Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Hodgepodging Is For The Birds

Welcome to another year of random mid-week fun, aka The 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. Happy new year and here we go-

From this Side of the Pond

1. Share one happy moment/memory from the holiday season. 

I recapped our holiday 'month' in a recent post (link is here-Square One) so not sure I have something new to add.  I guess I'll go with the obvious and say having daughter2 and her hubs here with us the week before Christmas. 

2. Let's be reasonable with our expectations going into this new year, k? What is one thing you'd like to accomplish/improve/complete/do in 2022? 

I'm still pondering the new year so am not going to wade in with anything too deep just yet. One thing on my list every year is to go somewhere I've never been, and that's my hope for 2022 as well. 

3. 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 are chosen). Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2022-

wait, what?-no worries-at the end of the day-that being said-asking for a friend-circle back-deep dive-a new normal-you're on mute-supply chain

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add?  

I am not a fan of circle back, deep dive, or new normal (what's old normal anyway?) so those three are my top picks for banishing. I like and use 'no worries' on a pretty regular basis, and have no real plans to quit. 

A word or phrase to add...how about quarantine? 

4. Best thing you ate in the month of December? 

Wow. Now this is a hard question. Hubs and I are members of a local wine club and we hosted the December dinner. We don't cook it, we just work with the chef and the wine vendor to make it happen. We went with a Korean BBQ themed meal, the chef's take on it anyway, paired with some California wines, and it was wonderful. 

In terms of sweets, my daughter made a soft, iced gingerbread cookie this year and it was scrumptious. 

5. January 5th is National Bird Day. Are you a bird lover? What's your favorite bird to see in the wild? Choose a phrase from the list that follows and tell us how it relates to your life currently...eat like a bird, bird's eye view, early bird, bird-brained, free as a bird, or a little bird told me or kill two birds with one stone.

We are big bird lovers here. We can't have a regular bird feeder because somebody won't stand for it....

....but we do have a bluebird house and these beauties are some of my favorites. Hubs whistles as he approaches the house and they come from all directions and flit around him while he fills their bowl. 

We also love the hummingbirds that hang out beside our kitchen window and of course the blue herons that fly overhead and sometimes perch on our dock roof. 

In terms of phrases I'm going with 'eat like a bird'...as in that's the plan rolling in to the new year. Less carbs, more salads.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Does anyone else need about six or seven days to get into the swing of a new year? I am still trying to de-Christmas my house, organize my new calendar, and empty the big desk in the office so it can be moved to make room for the Murphy bed delivery happening tomorrow. For the record, there are many rabbit holes to scurry down when one is emptying a desk, but I have mostly stayed on task. And then yesterday, on a bit of a whim, I signed up for a writing accountability group that starts TODAY! New year, new you...isn't that how the saying goes? 

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18 comments:

  1. The beauty of spending Christmas at someone else's house is that there is no de-Christmas'ing when we get back home. I haven't really decorated in years. Up and down sides to that, needless to say. Hope this is good, easy-going week for you and your desk project.

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  2. I'm a highly organized gal but still have to declutter our home office every January. I have lots for shredding and start making our tax file for 2022. Ugh! I've been reorganizing every drawer and cabinet in our house and am just about through. It's so amazing how stuff accumulates. An enjoyable HP!

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  3. Happy New Year, Joyce! It takes me a bit to get in groove of the new year. I haven't even started taking down Christmas decorations yet but that isn't a big job since we only have a small tree set up. I like seeing the birds in our back yard. We used to keep a feeder but the squirrels ate most of the food making it difficult to keep stocked. I hope to one day keep up with this sort of thing again. It's fun seeing them flock around the feeder. Having a bear close to the house isn't a good idea. My folks has one that noises around their property. My daddy keeps saying he's going bear hunting but he's in no shape to do that anymore. At best, he can pop it from their back porch and if he does then he'd have plenty of help from the great grandsons who live nearby. :) Thanks for hosting the mid-week fun. I pray 2022 is good to you and yours, my friend!

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  4. The birds are so pretty. I can certainly understand not having a bird feeder. Yep, less carbs for us too! Yes I definitely need more time to pack up Christmas. You should be perfect for that writing accountability group. Enjoyed reading you answers.

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  5. Sounds like there will be room for more overnight guests at your home soon. Hopefully we'll be able to see that Murphy bed in the future. Quarantine is a great word to banish. I read that question wrong to begin with...oye. Old brain at work. Your wine club with meals sounds like fun! Happy New Year to you and yours!

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  6. Thanks for continuing to host the Hodgepodge Joyce and Happy New Year to you. Those bluebirds are so pretty. I thought I'd de-Christmased my house yesterday only to spot a couple of things I'd overlooked today. And yes I'm still finding my way into the new year.

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  7. I also referenced your blue bird house in my post today. Although with less excitement lol. Quarantine is a good word to be rid of, I would definitely like to see that one gone. So many people have writing/blogging related goals for the year, I have one too!

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  8. I love watching the birds when I am outside. We’ve had some hawks hanging around a lot lately.

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  9. Yes, it definitely takes me some time to transition into the new year. Today is my first day in the house alone once my husband went back to work and the kids, school. And it has been tough for me to wrap my brain around the normal routine.

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  10. Hi,
    Our chickadee's come to us when we refill our feeders. :-)
    It takes me awhile to transition into the New Year too. Have you forgot to write 2022 yet? I just about did, but caught myself just in time.

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  11. I love that bluebird house! And the fact that the birds come when your husband calls them. Wow! Our desk needs to be cleaned out but it's just too big of a task right now. I hope yours continues to go well. I like the idea of trying to go someplace new every year. Hmmm, now you've got me thinking! :)

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  12. Happy new year and thank you for this week's Hodgepodge! I realized just today that I don't have a 2022 calendar in the house! How does that happen when we usually throw a few away? I have everything on my computer/phone but no pretty pictures on a calendar to hang on the wall (kitchen & den). It always takes a week or so to really get into it being a new year. You are busy already!! Wishing you many blessings! xo

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  13. With all of the places you've been, I'd say you have to pick some pretty exotic places to visit! :) Happy New Year!

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  14. Murphy beds are wonderful! There is one in the apartment where we usually stay when visiting family in Nevada. It's great to be able to fold that back up and the entire room looks instantly neater.

    It always takes me some time to transition into the New Year as well. Today I feel a bit more as if I'm getting a handle on it.

    My mother loved bluebirds and always had bluebird houses around. I picked pileated woodpeckers and barred owls for my favorites to see in the wild, though.

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  15. There is a bear in your yard - eek!

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  16. Sounds like you are off and running in this new year, like you, I take the first week to contemplate and plan while starting. I am yet to by my 2022 calendar,Thank you for hosting.
    Sue

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  17. Gosh, if we had beautiful birds like you do, I would be more a bird lover. We have a lot of buzzards in the desert!! Ha!!
    The soft gingerbread cookie sounds scrumptious. In El Paso and across the border in Mexico, many of the bakeries make a very crunchy gingerbread cookie, I guess like a ginger snap, but very dense and thick. I like it but would rather have a soft cookie anyday.
    Traveling somewhere you haven't been sounds like an excellent resolution or plan for the year. I want to go anywhere that I don't have to take care of someone...just for a day or two, Please???
    Happy New Year, friend!!

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  18. Hi, Miss Joyce.

    Even though I have a two week break at Christmas, I do try to have fun and relax, instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I use the first few weeks of January to get geared up for the new year. I'm still working on my goals, decluttering, and now that I'm an adjunct, prepping for the new semester. So, I think you're right on schedule. :)

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