This Week's Hodgepodge Questions

Last week was Volume 665 and next week will be Volume 667. You're welcome : ) 

And you know the drill. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (August 12th) to share answers. See you there-

1. I saw a meme on Instagram that went like this-'The movie Dirty Dancing came out in 1987 and was set in 1963, so if remade in 2026 it would be set in 2002. Now I need a little lie down in a dark room for a while." 

Time is crazy isn't it? So...what were you up to in the year 2002? 

2. "Me? I'm scared of everything..." What's something that scares you that you'd like to try anyway? 

3. Watermelon-yay or nay? Which melon is your favorite-watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew. Of the watermelon food/beverages listed which would you say yes to...

watermelon salsa~watermelon feta salad~watermelon sorbet~

a watermelon Jolly Rancher~a watermelon margarita 

4. August 12th is National Middle Child Day. Are you a middle child? If not, where do you fall in the birth order in your family of origin? Do you think this has influenced your personality? Elaborate. 

5. Would you rather talk to everyone at a crowded party for a short time, or have a significant conversation with two people? Explain. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Adventuring Through The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the weekly 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...

1. What does adventure mean to you? 

This word is used a lot today, so I looked up the definition because I was curious. Here's what I read-' an unusual, exciting, and possibly dangerous activity, such as a trip or experience, or the excitement produced by such an activity'

I'm not what you'd call an adventurous person, yet I've lived a somewhat adventurous life. I'm a mostly cautious person married to an adventurer, and as a result I'm often out of my comfort zone. Once I'm back on level ground, so to speak, I'm almost always thankful for the adventure, or at least for what I've learned from the experience. 

For me personally adventure has helped grow my confidence, it's shown me I have hidden strengths, and it's definitely given me a greater appreciation for the wider world and all it's possibilities. 

I think adventure looks a little different in the various seasons of our lives, but even in this 'third act' it's still exploring new places, trying activities new to me, and learning new skills. 

2.  What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

I'm not opposed to tipping and try to be extravagant when the occasion and service calls for it. I love to leave a 100% tip now and then, especially if the server is having a bad day, but is doing their best anyway. 

I always tip my hairdresser because I know I take up a lot of her time when I come in for an appointment. The nail technician always gets a tip. If our yard guy goes above and beyond and does something extra for us I'll add a tip. And I always tip in a sit-down restaurant. 

After that it gets murky...I don't feel like I need to tip when I'm ordering at a counter and carrying my own food to a table. I dislike the cashier watching me opt for no tip though so sometimes I'm guilted into it. I don't really mind suggested amounts because math. But! I don't think the suggested amount should start at 25%.  I realize prices have risen, but 20% of the bill is still 20% of the bill, right? 

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream...do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What's your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream...what's your pleasure? 

Ice cream is hubs favorite after dinner treat so I try to always have some in the freezer. I very very rarely have ice cream at home, but I do enjoy going out for it now and then. I love home made ice cream so if that's on tap I'm in. 

My favorite ice cream flavors are rocky road, strawberry, coconut, and peppermint. If we're talking gelato I'd definitely opt for stracciatella and that's my answer for the last part of this question. That's my number one. 

4. What's your 'back in my day, we____________________ ' story or saying? 

Well there's a thousand things I could say here, but lately I'm wondering why we get heat warnings for 90 degree weather? When did this start? 

Back in my day summer meant it would be hot. Really hot. It was summer and it was supposed to be hot. We didn't have ac in our house until I was in the third grade. School was never cancelled for heat. 

I understand there are people who work out of doors, but in general they understand what they need to do to manage the heat. People need to bring their pets inside when it's super hot, but the ones who don't likely won't just because a weather person tells them they should. 

This is super trivial I know. 

Also...because this blog is nothing if not educational... heat warnings and advisories started in 1979, which in my mind feels like just a few years ago, but in reality was almost half a century. Specific heat-health warnings started in the 1990s. 

Also...back in my day only old people said back in my day. 

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

celebratory~family filled~chock a block 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Hello summer...

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 608

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (June 25th) to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. What does adventure mean to you? 

2.  What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream...do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What's your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream...what's your pleasure? 

4. What's your 'back in my day, we____________________ ' story or saying? 

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A Photo Finish Hodgepodge

Welcome to another week in 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 because that's what good blog neighbors do. Here we go...

1. Did you watch the Kentucky Derby this past weekend? Have you ever been to a horse race? Ever ridden a horse? Did you enjoy it? Have you ever been to Kentucky? Do you like Bourbon? 

We did watch the Derby. We had an impromptu party which I wrote about in Monday's post (Oh Hey Monday). This year's race was one of the most exciting in a long time, a literal photo finish. I think the winner was over the line by half a hoof. 

I've never been to the Derby, but I have been to a few horse races. When we lived in NJ we used to go to the race at Far Hills every year as guests of someone hubs did business with. It's held in the fall and it's a steeplechase. I always enjoyed it and wrote about it on my blog several times. Off To The Races was the first one. There's more, but is anyone going back to 2011 on my blog to read about a horse race? 

Carry on. 

I've ridden a horse, but it's been a while. I used to ride horses at summer camp. Hubs and I have also had a couple of horseback outings while traveling for some of his work trips, one in St. Lucia and one in Sedona. In St. Lucia they let us take the horses on the beach and that was especially fun. 

St. Lucia, 2002-horesback riding on the beach in my mom jeans 

I've been to Kentucky several times, twice on 'the bourbon trail'. 

I'm not a bourbon drinker but the distilleries are in some very pretty countryside and I enjoyed our visits there. 

2.  What's something you wish you'd placed in a time capsule twenty-five years ago? 

Hmmm, I knew this question sounded familiar. I asked one very similar to it just last year. Oops. The original question when I posted them yesterday said fifteen years ago, but then I switched it to twenty-five. Answer whichever time frame is easiest for you. 

Twenty-five years ago feels like it should be high school but when I do the math I come up with 1999. Can that be right? 

Remember 1999 when we were all a dither about Y2K?  I have a few packs of Pokemon cards that people started trading that year so might include those. Is Pokemon still a thing? 

Or maybe I'd include a phone because I had a big clunky phone in 1999. Or a video camera. Ours was the kind you hoisted on your shoulder which made it look like you worked for a major news network. Probably something tech because 1999 technology was a long way from where we are today. 

3. Are you adventurous? Elaborate. 

Reluctantly lol. And I guess it depends what you mean by 'adventurous'. I'm not going to hang glide, bungee jump, or skydive but I will try other sorts of things some people might find scary. I looked up the definition and Webster says, 'willing to take risks or try out new methods, ideas, or experiences'. 

I did move abroad with two teenagers in the house, traveled solo in Europe a couple of times, ate some unidentifiable something from a styrofoam cup in Taiwan, and will speak comfortably in front of large gatherings of people, so I'm that kind of adventurous

I'm also married to an adventurous person and sometimes I get talked into pulled in to the fun. 

4. Something you want to make this year? It can be a new recipe, craft, diy project, a milestone you've set for yourself...anything at all. 

I have too big goals for putting together some scrapbooks for my grandchildren this year. I've bought some supplies and printed a few pictures but I need to get crackin'.  

5. Cinco de Mayo was also celebrated this past weekend...do you like Mexican food? If so what's your favorite dish? Have you ever been to Mexico?  Margarita-yes or no?

I love Mexican food and enchiladas are probably my favorite. Unless guacamole counts and if yes then that's my favorite favorite. I've been to Mexico several times but have no desire to go there now.

Cancun with friends- 2011

Margarita? Yes please, on the rocks with salt. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Absolute sweetest post I've read in forever on my daughter1's blog Tuesday. It's not about me, but the words feel like a true happy mother's day gift. I've linked it here-Sisters and Mothers.  

Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere~

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 550

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 friends and a few strangers too. See you there! 

1. Did you watch the Kentucky Derby this past weekend? Have you ever been to a horse race? Ever ridden a horse? Did you enjoy it? Have you ever been to Kentucky? Do you like Bourbon? 

2.  What's something you wish you'd placed in a time capsule twenty-five years ago? 

3. Are you adventurous? Elaborate. 

4. Something you want to make this year? It can be a new recipe, craft, diy project, a milestone you've set for yourself...anything at all. 

5. Cinco de Mayo was also celebrated this past weekend...do you like Mexican food? If so what's your favorite dish? Have you ever been to Mexico?  Margarita-yes or no?

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Bridge Over Untroubled Water

Carrying on with Day 2 of the A-Z Blog Challenge and my theme of 'delight' (go here to read Day 1)

For most letters of the alphabet there are so many words I could choose. Maybe today you're expecting brides (we do have a wedding happening here this month) or baby boys (don't worry-he'll get his day!) or BBQ (hey, I do live in the south) but no.

When I think of the word delight I like to picture myself chugging along through life. In the middle of this everyday-ness some big or little something crosses my radar and lifts my spirits. That's delight.

B is for Bridges

We live on a lake so pretty much every day I have to cross several small bridges to get anywhere. I had an early morning doctor's appointment recently and as I drove across the first bridge savoring the silence and the sunrise I realized I was smiling.

I know there are people who freak out when faced with crossing a bridge, particularly the great big high bridges, but I'm not one of them. I love the water and there is something about the ride across a bridge that makes me feel all the feels...peace, contentment, awe...delight.

Most places I've lived there's been a big bridge. The Walt Whitman. The Delaware Memorial. The Chesapeake Bay. Tower Bridge. London Bridge. The George Washington Bridge.

Small bridges too which I love almost as much.

photo credit here-John @ Flickr

This old fashioned covered bridge that's sat for six decades in the neighborhood where I grew up is a treasure. The carefree days of childhood and the memory of riding my bike across that bridge to our neighborhood swim club wash over me still when we drive beneath it's beams. 

I love the way a view opens up as you cross a bridge.

Crossing the Bay Bridge to and from Maryland's Eastern Shore gets me every time. As we near the top I think of summer sunshine, crab feasts, daughters in the house. 

I love the way a great big bridge can make you feel small.

That's London's Tower Bridge, which kindly opened as our small boat drew near and the sun shone and it was a moment. London for me is full of moments.

I love bridges that carry me into great big cities filled with people and taxis and life. I also love bridges that lead me to friends and take me to the ends of the earth.

Prince Edward Island Bridge 

Or what feels like it anyway.



Old bridges-

Bridges that say 'you are here'.

Zig Zag bridges half a world away.

Bridges carry us places. Somewhere new. Somewhere old and familiar. To people we love and people we haven't yet met.

I can't choose a favorite, but if pressed I'm going with this one-

The bridge in my own backyard.

It carries us to fun and friends-

Rest and stillness

Beauty...

...and delight. 

Door

Continuing with the 31 Days To Telling Your Story Challenge with prompts by Kate Motaung over at Five Minute Friday.

Today's prompt-door

Back in 2012 I was participating in a month long photo challenge and one of the word prompts was door. I remember writing that post (you can read it here) and how much I enjoyed looking back at some of the doors hubs and I have walked through in our married life. We'd had eight homes by then and have added two more doors to the mix since.

I guess we never stop opening doors.

I liked that post. Writing out our moves in timeline form helped me see with the clarity of hindsight how one seemingly random place we called home was not so random after all. How one stop in the road of life taught us things, grew us up, made us ready for the next.

Almost two years ago we walked through door number ten.

This house.

The one we could only imagine would stand where the trees grew thick and the red clay ran deep.

The one we built from the ground up.

We live here now.
It's home.

Two years ago we opened the door and once again invited change into our lives, perhaps more change than any move we'd made previously.

Location, lifestyle, people, circumstance.

Most of the pictures I take here are from the back side of my house because the view is lovely there. You see that's the thing about doors, both the literal and the proverbial...

You have to open them to know what's on the other side.

And wherever that door leads you...well as they say round here, you'll need to sit a spell. Put your feet up, pour some coffee, catch your breath.

Of all the many moves we've made, I've probably resisted this last one the most. I blame it on mid-life, the empty nest, this unsettled feeling I have most days of not knowing quite who I am in this new season of life.

So I write about it, and it helps. I read what I wrote in seasons past and rest in the knowledge God is still teaching me things.

Still growing me up.

Still making me ready to swing wide the doors in front of me and walk on through. 

Who Wears Short Shorts?

Not me. I just wear regular shorts, but I wear them in FEBRUARY!

Hubs and I have been enjoying the great outdoors this weekend and yesterday I was in shorts. In FEBRUARY! It's been crazy humid and the pollen is already making an appearance but y'all! I wore shorts! In FEBRUARY! 

Toto I don't think we're in Kansas North Jersey anymore.

There are a number of waterfalls an easy drive from us, and we're determined to get out and see as many as we can up close and personal. One is just a few minutes from the house and we pass the park entrance sign on an almost weekly basis. Every time we drive by we say, "hmmm...wonder what's up there?" On Friday we finally made the turn in to see what's what.

Even though these falls are situated within a state park vehicle parking can be wonky at the trail head. We knew this before driving in, because I always like to hop online and read travel tips before we go. Other visitors to the area said to park on the road, but it looked like we might get blocked in by hikers who had not read the parking instructions online. We decided to park at the ranger station then walked along the road to the trail head. Easy peasy. Also the ranger was very nice and gave us a couple of options for hiking.

Before heading to the trail we walked up the hill near the station to check out two historic buildings on site, The Stone Block House and The Trader's Brick House.

Following some raids by Creek Indians the State of SC had these block houses put up along the frontier and then protected by a small group of militiamen. The Brick House was a trading post established in 1795 that exchanged everything from ammunition to livestock.

Both buildings are boarded up now so you can't go inside...

...although someone thought there might be a way- ahem. Still so interesting to see and read about and imagine what the world was like a couple of hundred years ago. When we hike we're always on the lookout for an arrowhead or some other remnant of days gone by.

The hike into the falls was about a mile on a well-marked trail. The poplars are leafing out and we saw lots of lovely little trillium peeking out of the ground too.

The falls are about fifty feet in height and they're beautiful.

Since Saturday promised to be even warmer than Friday we ventured the next day to another nearby area known as Riley Moore Falls. It pays to do a little bit of research before you hike because this is not one you'd happen upon without a little bit of direction. You travel about three miles on a mostly gravel road and then we parked and walked another mile or so down a muddy road to the trail head. Note to self-that downhill road is gonna be uphill all the way back.

The trail itself is well marked and continues downward through thick woods before opening up to a wide expanse of beach and a really pretty waterfall.

Riley Moore Falls are only about twelve feet high, but they're a hundred feet wide and the beachy area makes you want to linger.

Here's my mountain goat-

He coaxed me up there and we had a picnic lunch on that highest rock.

You can tell from my smile I much prefer terra firma.

Or maybe that smile is all because the sun is shining, there's beauty in this wild world, and oh yeah...

I'm wearing shorts.
In February!