Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Hodgepodge Madness

Welcome to this week's edition of 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. Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond
1.What do you love about your life right now? 

Grandchildren. I'm a broken record I know. 

2. March 26th is National Spinach Day...are you a fan? If so, how do you like yours prepared/served? 

I couldn't stand spinach as a child, but I love it now. I like a spinach salad, but also love it sauteed and topped with a splash of apple cider vinegar. 

3. In this current season would you say you need to spend more time looking inward or that you need to get out of your head? Tell us why. 

Normally I'm way too much in my head, but life has been spinning wildly since November of last year, and I still feel like I need to sit down and regroup for 2024. 

4. Are you following the 'March Madness' madness? (That's US college basketball in case you're out of the loop) What's something that feels like actual madness to you right now? 

We enjoy following March Madness in our house. We make brackets and create a family group where we see who has the most points, no money involved, just bragging rights for the winner. We're big Tennessee fans and they're still in it, so that's been fun plus super nerve-wracking to watch. 

What feels like actual madness to me right now? Hmmm....so hard to choose but I guess the chaos at the border, really the actual lack of borders (hence the very definition of a country) would rank right up there. I don't really understand why it's controversial or cruel to know who's entering our country or to expect people to follow the law. 

I  feel like I ranted about this in another post recently, but it continues to be maddening. 

5. How will you celebrate the Easter/Passover holiday this year? 

A couple of years ago some neighbors who also attend our church, invited us (and three other couples) to have Easter lunch with them. We all have grown kids who live away, and who won't be in town for the holiday, so this makes the day still feel warm and cozy. 

Everyone brings a dish or two to add to the meal so it's not an excessive amount of work for the host. Last year one of the other couples in the group offered their home, so this year we offered ours. We'll all go to church, then lunch here afterwards. I'm sure it will be a great afternoon. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

I mentioned in a recent Hodgepodge ('cuz that's all I manage to get on the blog lately) that I had some canvases made for a wall in my office that was in need of a bit of zhuzzing. I use the company Canvaspop, which I've been very pleased with. I'm sure I'll change these out periodically, but for now here's my wall of happy-


Wishing you all the blessings of Easter!

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Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 544

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.  See you there! 

1.What do you love about your life right now? 

2. March 26th is National Spinach Day...are you a fan? If so, how do you like yours prepared/served? 

3. In this current season would you say you need to spend more time looking inward or that you need to get out of your head? Tell us why. 

4. Are you following the 'March Madness' madness? (That's US college basketball in case you're out of the loop) What's something that feels like actual madness to you right now? 

5. How will you celebrate the Easter/Passover holiday this year? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

The Hodgepodge Springs To Mind

Happy Spring, and welcome to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post, then hop over and leave a comment for your neighbor there. Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond
1. Spring is officially upon us, no matter what the weather may be in your neck of the woods. Is there any 'spring cleaning' on your to-do list? What's your most dreaded task? 

Absolutely. We've had people coming and going (including us) since Thanksgiving, and the house is definitely in need of a thorough cleaning, spring or otherwise. I'm working my way through a few small tasks like emptying and reorganizing the pantry and sorting and wiping out all the kitchen drawers, but we have miles to go. We'll get it done in pieces because that's how we roll. 

My most dreaded task? I'd say the windows but we'll either hire out or hubs will tackle that job himself. Every bit of woodwork needs wiping down and that's a back breaker so I'm going to say the woodwork. 

2. What's something many people seem to love, but to you feels like 'watching the grass grow'? 

Animated television programming for adults (Family Guy, South Park, The Simpsons, etc)

3. Mint grows in abundance during the spring season. Are you a fan? What's your favorite food with a 'minty' flavor? 

Mint is not a flavor I seek out, and I like it only in small doses and only in certain food and drink. My favorite? A Pimms cup on a warm summer day. 

4. It's been said, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Agree or disagree? Explain. 

It might be true. The opposite might also be true. It really depends on the relationship. A strong, solid relationship can survive distance and even grow during time spent apart. If the relationship is struggling though, distance is likely not going to help things improve. 

5. Are there any festive spring events in your city or town? If so, will you take advantage of them? 

There's live music on a downtown street that runs spring-early autumn in our little town. That kicks off next week and we may check it out. The botanical garden at the nearby university has a plant sale in the spring and I'd like to make a stop there. There's college baseball and we enjoy going to games so hopefully can make that happen this year. A few towns near to us have 'Spring Flings' but we don't have any plans to attend. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Remember when I used to blog? Ha! I'm thinking about jumping in to the April A-Z challenge this year, although that's as far as I've gotten in terms of 'planning'. It's been a good way in years past, to kick start my sleepy blog, so here's hoping that holds true this year too. 

Sign ups open on March 25th. If you participate let me know and I'll look for you there. 

You'll find the A-Z challenge FAQ page in the link here

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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 543

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then spring back here to share answers with your peeps. See you there! 

1. Spring is officially upon us, no matter what the weather may be in your neck of the woods. Is there any 'spring cleaning' on your to-do list? What's your most dreaded task? 

2. What's something many people seem to love, but to you feels like 'watching the grass grow'? 

3. Mint grows in abundance during the spring season. Are you a fan? What's your favorite food with a 'minty' flavor? 

4. It's been said, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Agree or disagree? Explain. 

5. Are there any festive spring events in your city or town? If so, will you take advantage of them? 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Home Is Where The Hodgepodge Is

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

From this Side of the Pond
1. Thursday is National Pi Day...are you good at math? What was the last thing you had to calculate? Did you use your head or technology? Last slice of pie you ate? 

I'm not bad at math, but I'm much better with words than numbers. The last thing I had to calculate was probably related to our tax organizer. I used my head for some of it and a calculator for the rest. 

As far as the last slice of pie I ate? I made an angel pie to take to my neighbors when we had dinner there recently. It was heavenly. 

2. What makes a house a home? 

The people I love are in it. 

3. Your current favorite green thing? 

I'm going with spring, in spite of the pollen that blows in with it! The leaves beginning to turn, the grass starting to green up, lots of leafy green bulbs popping up out of the brown earth, these are all things that lift my spirits. February tends to be gray and rainy in our neck of the woods so signs of spring are very welcome. 

4. How do you define achievement? How does your personal definition look similar to, or different than, society's definition? What's something you think is worth achieving in life? 

I guess I would define achievement as doing something successfully, and I think the world's definition is probably similar. Where we differ is in what that 'something' is, in defining the value of 'something'.  

I think raising a family is a worthwhile achievement. 

5. What song is a good soundtrack for your life right now? 

This one-Blessed by Martina McBride 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My mother-in-law celebrated her birthday on Monday, so hubs and I drove over to TN on Saturday to spend the weekend with her. We had a fun dinner out on Saturday night, then drove her to daughter2's house on Sunday to meet her newest great-granddaughter. 


These generational pictures are so very special. 

And this little punkin' grows more precious by the minute. Happy Wednesday everyone! 

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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 542

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. Thursday is National Pi Day...are you good at math? What was the last thing you had to calculate? Did you use your head or technology? Last slice of pie you ate? 

2. What makes a house a home? 

3. Your current favorite green thing? 

4. How do you define achievement? How does your personal definition look similar to, or different than, society's definition? What's something you think is worth achieving in life? 

5. What song is a good soundtrack for your life right now? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Friday, March 8, 2024

C'est La Vie

I wanted to blog this afternoon, but when I got home I accidentally on purpose turned on my Audible app so I could finish listening to my current read, Demon Copperhead, and holy cow! This book! Who has read it? Barbara Kingsolver's writing is superb. 

Also, that whole first paragraph was written yesterday, but whatever. Trying again today. Friday. TGIF. 

It's gray and rainy-ish here and we've had a busy morning, running errands, getting the dog a much needed and overdue trim, returning some clothes hubs ordered, making a drug store pick up, and then grabbing a few groceries I need for a dish I'm making tomorrow that I forgot to grab yesterday when I was in the very same grocery store. C'est la vie. 

Or at least c'est la vie when you're moi. 

Speaking of life, we've been livin' it, but not blogging about it. February is often that way. Actually 2024 so far has been that way, and when I look at our calendar I don't see things slowing down anytime soon. To bring us up to speed here I think I'm going to look at my phone pics and try to remember what we did last month. This month? Since last I truly blogged. 

Daffodils bloomed. 

They have a short sweet life so it seems worth mentioning. 

Hubs and I had a fun night out in the nearby small big city a couple of weeks ago. We had a fantastic dinner at one of our favorite eateries then spent the evening with David Foster and Katherine McPhee in a cozy venue which was so much fun. 

I don't know if you remember Katherine McPhee but she was a finalist on one of the earliest seasons of American Idol and she's adorable. She has an incredible voice and is now married to the producer David Foster who is her senior by several decades. So much talent between them. He's quite the charmer (she's his fifth wife) and he definitely knows it, but seeing him in a venue like this, where they combined music and conversation, you could see the charm. It was a really entertaining evening and we enjoyed it a lot. 

We've been tackling a few small projects around the house, mostly getting people here to tell us how much it will cost to do this or that, and just gonna say it's all a lot. No such thing as a truly small projet it seems.

C'est la vie. 

We need a dead tree removed which is one of my least favorite but most necessary things to spend money on. And as long as they're here taking out a dead tree we'll have them limb up some of the tall trees that need limbing up. That's what you do at the lake. Limb up to better see the water, while still having some nice tall trees for shade.

The boat guys (they likely have a title but are the 'boat guys' to me) finally came and got the boat today for a minor repair and oil change. Minor being a relative term of course, ahem. We have a little scratch that needs to be un-scratched and the time is right because summer is coming. Can you believe it??? 

I guess technically spring is up next, but summer's racing in too. We've been on the boat guys books for the past three weeks but every time they get us scheduled the skies open up and we have to re-schedule. They made it out today, but just barely. 

I've been wanting to add some wallpaper to one of the lower level bathrooms and when I pulled out the sample I ordered two years ago it didn't grab me like it did back then. 

I know!! Two years!! 

In my defense a lot of life has happened here in the past two years (three babies for starters), so some of our more minor 'want-to-do' projects were moved down a notch or two on the ever growing, never-ending 'still -to-do' list. 

C'est la vie. 

On the bright side, maybe I would have tired of that pattern if I'd gone ahead with it? I've ordered a completely different sample and am happier with the look. Now to hire someone to do the actual hanging because that is not my gift. I've actually gotten a couple of recommendations so hopefully this project gets done before I change my mind again. 

I've recently had several canvases made for the wall in my office that's been crying out for something to be hung there ever since we added the shiplap. Which was probably also a couple of years ago. 

C'est la vie. 

Just waiting on delivery of the last two canvases, which should be next week. Then hubs will get out his tape measure and his level and will rattle my nerves with his need for precisely precise precision, but he will get them hung. Perfectly. 

What else? We've played cards with the neighbors, celebrated a friend's birthday,  listened to live music in the local pub, I've bought birthday presents and Easter treats, mailed packages, selected and signed a lot of cards (a lot!!), cleaned out my pantry (the real deal... as in emptied it all out, wiped it all down, tossed the stale crackers, and started fresh). I made a big Costco run (is there any other kind?), had my yearly skin check at the dermatologist, face-timed, volunteered, mah jong-ed, bible studied, and I don't know what else. 

Things. Stuff. Details. 

We went and did and read and watched and talked and planned and helped and played and prayed and slept and ate and laughed and loved. 

C'est la vie.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

A Saucy Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of 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. Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond
1. Has March come in like a lion where you live? If not a lion then what animal would you use to describe the weather in your area this first week of March? Does the weather affect your emotions? When did you last feel 'under the weather'? 

Definitely not a lion. We've had a fair amount of rain, but also some really nice spring like weather so maybe more of a house cat than a lion. 

Does the weather affect my emotions? Maybe a little, but I can get on board with a drizzly rainy day now and then every bit as much as a bright blue sky day. Too many gray sky days in a row can be a mood-dampener, but there's no such thing as too much sunshine. 

Hubs and I were both under the weather in early December. We are rolling in to pollen season here now (ugh! does that count as weather, because if so then that is definitely a downer for me!) and I will suffer with the effects of that for the next couple of months. Not exactly 'under the weather' but pollen hits me hard and the meds make me sleepy. 

2. Do you know what your name means? Does the meaning of your name fit with your personality? Do you like your name? If you have children did you consider the meaning of their names before choosing them? 

My name more or less gives away its meaning and yes I think it fits with who I am. I don't have strong feelings one way or the other about it. I mean you grow up with a name and it's part of who you are and you just kind of accept it, right? I never wanted another name. 

As far as our children's names, we picked names we liked. My younger daughter has family names and that was deliberate. I did look at the meaning of their names, but that wasn't the deciding factor in our choices. 

3. It's National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce? Last thing you ate that used a sauce? 

I'm not a big sauce person and don't like anything swimming in sauce. My favorite? How 'bout hot fudge lol? I guess the last thing I ate that had sauce would be spaghetti. 

4. Something you've seen, tasted, done lately that you'd describe as 'awesome sauce'? 

I made this salad recently and might describe it as 'awesome sauce'.  

Honestly I wouldn't because that's not an expression I use, but it was super delish and felt really healthy too. It's a slaw like composition more so than what I think of as a salad and I got the recipe from a reel I watched on Insta. The chef said make as is before you turn your nose up at any of the ingredients and start switching things out thinking you won't like this or that. 

I'm not at all picky, but am a little cautious when using fennel because it can be too strong. In this salad it was yummy, and hubs liked it too so win-win. The recipe said the serano chilies were optional but I added them and loved the bit of heat they added. The recipe is linked here-Sivan's Kitchen

5. What kinds of things do you love to collect? 

recipes, dishes, words and phrases, memories... 

My girls and I buy each other hedgehog 'stuff' now and then, but I wouldn't I say I collect it.  I only love it because it's from them and that's a thing we do. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Only three years overdue, but finally framed a wedding picture from Daughter2's big day. I wanted the frame to coordinate with another frame I already have on the wall from Daughter1's big day, and finding that took some doing. When I started looking a couple of years ago everything was very bright gold and I needed a softer tone. I set the print aside thinking I'd get back to it 'someday' and turns out that someday is today. 

If you wait long enough trends will change and I'm so happy with the end result. 

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Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 541

Here are the questions for 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. Has March come in like a lion where you live? If not a lion then what animal would you use to describe the weather in your area this first week of March? Does the weather affect your emotions? When did you last feel 'under the weather'? 

2. Do you know what your name means? Does the meaning of your name fit with your personality? Do you like your name? If you have children did you consider the meaning of their names before choosing them? 

3. It's National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce? Last thing you ate that used a sauce? 

4. Something you've seen, tasted, done lately that you'd describe as 'awesome sauce'? 

5. What kinds of things do you love to collect? 

6. Insert your own random thought here.