Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Wandering Through The Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link to the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond

1. What's something bizarre you've seen or heard recently? 

Oh wow, where to begin? How about men 'chestfeeding'??? A man winning the Miss Netherlands title? The list is long.

2. July 18th is National Sour Candy Day. Who knew? Do you like sour candies or other foods with 'sour' flavors? Kimchi, rhubarb, gooseberries, tamarind, dill pickles, sour cherries, sauerkraut, cranberries, and  grapefruit...of the sour foods listed which is your favorite? 

I love sour candies, and actually all the sour foods (that I've tried) on this list. I don't think I've ever had a gooseberry. Hard to pick a favorite, but a good dill pickle ranks right up there.

3. Share a favorite memory of an aunt or uncle. 

My extended family included lots of aunts and uncles, but I didn't grow up living geographically close to any of them. We used to visit my dad's parents and his brothers and their families in Colorado. Whenever we made one of these trips we always made a trek into the mountains with everyone. We'd cook a big breakfast beside a stream and have some fun with our cousins. 

Another favorite memory I have is with my mom's only sister. She lived a long way from us too, but she and I became pen pals after one of her visits and we wrote a lot of letters to one another for many years. 

4. How would you describe your ability to manage stress? 

Pretty well I think. Depends on the day and of course what sort of stress we're talking about. I might have a moment of panic, but I don't stay there. I pretty quickly fall back on my faith, remind myself God is good and in control of this upside down world. That nothing surprises Him and He cares about the smallest details of my life. That He works all things for His glory and my good. Resting in His unfailing love is the best stress buster I know. 

5. What do you think about when you let your mind wander? 

I could make a list of about a hundred different things because I'm a daydreamer and sometimes an over thinker, but I'll spare you and just say generally it's one of two things-the never ending list of things we need or want to do to this house, and also 'how we want to live going forward'. 

We love our home, but it is a lot of work in terms of maintenance and upkeep so not sure we'll stay here forever and ever. No plans to go anywhere anytime soon, but it's good to dream and plan and think about what we want/don't want someday down the road. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I have a short list of random nothings that I think I'll turn into a something. I want to get back to blogging and random is my wheelhouse. Stay tuned.  

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21 comments:

  1. That is fun about being pen pals with your aunt!

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  2. Such a great answer to "mind wandering." What on earth do folks do without the Lord? I can't even imagine. Happy rest of the week Joyce!

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  3. How sweet to be pen pals with your aunt! Love that. Amen to your stress buster! I can imagine the work involved in your lake home. Even our one story bungalow with close to 5 acres of land will be unmanageable for us sooner than later especially is the Lord takes one of us home before the other. Thank you for the hodgepodge that I generally overthink and over answer. :)

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  4. OH MY!!! I had no idea about your answer to #1. I rarely watch/listen to the news; it is too depressing and I don't know what/who to believe. I had no idea...kinda made me sick to my stomach. Families did so many fun trips and a picnic seemed to be involved...miss those days.

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  5. Yeah, all the "confusion" over what men and women can and can't do is mind-boggling and insanely stupid. I agree!

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  6. Good questions Joyce and I enjoyed reading your answers. I often think about our future and maybe someday selling our home and buying a condo.

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  7. Oh my to your answer for #1!!! I haven't had a gooseberry either. The big breakfast next to the stream with your cousins sounds like a fun time. I'm glad you are able to take control of stressful times. I'm glad you have your place. It sounds and looks so perfect but I do understand the maintenance. Hopefully you can continue living there for a long time.

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  8. So much bizarreness (is that a word? Bizarrity?) these days.

    It's good to look back on wholesome family times like cooking breakfast beside a Colorado stream and being pen pals with your aunt. (As you saw on my post, I often swapped recipes with my aunts!) We all need to keep things like that going -- a good resistance against all the bizarre stuff.

    Loved your answer to the stress question. Perfect -- literally, the only answer.

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  9. I so used to love visiting Colorado! I can sure identify with the care and keeping of a brick-and-mortar place. Tom used to be able to 'manhandle' plumbing and other concerns, but his health now means hiring ($$$) professionals. One day at a time!

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  10. Oops! I think Blogger just ate my comment.
    Love Colorado ('Rocky Mountain High'), and I can sure emphasize with y'all about the cost to maintain a home. (You guys are a long ways from old age, but we're feeling it.)

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  11. I am not a fan of sour things- though I do like cranberry from that list. My father had one sister and my mom had one brother and one sister but the only one I really remember seeing very consistently is my mother's sister. We still go visit her in North Carolina and have brought our boys a few times. Her and I have a lot in common so we always get along well.

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  12. I respectfully disagree with you about #1 (the trans woman being Miss Netherlands). I mean I've heard that the one who came second was prettier so in this sense it might've been a propaganda stunt to prove how progressive we are (which, truthfully, we aren't). Won't go into further detail as I know you and most of the HodgePodge'ers are conservative Christians and I probably won't be able to convince you that trans women are real women too.

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    1. I appreciate respectful disagreement and your tone in the comment. We come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. We're a Hodgepodge : )

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  13. Great answers...being a penpal with an aunt sounds fun...so does random blog posts... :)

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  14. Hi Joyce,
    I was not able to join in today, but stopped in to say Hi. I thought of you this morning when I heard about the soldier who crossed the DMZ. And it fits right with your question #1. ;-) Bizarre!!! Stupid!!!

    I remember your family was deployed to South Korea.

    Our Sam and the 157th should be coming home to the states soon. Thank you for the continued prayers.
    Carla

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  15. I watch a lot of YouTube so I see a lot of bizarre things like the whole WOKE thing.

    I have never liked sour lollies or any form of sour foods

    My favourite Aunt had a thing about a tidy house and if you were playing with something on the floor and get and go to the toilet she would pack everything away, very frustrating.

    I don't handle stress well at all

    When my mind wanders it is to things like why is it so hard to get motivated to do things like clean the fridge or stove.

    Why do I have a bunion when I rarely wear shoes I have never liked sour lollies or any form of sour foods

    My favourite Aunt had a thing about a tidy house and if you were playing with something on the floor and get and go to the toilet she would pack everything away, very frustrating.

    I don't handle stress well at all

    When my mind wanders it is to things like why is it so hard to get motivated to do things like clean the fridge or stove.

    Why do I have a bunion when I rarely wear shoes

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  16. Thank you for a very fun Hodgepodge!! I love having my gr-gr-niece as a pen pal. She is only five and her mom writes what she dictates but I really hope our correspondence will progress through her growing-up years. I was so blessed to have my cousins in my life as we all grew up. Very special memories for me. I enjoy your posts, Joyce, and look forward to seeing you here more often!! xo

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  17. Fortunately I didn't regret to move out of our house after 45 years. Material things are not important to me.

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  18. Chest-feeding is about the most ridiculous thing I've heard. What will they think of next? Oh, along that line, they are calling mothers milk now, "Human milk."

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  19. The things you listed in #1 are among the bizarrely wrong things going on in the world. We live in some very strange times! Your memories with aunts and uncles are great - how fun to be a penpal with your aunt! I had around twenty aunts and uncles on my dad's side, but was close with only one or two sets of them, was always close with all three of my aunts on my mom's side though.

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  20. I'm so glad you didn't mind me disagreeing with you. I used to be a Christian too but one of the things that drove me away is the lack of support for LGBTQ+ individuals in mainstream Christianity (which, indeed, is Biblically correct). I am glad I am still welcome to participate in the Hodgepodge, even though truthfully I'm not sure I feel comfortable with it anymore. It isn't that either of us is wrong (well, I feel your opinion on this issue is wrong but that doesn't make you wrong as a person, if you get what I mean), but I guess this community just isn't for me anymore.

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