Wednesday, January 29, 2025

A Juicy Hodgepodge

Actually it's not that juicy but I needed a title. Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. So glad you've decided to join the fun here today. Add your link at the end of my post, and be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you. That's what good neighbors do. Here we go-

From this Side of the Pond
1. What was your after school routine like when you were a kid? 

If we're talking about elementary school then life was simple. We walked home with our friends, my mom would give us a snack and we'd chat about our day, and then I think we mostly played, rode bikes, that sort of thing until dinner. 

I don't think we had a lot of homework in elementary school, at least not the early years. I do remember a lot of homework in sixth grade, which was still part of elementary school where I grew up. My mom worked part time as a librarian when we got a little older, but I think it was only on Tuesdays we let ourselves in. I had my younger sister with me so wasn't alone, and it wasn't for long. 


There weren't a ton of activities. That's me on the left and my younger sister on the right. Is she holding my hand or is she trying to place herself in front of me in the photo. You decide lol. I was a brownie and girl scout and took ballet but other than that life revolved mostly around the kids in the neighborhood (of which there were many), activities and church, and lots of imaginative play both indoors and out. 

When I was 13 I started babysitting for an hour or two right after school for the little girl across the street. Her dad got home sometime between 4 and 5, but her mom was a nurse and left for her shift around 3, so it was an easy job. Plus the people were great to me and the little girl was a sweetheart. 

2. January 26 is National Green Juice Day ( I guess it's true everything really does have it's day). Do you juice, as in make your own in an attempt to get healthy? Do you do the green juices? What's your favorite kind of juice (home blended or store bought, either one)? 

I don't juice and we don't have a juice bar in our town. It feels like a lot of fuss to do at home. I like juice but haven't really investigated the green varieties. My favorite  is cranberry. 

3. What's something trivial about which you have a strong opinion? 

How my groceries are bagged. Hubs gets annoyed at how over the top I am when I put the items on the belt, but I know some of the baggers load them as they come, and I do my best to prevent nonsense from happening. Put all the cold items with the cold items. Don't put milk and ten cans of something in a single flimsy bag. f

And yes, I know this is an absolute first world problem. I will say my daughter was shocked at the total when we checked out on Sunday. 

4. What do you need more of in your life? Less of? 

More of? Jesus

Less of? Dust and dog hair. Not very deep I know, but keeping it real. I've been off my game for the past week, have a houseful of people, and hubs (chief vacuum-er here) has been away so ugh. The floors need attention. 

5. Give us three adjectives to describe your January.

cold (original, right?), reset (mostly used as a verb I know, but it fits my January), and mellifluous (your word of the day)

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Fire + water for a January win...


Happy Wednesday everyone! 

24 comments:

  1. Life was simple when we were at school. I loved after school time. I always wanted to be in the Brownies but there was no group near where we lived.
    Ahh! I feel the same about juicing, it does sound like a lot of fuss to do at home. I would go for less dust too, I feel like I am forever cleaning!

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  2. That's a good one about groceries and how they're bagged. I am like you with the cold items- they go TOGETHER!! An additional reason to like Aldi stores is that you bag your own. It's jarring on the one hand (I have to pay for groceries and bag them myself?) yet the sweet freedom to put items where you want in bags is so nice! Have a good day!

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  3. Ha.. I am the same way at the grocery store. I did not write about it today, I said cracking knuckles... which drives me crazy. ;-)
    Love the fire and water photo.
    And I love the elementary school day memories.

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  4. Greg made the mistake of wearing his black wool coat inside our Colville kids' home and it's been a bear to remove all the dog hair from it, a golden retriever. I like groceries to be packed well and a lot of times you'll catch me at the back of our car repacking! :) Love the brownies photo of you and your sister and that outdoor fire looks so inviting with the bonus of that lake!

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  5. I do the same thing -- at the grocery, that is. Tom just shakes his head at what he calls my "grocery games" but that sort of thing's important. To me, anyway.
    Thanks for another fun Hodgepodge!

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  6. I also put my groceries in a certain order and hope they bag them the way I want. I know people complain about self checkout but that's how I avoid this problem entirely. It's also faster and I have a tendency to be in a hurry.

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  7. Sounds like a nice routine after school. I was just a block away so it was an easy walk and the school went through 8th grade. Yes, cranberry juice is very good. I'm with you on that, I like to bag my groceries too. More of Jesus is a good choice. Fire and water is perfect. Have a great day with the family.

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  8. I agree with you about the bagging of groceries, even though that wasn't my answer! I put heavy stuff on the conveyor belt first and I save bread, chips, fruit, fresh veggies for the last. I only want raw meat in a bag with other raw meat. Why in the world would someone put a package of raw chicken and apples, etc. in the same bag??

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  9. Amen on Jesus!
    when I first read the HP question I draw a blank - then I read others and it opens up my mind. Oh well.

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  10. Just here for all the comments on grocery bagging. Recyclable bags are more common here in Waco than the plastic bags.

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  11. We don't have any juice bars around either but I have never had a desire to try green juice. I like cranberry too; especially mixed with a bit of orange juice. It's my going out for breakfast splurge (though not all places can make it if they don't have those juices on tap). I am the same way with my groceries!

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  12. I like cranberry juice too. Never tried green juicing, though my daughter's family has a Vitamix and was completely into green smoothies for awhile.

    What cute little Brownies in that first photo. I don't remember a lot of homework before 6th grade either and for me, even in 6th grade it was projects and reports mostly.

    Thanks for hodgepodging even in the midst of a busy and challenging time. Glad you are all feeling a bit better!

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  13. Nice fire picture!
    I try to sort my groceries when I put them on the belt. When I go to Aldi it makes me nervous because they scan so fast. I feel like I'm in a race with them to put everything out quickly enough for them. I like it when my son goes with me so we can work together to get the groceries out of the cart.

    I like the questions coming out on Sunday!

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  14. Had to laugh at the packing of groceries - here very few supermarkets have packers and many now have more self-service checkouts than those with staff. We also have to provide our own bags or pay for them.

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  15. You should see my trunk when I have done my shopping, I throw everything in it and close it. At home I "throw" all the stuff on the kitchen table and then sort everything out. I also talk about primary school, only my playground was different then yours, we played in ruins and rubble and had a lot of fun. We didn't realize in what we were playing !

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  16. I like to unload my groceries on the conveyor belt with like items groups together, but I have help with the unloading and the helper just unloads. I have chosen to just be quiet.

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  17. I don't remember ever having homework in elementary school either. I also like to carefully group my items on the grocery conveyor belt. Do you remember bagging your own groceries in England? By the way, thanks for the tip on Octordle...my husband and I are hooked!

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  18. I love that Brownie picture of you and your sister. I was in the Brownie's so I immediately recognized that outfit.

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  19. I was a Brownie and in the Girl Scouts. I feel your pain with grocery bagging. What a peaceful random photo.

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  20. I am particular about how my groceries are bagged too, so I put them on the belt in the order I want them bagged, grouping like items together. And guess what, it's really easy when I get them home, especially if I'm in a rush. I can quickly put all the frozen and refrigerated things away, and leave the other things until dinner is in the oven or whatever. First world problems have first world solutions! LOL I adore your Fire + Water photo to close - what a perfect setup! Thanks for hosting!

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  21. I am with you concerning how useless some people are at bagging someone's shopping, I get my grocery's delivered and I will never understand what whoever is bagging it is thinking

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  22. I'm with you on the less dirt and dust, our border collie sheds so much hair I don't know how she still has any on her body! We have a cat too but he doesn't add to much dander to the situation just muddy paw prints.
    I love the word mellifluous it's such a satisfying word to say.

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  23. Oh my goodness....do not get me started on the lack of training for packing groceries. I assume it is lack of training. Maybe no common sense or just an "I don't care" attitude but there is definitely a right way to pack the bags!! Great answer. And yes to less dog hair....lol!!

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  24. Loved your answers and the view from your firepit. How cozy!! I was never in girl scouts or any of those things. Not sure why. My sister was though.

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