Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Home Sweet Hodgepodge

Hi Peeps! 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. Spring has officially sprung (in the northern hemisphere anyway)...did she roll in more like a lion or more like a lamb in your neck of the woods? What needs more of your attention in terms of a good spring clean this year-your house or your garden/yard? 

More like a lamb. A lamb who rolled around in the grass and is now completely covered in yellow pollen. Hubs took the blower to the grill deck this morning to get rid of some of the pollen and I snapped this picture just a few hours later...


The struggle is real y'all. 

As far as what needs the most attention I'm going to say the house. Without question. Normally it's just the hubs and I living here, and hubs is neat as a pin so the house is almost always tidy and dusted. We've had our daughter, son-in-law, and their three littles living with us since mid-January so there's more 'stuff' out than there normally would be. We pick up regularly and embrace the chaos. 

Mostly. Sometimes hubs looks around and twitches a little lol. 

2. What's put a spring in your step lately? 

We're very excited for the new home my daughter and her hubs are in the process of purchasing. I'm not saying too much about it now, because nothing in real estate is a done deal until the keys are handed over and of course the money too.  So far the process has been smooth, and everyone is eager to settle in. 

3. When you were a kid, what was the best snack to find in your lunchbox? If you didn't do the lunchbox thing, tell us what was your favorite after school snack. 

We walked home for lunch when I was in elementary school so no lunchboxes during those early years. My mom always had lunch waiting for us though, and I would be most excited to find she'd made egg salad sandwiches which are still one of my favorites. 

I took lunch to school in a brown bag in junior high and sometimes high school, and my favorite treat to find there would be a Drake's Ring Ding. Does anyone remember those? Do they still make them? The cake-cream-icing proportion was exactly right. 

And yes, they do still make them (I had to check). I wonder if they taste the same? 

4. In what area of your life are you planting seeds? 

I think if you're a parent you're always planting seeds, no matter your child's age. Grandparenting is also an opportunity to plant seeds and I hope I'm a good gardener. Kindness, fun, a gentle tone, time to spend, lots of prayer. 

5. Why do you live where you do? Would you consider living somewhere else? Why or why not? 

our lake lot pre-build, 2015

We live here on purpose. Some people end up retiring or living in the place they last worked, but our last work assignment was North Jersey, and we knew we needed to get away from the crazy taxes and the equally crazy winters. 

clearing brambles from the newly purchased lot-2015

moving dirt, October 2015

We chose this lake and this lot specifically, and then retired and built our home here. 

From the earliest days of our marriage we agreed that someday we'd live on a lake. 

dock construction October 2015

dock in place-October, 2015...way before the house was completed 

Hubs grew up on lakes and I'm all about a great view so we were totally simpatico in that department. My daughters both went to uni in the nearby town, which is how we discovered this little bit of paradise. 

home sweet home

It used to be something of a well kept secret, but word's out now so it's busier than when we arrived in 2015. Still beautiful though! 

Would I consider living somewhere else? I guess. I mean never say never. I imagine someday we'll move into something that requires less maintenance, but we'd probably stay nearby. Particularly now that we have a daughter and some of our grandchildren living in our same town. Our other daughter and grands are just a three hour drive from here, so this area makes sense. 

Plus it's beautiful. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

There are four Hodgepodges (counting today) between now and Easter so I think I'll post some throwback pics in my random space every Wednesday between now and then. 

Cheers to spring when little girls wore brand new coats that were a smidge too big or maybe just oversized on purpose? (hey, it was the 90's) and also completely precious...


Happy Wednesday and happy spring everyone! 

19 comments:

  1. Great throwback pictures! That's neat that you both kinda knew where you wanted to end up. My husband and I have a "dream" location but we aren't beholden to it- it's just something fun to think and talk about. Regarding the pollen, people's allergies are terrible here in the spring (I read somewhere that our area is in the top ten for terrible spring allergies in the US) yet I'm pretty sure that pollen itself isn't visible here. That's exciting about your daughter's house. I hope that everything continues to go smoothly!

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  2. Ugh for pollen. We don't have it yet! It's actually cold again here in the 50s - well that is cold for spring but not for winter.
    Your little piece of paradise is just perfect. I would live there in a heartbeat. I am not sure you say the town but if you do I am curious! I think North and South Carolina are so pretty!

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  3. Those coats (and girls) are precious!! You do have the most amazing view and your house is gorgeous!! We, too, are COVERED in pollen! Achoo!

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  4. Your home and that area looks beautiful! I am all about staying near kids and grandkids! Thanks for hosting.

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  5. Yesterday I blew off the deck and pool area; it looked so nice! By the time my husband got home, it had a ton of the little oak floppy things on it and I was sneezing again; ugh!

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  6. Eek! That pollen!
    Good luck to your daughter and her husband with the house. I hope they are all settled soon.
    What a beautiful place to live and I love that you built your own home.
    Ahh! Oversized coats, my mum did the same and I did to my girls when they were younger. Your girls were just adorable.

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  7. Ahh...love the girls in their sweet Easter coats. It was fun to see your piece of property from the rough to the completion. Great vision for the piece of property. Chuckling about hubbies twitch amidst the chaos. That is good news for your kids. Hope all goes well in the process. Oh dear, look at that pollen. Hooray for Spring!!

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  8. I enjoyed reading about the place you decided to live and the why. We have a special place to us that we hope to retire as well. :-)
    I am praying for your family and that all goes well with the process.
    Happy Spring!
    Carla

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  9. That pollen is real for sure. So sorry about it. Can it be blown away or does it have to be swept away? That is very exciting about their new house. No, I do not remember Drake's ring dings. They look like Hostess Ding Dongs here. Love your answer for planting seeds. You made a great choice and are so blessed to live on the lake. Such a sweet photo in your random thought.

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  10. I'm glad they have found a new home and I hope their process goes smoothly. It is so stressful for so many reasons!

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  11. I was a brown-bagger, too. Amazing, no-one gave pause to it sitting in our non-climate controlled high school locker all day. Your girls were/are so adorable!

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  12. I do not remember the Ring dings, but they look similar to Hostess Ding Dongs! The pollen is a never ending battle. I'm not sure anyone chooses to live in Houston, and we are here for the job. When hubby retires, we hope to move closer to where the kids land and plan on lake living too. I will keep my fingers crossed for your daughter's new home!

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  13. Your home on the lake has been a fascination for me from the beginning. Visiting your blog is often like a mini vacation without the luggage.

    As for chaos, it makes me twitch a little, too!

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  14. These photos are amazing and your answers a pretty good too

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  15. Pollen hasn't begun here, but annnny day now....... *checks her bottle of Zyrtek* ... okay, I'm ready. LOL! I went my whole life without allergies, and suddenly last year... bleah.

    I love love LOVE your home! I am so proud of you working that digger and getting right in there to do the hard things! The most I've done is run a combine during harvest season right after high school, then again when I was in my thirties. Jerry would be envious of that dock because he is such an avid fisherman. Is the fishing good there on your lake? It all looks so very relaxing and serene.

    The two younguns are so sweet in their little coats. Ahhh, when we were all that little and had new Spring/Easter dresses to wear to church. I lived in the day when my mama and I wore new white gloves and carried white purses to church on Sunday. Ah, those are wonderful memories.

    Thank you so much for letting me know about the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Such fun to read everyone's posts! Happy Spring blessings to you, Joyce!

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  16. I love your answer about planting seeds, which is kind of what I would have liked to say but absolutely couldn't come up with any words. Your dream home on the lake is gorgeous - what a beautiful spot and it makes my heart happy to see that those kinds of dreams come true. Having family nearby makes it even better! Happy Spring!

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  17. That is a lot of pollen, it must be hard trying to keep your allergies at a manageable level this time of year.
    Your house is beautiful, you've done an amazing job. I could never imagine moving away from that lake view.

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  18. You have certainly settled in a beautiful place. Hope the pollen isn't causing you too many problems.

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  19. Oh my, that is a lot of pollen. Haha...my hubby is the one who looks around and twitches a little when the grandkids have been here. Your lake space is beautiful. That would be hard to leave.

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