have virus related questions each week, but for this first one it feels right.

1-Not at all, living normally
2-Cautious but still going out
3-Going out as needed, mostly home or working from home, still seeing friends/family
4-Extremely limited, only going out when unavoidable, minimal contact with people
5-Full lockdown, no one in or out

We are a full 4, bordering on a 5. Definitely not letting anyone in and going out only for groceries once a week or less. I'm going to go ahead and add my .02 here...I surely hope nobody is a 1 or 2. 

3. Raise your hand if you think you might run out of steam in the cooking department before it's all said and done? What's something delcious you've cooked or eaten in your own kitchen in the past week?

I enjoy cooking but this everyday thing is likely going to get old before we're over this current crisis. I have always planned meals and shopped from a list so that's not a problem. We love a nice meal in a restaurant or a casual get together at a friend's house, but for now we're strictly cooking at home.  

Even when life is 'normal' there are no food delivery options on the lake, and we typcially don't do take out because by the time you go to town to pick it up you might as well eat there. Right now a few restaurants are offering curbside pick up so we'll probably do that at some point to help keep businesses afloat. My daughter ordered a couple of Home Chef meals (our favorite of the home delivery) for next week just to give us something new and different to eat. 

Best thing I've cooked/eaten in my own kitchen this past week? Homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I made them for a friend who had surgery recently, but the recipe (linked here and it's my favorite) makes a lot so we kept a dozen and gave another dozen to a neighbor who also had surgery recently. Hubs left the cookies on their doorstep then texted so they'd know what we'd done because that's how things work in a pandemic. 

4. What's a television show or movie you've seen recently (it could be an oldie) that you really liked?

Hubs and I watched Midway and thought it was really good. We watched Knives Out over the weekend and it was okay. Took a while to get going, but it stars Daniel Craig so there's that. 

5. Share something funny you've seen or heard this week.

The Interenet can be such a nasty place, but right now parents who find themselves suddenly at home all day every day- all night every night are killin' it. I hope they keep their sense of humor because every day I see something that makes me laugh. I was a teacher so especially relate to those memes. Visit @momonmeltdown for more funnies-




6. Insert your own random thought here.

I love listening to Claire Crosby sing with her dad. About three years ago one of their videos went viral so they're pretty well known now. This one is particularly timely. Stay well everyone! 





31 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing the BEAUTIFUL photos of your grandsons, and thank you for the Hodgepodge questions.

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  2. Oh, how fun to be Hodgepodging again!
    Your little grandboys are so handsome.
    No cookies for me. I'm seriously into WW now and have lost 28 pounds!
    Hang in there!

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  3. It really amazes me to see some people taking this COVID-19 so lightly. So thankful for Facetime and Goggle Duo I am able to talk to daughter and see my grandsons. Love the song.

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  4. I can't seem to enter my link. Is there any other way I can submit my post? Can you add it for me? I always get an error message. But I'll try again this afternoon.

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  5. Oh, I’m loving this. I missed the HodgePodge.

    I really liked Knives Out.

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  6. Congratulations on the new grandson! Those grandbabies are just the best gift from heaven, aren't they? :)
    I love all the funny memes I see on Facebook about all the difficult parts of this situation we're all in. Laughter keeps us sane and lightens the mood.
    So glad you brought the Hodgepodge back!

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  7. Thanks for giving us something else to think about right now Joyce. Much appreciated.

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  8. So happy to be Hodgepodging again! Thank you Joyce for bringing it back. Your grandsons are adorable. Glad you can be part of their lives despite the distance. I was a teacher too so enjoy all the memes going around. Loved the music video too! It reminded me of the Getty girls. Keith and Kristyn Getty have been doing family hymn sings live on FB on Tuesday nights. He cowrote "In Christ Alone". They gather their little girls around the piano and sing. It is so precious.

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  9. Your grandsons are so adorable! I don't think I'd survive without Video Chat capabilities. Makes the separation bearable.

    I'm so glad you are doing the HodgePodge again. Thank you!

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  10. Best news of the day... Hodgepodge is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your grandsons are darling, Joyce. Stay healthy!!!

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  11. Glad to see the hodgepodge back, Joyce! Your grandsons are adorable. And I’m already over the meal planning and cooking. Guess I didn’t realize how spoiled we were. ��

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  12. Your grandsons are beautiful and it is such a good thing to be able to do Facetime with them. The time will fly by and they will be back with you soon. I'm cooking for myself and it is somewhat of a challenge. I thought I would eat less and lose a few pounds, but I guess that isn't the case these days. One of the memes said we need to social distance ourselves from the fridge. Oh dear. Thanks for bringing this back, even if only for a short time.

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  13. Hi Joyce,
    Oh those grandsons!!
    I liked your idea about taking cookies to the neighbors and leaving them on the door step. Kind of like May Day Baskets. ;-)
    Love, Carla

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  14. Thank you so much for hosting the Hodgepodge once again, Joyce. It's a nice way for me to ease back into blogging, after being inconsistent the past month.

    Congratulations on your new grandson! I'm so glad you were able to visit when you did, before the travel restrictions went into effect. Yes, the technology of today makes it much easier to live apart from loved ones.

    We like to eat out too, and not doing so right now is hard. Worst of all, our favorite pizza restaurant isn't even doing delivery. They have completely shut down right now. Of course, their pizza seems to be the food I want most to eat!

    That little girl's voice is so beautiful...so angelic.

    Blessings,
    Patti @ Writing to Remember (formerly I blogged at Celebrating Our Days)

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  15. Your grandkids are adorable!! So glad for technology in this trying time!

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  16. Thankful to the Lord for the internet so we can see our grands. You paved the way with your face timing all the way to Korea. A few grandparents of missionaries do it, too, but some of them are being called home. Korea has done very well with the virus so your kids are in the safest place! It's such a treat to have hodgepodge back. Thanks for that song at the end...

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  17. Thanks for hosting. Joyce. congratulations on your new grandson, I too am so thankful for new technology. Oatmeal cookies are a favorite around here too!.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  18. Hola friend! Well, I added my link but had to come back to add a comment because I went for a long walk and had a work meeting, via Zoom. Your grandsons are absolutely adorable! I love seeing photos of them! I just realized that I didn't answer the second part of the cooking question - what's something delicious I've cooked this past week. It would have to be chili. I used the recipe The Best Vegan Chili Ever! by It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. The recipe is on her blog, and it is divine! I haven't been able to find tofu, though, so I made it without the tofu crumbles.

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  19. So nice to connect again!!! Thanks, Joyce!!!

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  20. Thanks so much for reviving the Hodgepodge for this time, Joyce! I enjoyed this week's questions and seeing the photos of the grandboys. Amazing how fast that little one has grown!

    My mother always made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Her signature cookie. She got the recipe from my aunt Joanne and it was HER signature cookie as well. Both ladies are gone now. Recently I asked a cousin to meet up with me at my parents' home. This lady, as a little girl, spent hours there. I wanted to see if there was anything she wanted out of the house (in addition to the things that had her name on them!). She did take a box full of things, and I was so tickled that among them was my mother's recipe box and the old cookie jar. My cousin remembered that it had always been filled with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

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  21. Love the photo of the boys and that video is beautiful. Thank you for a new Hodgepodge!!

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  22. Thank you for doing this again! I'm glad I saw it. I've only been posting Thankful Thursday and am glad to get around to visiting some blog friends again.

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  23. This little girl is incredible!!!

    Thanks for giving us the Hodgepodge again. It's interesting to read how others are coping with COVID-19.

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  24. Thank you so much for resurrecting the Hodgepodge! Your grandsons are so stinkin' cute; I know it must be especially trying having them so far away.

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  25. Darling boys! I love listening to Claire (and her dad) too.

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  26. Your grandson's are so precious and cute. What a blessing. Glad you are staying in. We haven't been out yet but eventually we will need to, or at least Mark will need to make the run. That was nice to leave the cookies for your neighbor. I am pretty sure that James Easter basket will be left on their doorstep. Makes me sad but I just want everyone safe. Midway was great, we had seen it at the show. Mark especially liked it because his dad was a dive bomber. We enjoyed Knives Out. Thank for being back. Take care and stay well.

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  27. Well, this was just such fun and I'm so thrilled you brought it back. Yes, my daughter and DIL could write their own memes about this home schooling business and their both teachers. They say it's a whole new world with their own kiddos.

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  28. Oh those precious little grands...how can they not make your day? It's so nice to have the Hodgepodge back and thank you again for taking this on again. I enjoyed your answers...and yes, living on the lake would put limits on your take out options...same here out in the boonies...LOL! Stay safe and healthy!

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  29. Joyce, I just happened to see Auburnchick's post today, and was thrilled to see that you have brought back The Hodgepodge during this trying time! What a nice distraction! You have brought me out of blog retirement...at least for now :)

    Your "grands" are precious and growing like weeds! My grands are growing up, too. Our youngest is now 6 1/2, and we have a teenager!

    Stay safe! We here in GA are watching the numbers in SC rise each day, along with our own. It's a bit disturbing!
    Kathy (Reflections)

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  30. Well, better late than never. I'm sorry Joyce. I wrote mine on Tuesday and then I went to donate blood for the first time Wednesday and completely forgot. I'll try to do better next week.

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