A Curious 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 be sure to leave a comment for your neighbor there before running off. Here we go-

1. What's something you're curious about right now? 

It's hard to narrow this down to just one. I think being curious helps keep you young, and I've always enjoyed learning. Here are just a few things on my list right now -

history, the end times, Gen Z, dough making and baking in general, skin care and aging, people and their stories, and the nagging pain in my ankle. 

2. If you could plan the perfect girl's weekend getaway, where would you go and what would be on the agenda? Do you have anything like this on your calendar in the next few months? 

Pretty sure I sound like a broken record, but I'd love a weekend away somewhere fun with both my girls. I suggested it to my oldest and said, 'we could even take the little girls with us (they're 1 and 2.5) and just leave the boys home, and my daughter said, 'well the girls are the feisty ones, so maybe they stay home with the dads too.' It's kind of true lol. 

A fun weekend away would include leisurely meals eaten on pretty patios, sunshine, shopping, matching pjs, and lots of talking about both the deep and the not so deep stuff of life. I think we'd all enjoy some sort of cooking experience along with what I've already mentioned too. 

I do have a fun girls weekend planned in August with some college friends. We were all in the same sorority way back when, and there are four of us who live in the same general area now, so the lake works. I think there will be about ten of us this year. One of the girls also has a lake house here, so we split the sleeping accommodations between the two of us, and do some meals here and some there. Mostly we spend the days floating and laughing. A lot. 

I see the 'locals' for lunch now and then, but I think the last time we had a bigger group get together was the weekend of Meghan Markle's wedding. 

Remember that? We got up at o'dark thirty and sipped Pimms on my screened porch and watched the wedding all together. 

Hubs acted as photographer. We met in uni so he knows and loves these girls too.

3. What's the most unique item in your refrigerator right now? 

I don't know how unique this is, but I keep these eye masks in my frig because they're better cold.

To be honest I kind of forget they're in there, but when I went to look for the answer to this question I put some on. They do feel so good on your skin. 

You'd also find a little bottle of super glue because that supposedly extends its shelf life. 

4. In this season of your life, what do you find most challenging? 

How I want to spend my time. Life isn't prescriptive the way it is with kids in the house, and while you might think there won't be enough to do in your 'retirement years' I'm here to tell you there are almost too many choices. We retired young which is a factor, but still it's not boring. I want to make the days count. 

5. Do you collect anything? If so why that? 

Not really. I do have a bit of a running joke with my daughters related to hedgehogs, so I have acquired a few things with hedgehogs on them, all given to me by my girls (and a couple from the hubs). 

They're the only ones I want doing that though. I feel like sometimes people hear you collect something and suddenly you're the hedgehog lady. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

We had our monthly wine dinner Tuesday night which is always fun. It's a nice group and the food is so good.  Here's a snapshot-

Let's begin at the end with dessert, which doesn't necessarily look special, but I'm here to tell you every single bite was absolutely scrumptious. African Almond cookies crumbled beneath a chocolate coconut sorbet. Yum! 

The salad was a standout too, warm eggplant and butternut squash with baby spinach, roasted peanuts and a tamarind vinaigrette-

There was also a spicy soup, lambchops which are my fave, and this wonderful fish which is a spiced bronzino with crunchy rice, horseradish potato salad and microgreenns. The portions aren't huge which makes for a pleasant meal. 

If I'm being honest, I enjoy the wine but I'm really here for the food. Can you tell?