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So I had a birthday.  

A pretty big birthday number wise, but maybe not as big celebration wise because thanks Covid. Can you tell from my face it was still pretty great? What can I say...I love my birthday and my family tried so hard to make the day special and they succeeded. 

While I do have a few thoughts on this next new decade, I think that will be it's own post and today I'll just recap all the sweet stuff that made up my birthday week.   

Daughter2 was in the house and we had the best time running wedding errands all week long. We spent Monday morning at the party rental place, then met with the florist that afternoon. We had our hair and makeup 'trial' on Tuesday and wrapped it up with a dress fitting for the bride-to-be on Wednesday. 

Y'all. I forgot how stunning this girl looks in her wedding dress. 

No this is not her wedding dress, but I will tell you the sight of her in that gown literally takes my breath away.  I cannot wait to see the groom's face when he sets eyes on his bride on their special day.  

After the dress fitting we celebrated with crepes at our favorite crepe spot, so the order of these events would feel correct. 

1. Try the dress on and be sure it fits perfectly. 

2. Share one sweet and one savory crepe with your momma because it's almost her birthday and because we both love crepes and can never decide between the sweet and the savory. 

3. Pledge going forward not to feast on crepes or sweets in general pre-wedding. 

4. I mean except for the birthday cake we'll eat later. 

If it looks like we're eating in a parking lot it's because we are. The restaurant had some indoor seating available but we opt for dining outdoors whenever we can, especially when it's a crystal clear morning or there's a pandemic hanging about. 

On my actual birthday my little family planned the absolute best surprise. Let me just say I think every birthday needs a surprise. Not necessarily a surprise party, but definitely some unexpected little bit of happy that brings a smile to your heart and maybe a tear to your eye. 

And that's what they did.  

They had many many of my friends and all of my family record video wishes for me, then Daughter2 magically put them all together on the big screen (aka the TV) and it was too wonderful for words. No one had come close to spilling the beans which made it a real surprise. 

That evening we had a delicious dinner at a very nice restaurant in tiny town and shout out to my hubs who never fails in sourcing a chocolate cake with raspberry filling, because that's my favorite. He also knows I don't think it's a birthday without balloons and believe fresh flowers are one of the secrets to a happy life so he obliged.

It's true y'all. Fresh flowers in the house makes the world feel less harsh.  

Hubs kinda went all out on the balloons this year. I don't think he knew about these until I sent him last week to collect a giant 3-0 for daughter2's birthday, but now that he's on to them I predict there will be more jumbo going forward. 

Of course Daughter1 called and the mancub sang happy birthday from a million miles away and helped me blow out all the candles via Facetime which tickled him so much.  I have to tell you that when he utters the word 'Nana' in his precious little boy voice I have an actual pain in my heart. It's a happy/sad sort of pain but it's very real, and if you're living away from your own grands you know what I'm saying.  

Little brother clapped and smiled big and took a couple of steps on camera which also made my day/week/year, and all in all it was a lovely way to end the day and usher in a brand new decade. 

"With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come." William Shakespeare

Growing Older With The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. Comments keep the Hodgepodge rollin' right along. Here we go-

 

1. What's one thing you learned at the ripe old age of whatever age you are now?

Does Zoom count? I'd never heard of it before this year. 

2. I read here a list of foods that can help you look younger-

extra virgin olive oil, green tea, fatty fish, dark chocolate, vegetables, flaxseeds, pomegranates, avocados, tomatoes, spices, bone broth

How many of the foods listed have you tried? How many do you eat regularly? Your favorite from the list?

I've tried them all and regularly use extra virgin olive oil, eat fatty fish (salmon), dark chocolate, vegetables, avocados, tomatoes, and spices.  I like pomegranates but wouldn't say they're a staple here. If I could only have one thing on the list I'd choose vegetables.  

3. Something you miss from the 'good old days'? When were the good old days anyway?

Common courtesy, respect, and humor.

When did they occur? I'm not sure I can give precise dates, but feel pretty certain it was sometime prior to the invention of the iphone. 

4. What are two or three of the most rewarding things to be found in growing older?

There are many, but I'd say one of the best things about growing older is knowing who you are and being comfortable with that. Interacting with my adult children is pretty great too. 

Also see next question. 

5. What's your favorite part of your life right now?

Did you really need to ask? 

Grandparenting is not overrated. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

As I was turning off the light about 10:30 pm Tuesday night I suddenly remembered, that while I wrote the Hodgepodge questions, I never answered them. Bother. You'd think after almost 400 episodes answering would be automatic. Chalk it up to 2020 and/or turning a year older this week. 

On the bright side I did not overthink this one. Happy Wednesday! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 386

Still here, Hodgepodging on Wednesdays. This week's questions are below. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. What's one thing you learned at the ripe old age of whatever age you are now?

2. I read here a list of foods that can help you look younger-

extra virgin olive oil, green tea, fatty fish, dark chocolate, vegetables, flaxseeds, pomegranates, avocados, tomatoes, spices, bone broth

How many of the foods listed have you tried? How many do you eat regularly? Your favorite from the list?

3. Something you miss from the 'good old days'? When were the good old days anyway?

4. What are two or three of the most rewarding things to be found in growing older?

5. What's your favorite part of your life right now?

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Check Engine Light

In other words...welcome to your fifties.

Relax, it's not all bad but there are a few things that catch you by surprise when you hit your fifties, and number one on my list would be how things don't work the way they've always worked. How you go to bed feeling perfectly fine and wake up with some inexplicable ache or pain that in our house are dubbed 'sleep injuries'.

I've written posts about my 20's (here), my 30's (here and here) and my 40's (here), and wanted to hit this current decade before the next rolls in. Barrels in? Eases in? Really hoping it eases in, but since this is 2020 it will probably barrel.

Also, lest anyone's confused, my birthday is NOT today. Carry on.

Once you turn 50 your temple is in need of some significant maintenance, starting with your roots that abruptly and quite rudely need tending all the way down to your mysteriously aching feet. The bigger thing though is there's this thought that niggles at the back of your mind, slowly making its way forward and you kind of scratch your head and think, wait, what? I'm not old. Am I? You have to admit you're not exactly young either, and you need to make peace with that.

It's a process and I bucked and kicked a little at the start. It took me a couple or four years to find my rhythm with this new age, new season, new me that's still the old me inside but definitely not the old me in the mirror, at the eye doctor, or the gym, the salon, the dermatologist or a host of other places.

We're always being told you can do anything, be anything, it's never too late....but when you hit your 50s you know that's not quite true. Yes you can, and I think should, step out of your comfort zone at any age, learn something new, be bold and be brave, but also there's your back to think about and how you like going to bed at a decent hour and why can't I remember a person's name when I only met them five minutes ago?

In writing these decade posts it's been interesting to look back and see what all transpired in the course of ten years. I started my 50's with the most fabulous fun surprise weekend in one of my favorite cities on the planet-New York.  I wrote about it here so won't rehash that now, although I wouldn't mind reliving it in person one day.

When everyone calms down I mean.

At the start of my new decade we were living in the wilds of Northern NJ, a hop skip and jump from the Big Apple. One daughter was a very recent college grad embarking on a career path, and one daughter was still a college student. Nothing makes me realize a decade's come and gone in a flash more so than reading back that last sentence.

I loved my girls college years, their friends, having them at home for breaks, long talks in the kitchen as we cooked holiday meals together, maybe not so much the moving them forty gajillion times in ridiculous heat and suffocating humidity, but those years were awfully sweet in terms of watching them become full fledged adults.

While in my 50's our extended family experienced the devastating loss of one we held so dear and it marked these years in a way very few things can. I was reminded over and over during this decade that God truly is near to the broken hearted.

Time has a way of steam rolling ahead. My girls finished school, one added a Master's Degree to her resume and one married, birthed two babies, moved to the other side of the world.

We retired relatively young, and I say we because even though hubs was the one who retired on paper,  we're a team and we both had to figure out what our new everyday would look like. Also, we moved south and built a house which wasn't aggravating or stressful at all. Ha!

I've traveled a lot in my 50's, made lots of new friends, still treasure the old who knew-me-when, and drum roll...I was given the best title in the world-Nana. Be still my heart.

And now it looks like I'll be rolling in to the next decade during a pandemic.
With a side of crazy because people have lost their ever lovin' minds.

As the decade winds down I can say I've grown accustomed to the new old me. Some days there's still a level of frustration at not being able to jump high and fly fast because in my head I can still jump high and fly fast, but mostly I like knowing God isn't finished with me. That He gives me new mercies every single day, more chances to be a better wife-mother-sister-daughter-friend than I was the day before.

I drop that ball a lot, but I keep picking it up, re-planting my feet forward. If there's anything I've acknowledged in my 50's its that time is fleeting and you never get it back.

So I rage against time, not with botox and plastic surgery, but with grace and forgiveness for others yes, but also for myself because that's where true contentment is born.

I wake up every morning and before my aching feet hit the floor I sing to myself an old camp song...'this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it...'  Some days the WILL! has to be capitalized and exclaimation pointed, but in this season I know with a certainty I haven't felt since my 20's, that how you view your life is a choice. I choose joy.

I want to be grateful for the gift of each new day and for the long list of things I love starting with my hubs who has retained his boyish charm, my beautiful daughters who are solid in their faith, their compassion, and their integrity, granchildren who light up every corner of my heart, and the beauty of creation right outside my window.

The proverbial 'they' say 60 is the new 40 and since I absolutely loved my 40's I'm saying cheers to this next new decade looming large in my front window.

The Gift Of A Mother

If you're here for the Hodgepodge you'll find that post by clicking here. 

Today my mother celebrates a milestone birthday. Except because of you know what she's in New Jersey and I'm in South Carolina many many miles away. Boo.

But!! One of the many wonderful things about mothers is they're always close in heart. She'll be well celebrated by my sibs who live nearby, but since she loves to read my blog it seems only right I add something here too.

Without mentioning her actual age (she would not like that at all) here's a list of oh, let's just pick a random number...say 90 things I know-love-appreciate about my mom.

1. she was raised in New Mexico
2. but there's a little bit o' Jersey in her too
3. she's smart
4. still a beauty
5. with a great smile 
6. she loves Jesus
7. taught us to love Him too
8. she took us to church
9. said grace before meals
10. studied her Bible
11. studies it still 
12. knows scripture from memory 
13. loves books
14. especially mysteries
15. and novels set in England
16. she read to us when we were small 
17. and also when we were too big for her lap
18. she's a little bit shy
19. loves words 
20. is an excellent cook
21. taught us all to cook
22. baked Christmas cookies by the hundreds
23. tells a plant to grow and it does 
24. presses a tablecloth to perfection
25. cut out all the paperdoll clothes without snipping off any of the tabs
26. bought a dress for my favorite doll every Christmas
27. bought dresses for my real life daughters every Christmas 
28. brushed out all my tangles
29. listened to all my worries
30. listens to them still
31. prayed for me
32. prays for me still 
33. raised four children
34. is Mema extraordinaire to four grands
35. great-gran to my daughter's darling boys
36. was a caring sister
37. a loving daughter
38. a devoted military wife
39. moved like a boss umpteen times
40. learned to sew
41. do needlework
42. has an artists' eye
43. arranges flowers like a pro
44. started a church library
45. taught Sunday School to young married couples
46. could speak Spanish
47. volunteered in lots of ways
48. kept a super clean house
49. manages a large home still
50. makes the best pan of enchiladas anywhere
51. was a librarian
52. is a good neighbor
53. loves to shop
54. has great style 
55. a perfect complexion
56. she collects angels
57. loves chocolate
58. eating out
59. traveling
60. she set a good example
61. rocked my babies
62. never didn't have time to drop everything and play pretend
63. loved my little girls with all her heart
64. still loves my girls with all her heart 
65. has trouble saying no to my girls
66. really has trouble saying no to my nephew, her only grandson
67. she cried when our dog died
68. solves difficult crossword puzzles
69. is independent
70. determined
71. capable
72. generous
73. loves a cup of tea
74. pretty teapots too
75. ties beautiful bows
76. always did Christmas up big
77. chooses gifts with tender loving care
78. wraps gifts with that same care
79. hung tinsel one single strand at a time
80. sent us to camp
81. loves games
82. hates to lose at games 
83. still plays in her neighborhood bridge club
84. made me feel safe 
85. is always happy to see me
86. talk to me
87. spend time with me
88. is loved beyond measure
89. a part of myself
90. her children call her blessed

...and feel grateful to have grown up and older with a mother like ours.

Happy birthday Mom! We all love you BIG xo

Numbering The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! How is everyone? Out and about or napping on the couch more often than you should? I'm asking for a friend. 

If you've answered this week's questions add your link to the end of my post, then go say howdy to your neighbor. Everybody's got time, right? Here we go-

1. In a single sentence tell us something about your 40's. If you haven't reached that milestone yet tell us something (in a single sentence) about whatever decade you're in now.

If you read my blog you know I wrote an entire post on this topic yesterday. You can read it here. A single sentence is tough because that's ten years of living, but let's go with this quote attributed to Danny Kaye-

"Life is a great big canvas. Throw all the paint on it you can." 

2. Life begins at forty. Agree or disagree? Tell us why. And if not at forty, when?

I think the spirit of this sentiment is somewhat true. I also think life is what you make it at any age, so there's that. For me 40 was probably the age where I felt like I knew myself, gave myself grace when grace was needed, had figured out what real friendship looks like, and felt less need to control the universe. At 40 I realized I wasn't young anymore, but I wasn't old either and I embraced that. 

Now in my fifties I pitched a minor rebellion but in my 40's all was well. 

3. Share a favorite book, song, or quote with a number featured in it somewhere.

Let's go with books today. I'm sharing several that I loved because I'm not good at just one-

The Million Dollar Boy by Monica Wood
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus

4. A picture's worth a thousand words, a stitch in time saves nine, back to square one, catch-22, on cloud nine, my two cents...pick a number phrase and tell us how it applies to your life currently.

Catch 22 feels like it fits. There are a couple of definitions, but I think 'a situation presenting two equally undesirable solutions' is the thesis of our current social distancing predicament. 

Stay away and potentially stay well while the economy crashes.
Revive the economy with business as usual and face a potential health care crisis. 

Ugh. I feel for the people in charge trying to make decisions in this confusing and uncertain time we find ourselves navigating. 

5. Last time you drove more than 40 miles from home? More than 400 miles from home? Where were you going? Was it before or after this current season of social distancing?

I honestly don't think I've been more than 40 miles from home since the stay home way of living began, which for us was April 7th. We'd been at it a week or two prior, and since then I've only been to a couple of local grocery stores and the plant nursery, all of which are less than 40 miles from here. 

Hubs and I did drive to Florida to visit friends in early March before this whole thing started and that was definitely more than 400 miles. We enjoy road trips, and I think that's the wave of the future at least for the short term. Not sure when we'll be boarding an airplane again to jet off somewhere fun. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Daughter1 gave the hubs a hammock for Christmas and now that it's hammock weather we ordered a stand so we could get it set up. Y'all. It is ginormous. This stand rivals Noah's Ark in size. I look like the princess and the pea in this picture. 

It is so incredibly comfy and now we just need to figure out where to put it. Currently it's sitting on the lower driveway which has a great view of the lake, but I picture myself tipping out onto the concrete so we'll likely need to relocate. Maybe the hillside once we level out a space in the mulch there. 

And yes I know it's technically hubs hammock but there's plenty of room for two. 

Same as the Ark. 

Young At Heart In the Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge and Day 25 (whoop whoop!) in the April A-Z Blog Challenge. You'll find my thoughts on Letter Y at the end of this post.

If you've answered this week's HP questions add your link to the list, then hop over to read what your neighbor had to say. Here we go-

1. Expect the unexpected on From This Side of the Pond. Here's my x-ray question...when was the last time you felt like Superman? What's your superpower? Explain.

Completing this A-Z challenge. It was a lot of words, even for me. 

What's my superpower? Lately it feels like cooking. 44 days in a row yowza! 

2. Are you a fan of the 'superhero' type movies? If so what's your favorite?

Not especially. I haven't seen any of the Captain America Marvel blahblahblah. Just not my thing. If I had to choose a favorite 'superhero' movie I'd say I liked some of the Batman series of movies. 

3. Have you postponed or cancelled a trip to the dentist in recent weeks, and if so when do you think you'll feel comfortable going back? How about other routine medical procedures?

I'm supposed to go to the dentist next month but I don't even know if they're seeing patients for routine cleanings at this point. I go three times a year, so can easily postpone this one until things settle down a bit and I likely will. 

I do have two other routine medical checkups coming due that I would rather not postpone. I guess I'll have to see if having them done in May is even an option. They're not urgent, but definitely need to happen to keep something that truly would be urgent from occurring. 

I do wonder how many more serious illnesses will be diagnosed in the general population as a result of everyone postponing their little preventative tests and procedures that spot trouble early on?

4. What's something that makes you feel youthful? Something that makes you feel 'not so youthful'? Tell us why.

I'm going to expand on this one in my random thought today (see #6) because my A-Z word of the day is-youthful. 

Something that makes me feel youthful? Keeping up with technology as much as I can, doing a plank or a push up, a great haircut, hearing see ya next year from the doctor, traveling somewhere I've never been before, and using my brain.

Not so youthful? Trying to keep up with technology, exercising beside a 20-something, roots that need to be dealt with, being introduced to someone and promptly forgetting their name, my eyesight, and in general all the body maintenance that needs to happen on a regular basis. 

5. I feel compelled to include some sort of corona related question in the HP these days. What's the strangest thing you've seen in relation to the virus? Something that really struck you as odd, made you stop and think, 'Dorothy we're not in Kansas anymore?'

Lots of things...people being arrested for kayaking alone in the middle of the ocean, city governments dumping sand in a skate park to keep people away, playgrounds roped off, swings tied up, basketball nets cut down...the list goes on. 

But I'm going to say walking into the supermarket wearing a mask is near the top of my own personal list. It feels weird and it is weird but I suppose before too long we won't think twice about donning a mask, and this will be our new way of life. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I've been participating in the April A-Z Blog Challenge all month long, and have really enjoyed it this year. Today's word comes from a friend I met while living in England (she's American) and we moved back to the states about the same time. We both loved to hike the English countryside, and she reads my blog and leaves me lots of kind comments, so thanks M for the word of the day-

Day 25-Y is for Youthful 

I have a pretty big birthday coming up a little later in the year and at this point I have no idea how I will be marking the occasion. Once upon a pre-Corona time I thought hubs and I could hop the pond and celebrate with tea and scones in the land of tea and scones, but given all the current crazy I don't see that happening. Plan B it is. 

As soon as I figure out a Plan B then Plan B it is. 

Let's talk about this word. Youthful. I feel like my kids would say if you use the word youthful then you're not. Ha! There are several definitions, most relating to your actual age, but one says something along the lines of having the vitality or freshness of youth so that's the one I'm going with. 

My girls are what I would describe as fresh faced. The glowing skin, the silky hair that looks adorable no matter if its perfectly styled or stuffed into a messy bun, no angle they need to avoid while being photographed, and most especially that unidentifiable quality towards living that I'm going to call exuberance. 

Me on the other hand, well my hair needs a professional and my skin care routine is probably too little too late, and a messy bun on me just looks plain messy. Also nobody better snap a photo without a little warning if they know what's good for them. 

In other words, I'm not fresh faced. 

Except in my head I kind of am. I'm often taken aback by the image I see in the mirror because that's not me, is it? It is me, but it's not the me I am on the inside. 

On the inside I am still exuberant. Maybe not every single day, but mostly I still feel like there is so much to look forward to and there are so many beautiful places to see and interesting people to meet and experiences to be enjoyed and that makes me feel youthful. 

Is youthful a fact of the calendar or a state of mind?  

Asking for a friend. 

Questions For A Most eXcellent Hodgepodge

It's Tuesday which means it's time to come up with the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Before I do that though, I have to figure out how to write a whole entire post on the word of the day. The April A-Z Blog Challenge is winding down, and I definitely don't want to drop the ball at this late date.

Today's word comes from another lake friend and it's a toughie. Did she choose this word because her hubs is a doc or because when it comes to letter X it's either x-ray, xerox, or xylophone?

Day 24-X is for X-Ray 

Yeah. I got nothin'. How about we include the word somewhere in this week's Hodgepodge questions? Works for me and you'll need to make it work for you too.  Here we go-

1. Expect the unexpected on From This Side of the Pond. Here's my x-ray question...when was the last time you felt like Superman? What's your superpower? Explain.  

2. Are you a fan of the 'superhero' type movies? If so what's your favorite? 

3. Have you postponed or cancelled a trip to the dentist in recent weeks, and if so when do you think you'll feel comfortable going back? How about other routine medical procedures? 

4. What's something that makes you feel youthful? Something that makes you feel 'not so youthful'? Tell us why. 

5. I feel compelled to include some sort of corona related question in the HP these days. What's the strangest thing you've seen in relation to the virus? Something that really struck you as odd, made you stop and think, 'Dorothy we're not in Kansas anymore?'

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Time Passages

Today is my birthday and my plan is to sip coffee on the porch in my pjs until I feel like doing something else. Daughter2 is coming out for dinner and she might just find me on the porch sipping coffee in my pjs when she arrives.

I kid. I've never been that person who stays in their pjs all day. I might stay in my bathing suit all day, but definitely not my pjs.

When I'm through sipping coffee I have big plans to take my book and my raft and float beside the dock. Hubs will tie a line to the raft so I don't float away because I honestly plan to be that chill. We have road tripped over 1100 miles in the past ten days and I'm ready for a day of doing nothing.

The first stop on our road trip was Annapolis. We lived there once upon a time or was it only yesterday? Our house sat in a cozy little cul-de-sac where kids gathered in the middle of the street to ride big wheels and bicycles and slap hockey pucks with too big sticks.

Where they drew houses made of chalk and played flashlight tag as cicada sang their goodnight song. Where mothers walked to the bus stop and could be counted on to pick up a sick child from school if you were out of reach. A sweet safe place to be a kid.

It doesn't seem that long ago, yet there we were Saturday before last watching one of those littles walk down the aisle to her waiting groom.

Time slips by and you hardly notice until you notice.

Fifteen years ago we moved to England. We pulled out of that cul-de-sac in a hired car, tissue in hand, while our neighbors stood in the driveway and waved goodbye til we were out of sight. It was raining and there were tears, I do remember that. Some of them were mine.

What were we doing?

We didn't know exactly but we buckled in to our airplane seats and the next chapter of our lives and soared on into the future.  And these girls...

One already a Mrs. and a mama and one soon to be a Mrs.

Time presses on.

Hubs and I spent a few days with my mom on this most recent road trip. Something warm and familiar wraps itself around me as we pull into the drive. I marvel at the way I can walk through the front door and feel like I still live there. I pray I always remember the way home feels.

Technically I haven't called this place 'home' in some forty years. I know this for certain because I have a high school reunion happening next week. A reunion I won't be able to attend, but I do think about the number and the years and the friends all the same.

Forty years ago I graduated from high school? Can that be right? Didn't my soon-to-be Mrs. just graduate from high school? I guess not.

Time is funny.

Also bittersweet, slower than molasses, and faster than the speed of light. Mostly though, it's precious. Oh so very precious.

On my birthday I'll be grateful for the gift of another day. For girls who bloom where they're planted but keep their momma close in heart. For friends always near no matter how far the miles or years between. For family and home and memory.

For what's behind and what's ahead and all that glorious in between.

A Wrinkle In Time

Recently I was face timing my daughter and the whole time we were talking I was extremely distracted by the lines in my neck. Raise your hand if you know what I'm talking about.

You're not 20 are you?

You're probably not even 40 because I know at 40 my neck was still smooth as silk. I'm something more than a decade beyond 40, but I know these lines weren't there last year. It's like you go to sleep one night, wake up in the morning, and aaagh! What happened?

Face time is all about seeing the person you're speaking to, but you're also looking in a mirror as you talk. I'm not one of those women who fight getting older to a ridiculous degree, and I think I'm pretty good at celebrating the age I am...still that doesn't mean mean I love everything about it.

I might have made a list and those lines on my neck are at the top, but there's more.

I don't like my picture taken without warning. It's all about angles and holding the chin up, lipstick applied, not standing sideways, does my hair look reasonable...

Speaking of hair, I can't just throw my hair up in a ponytail and go anywhere other than for a workout. Even then it's gotta be brushed and smoothed and neat. Messy hair on my daughters somehow still looks adorable. Messy hair on moi just looks messy. Also a little crazy.

I can't see without my glasses. This is one of the more distressing parts of aging and nothing makes me feel old quite like my eyes. I know I'm not old, but declining eyesight is a constant reminder that I'm not young either.

I don't leap out of bed in the morning. I kind of slink which sounds ooh la la, but trust me it's not. Getting out of bed in the morning never used to require a brain. These days I need to take inventory. Unfold one leg at a time, put one foot on the floor and test the waters, generally make sure everything is working before any forward motion occurs.

I've never worn a lot of makeup but sometime in the last couple of years I realized I need lips and eyelashes so I don't leave home without them. If you saw me ten years ago sans makeup you'd think I was fresh faced.

What's the opposite of fresh faced? Yeah.

If I want to remember something I write it down. Anything-to buy, to do, to quote, to look into further, you name it I write it down. If it doesn't get written down it's like it never existed.

I love a good nap, and I'm going to be a Nana.

Wait wait wait! Those aren't negatives! Come to think of it, what's the big deal about a few lines in your neck when there's a grandbaby in your arms?

God sure knew what He was doing, didn't He?

Mid Hodgepodge

Welcome to another week of Hodgepodging smack dab in the middle of May. Answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger linking before you, because we're all about being neighborly here.

1.  Tell us about a time you found yourself 'in the middle of nowhere'. Was this deliberate? 

Hubs and I enjoy hiking and have landed many times in the middle of nowhere. The first thing that came to mind was a trip we took one April to Dartmoor on the coast of England (to read all about it click here). 

We hiked for miles and miles without seeing another single solitary soul. Nothing but wide open gorgeous countryside and a whole lot of sheep. It felt like we might be the only people on the planet.  

2. What's something you're in the middle of today or this week? 

I suppose the home build would be too obvious an answer? How about furniture shopping? I'm meeting a friend today to sit on some couches and hopefully find a few other bits and pieces we need for the house. 

3. At what age do you think 'middle age' begins? What does it mean to be 'middle aged'? 

It used to be 40 was the magic number, but having lived through that decade already I'm going with 48. That was the first year of my life I considered maybe I'm not as young in person as I am in my head. The bookend of 40 used to be 60, but in my mind that's still very much middle age. 70 is the new 60. 

What does it mean to be middle aged?

I can't read the fine print without assistance. I wake up with mysterious aches and pains known in our house as 'sleep injuries'. I don't take good health for granted, and I spend a lot of time managing said health. I notice and feel gratitude for the small things. I enjoy watching my grown up girls make their way in the world. Life is not an emergency, but I do feel a sense of urgency about time, about the people I love, and about doing what matters for eternity. 

4. Ravioli, stuffed peppers, samosas, deviled eggs, steamed dumplings, peirogis, or a jelly donut...your favorite food (from this list!) with something yummy in the middle. Your favorite not on the list? 

Steamed dumplings or as they say in Shanghai-xiaolongbao. So delicious! I wrote a whole post about them (click here) when I recapped our trip to China back in 2012. 

5. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying,"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." Would you agree? Have you found this to be true in your own life? Feel free to elaborate. 

Oh absolutely I agree. We have a choice to see that opportunity for what it is or to wallow in the hard thing. My daughter and I were talking about this recently, and we decided that in order to know you can do hard things you have to do hard things-ha! I try hard not to wallow...I'm not always successful but I do try. 

6. What's a song you remember loving from your middle school years? Do you love it still? 

Pretty sure I still love most of them because 70's music is the best and you kind of can't help but love it. A few that popped into my head were American Pie by Don McClean, Benny and the Jets by Elton John, Come and Get Your Love by Redbone and this one- Operator by Jim Croce.  He was such a poet. 

I could list a hundred more...

7. May 18th is National Visit Your Relatives Day. Will you celebrate? Which relative would you visit if time, distance, and expense were not considered? 

Now that I know this I'll definitely pop in and see Daughter2, who conveniently is currently my neighbor. We watch a show together on Wednesdays so I guess that's how we'll celebrate. 

If time and distance were not a consideration I'd love to have a cup of tea with my momma and both my girls. East coast, west coast I don't care, as long as we're all around the same table. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Is anyone watching the new TLC show called Outdaughtered ?The Busbys are parents of six girls-a five year old daughter and then the quints who are just over a year old. They are such a cute family, and I hope they stay above the fray that families seem to get swept up in once they get their own show. 

Their program airs on Tuesday nights, but my Daughter2 DVR's it and then we watch together on Wednesdays. 

Random Acts of Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post. Thanks for playing along today.

One quick item of blog business...I'm declaring next week winter break in the HP, so no Hodgepodge on February 24th. We'll be back the following Wednesday (March 2nd) with brand new questions and a brand new month.

Is it just me or is time flying?

Okay, back to today...here we go-

1.  February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. It lands on the calendar one day after National Do Something for a Grouch Day (February 16) which somehow feels related. Perhaps the 16th inspired the 17th? 

Tell about a time you performed a random act of kindness or were the recipient of one. Will you make an effort to perform a random act of kindness on the 17th? Share details if you're so inclined, and if you have something specific in mind.  

I'll make a specific effort to notice someone on the official 'holiday'. These ROK are wins for everyone, and I almost don't want to write about anything I've done because anonymity is part of what makes them special. I will share one story because it still makes me smile when I remember this particular young woman.  

About a year ago I was preparing to pay for my manicure when a bride to be came into the salon. She was literally counting our her singles to determine whether or not she could afford to have her nails done and she had an accent I recognized immediately as East Tennessee (it was, but we were in NJ...small world). 

She explained to the owner that her wedding was the following day, and asked what she could do for the few dollars she had to spend. I was the only other person in the shop, and this bride made no secret about the fact that money was really tight, not in a complaining way, but just matter of factly said she needed to count pennies. So I quietly paid for her manicure and left the salon smiling. 

Most of these National Holidays feel contrived, but I like this one...a reminder to look for opportunities to brighten someone's day. I'm going to try! 

2. What's the most uplifting or encouraging thing you see happening in the world right now? You may have to dig deep for this one.

The world still rallies around nations stricken with natural disaster or man-made terror. 

3.  Black olives, black currants, black grapes, black beans, blackberries, Oreos...your favorite food the color of night? Your least favorite on the list? 

That's an easy one! Black olives are my favorite. My least favorite on the list would be black currants, not so much the berry as things flavored with black currant. It's not a common flavoring in the US, but we found it in many drinks and candies in the UK.  

4.  A while back I read (here) a list of twelve things  you should do before you turn 50. They were-

travel when you have the chance, take care of your skin, learn a foreign language, make exercise a habit, leave a toxic situation, stop caring what others think about you, stop worrying, volunteer, spend time with your grandparents, pledge to work less, learn to cook an amazing dish, and seize an opportunity as it arises

What do you think of the list? What would you add or remove and why? If you're over 50, have you done all 12? If you're not yet 50, have you done any at all? What's on the list that you haven't done, but would like to do?

I've passed the mile-marker mentioned and have done most everything on the list. The one I found most challenging, and that still needs conquering from time to time would be 'stop worrying'. I've come miles in that department, but can't say I never ever worry.  I think it's a pretty good list. 

The only thing I might add is that you should tell people who've impacted your life in a positive way what it's meant to you. Let them know they played a part in shaping the person you are today. So often we assume that youth leader, coach, camp counselor, fifth grade teacher, etc. knows they've made a difference, but it's extra special to hear it said aloud or see it in a hand written note.  

5. Besides the classic Christmas flicks, what's your favorite film where winter plays a part in the setting? 

I like the sweet romance of  Serendipity starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. And I like the thriller Cliffhanger starring Sylvester Stallone. I don't care how many times I've seen it, that first scene makes my palms sweaty every single time. 

6.  When did you last feel helpless, and what did you do about it?

Probably a couple of weeks ago when I was home alone with a fever and the worst headache of my life. What did I do about it? Cried to my husband when he phoned from an out of town business trip. Then later to my mom when she phoned to check on me. And possibly also one daughter. Maybe two. So to answer the question-I cried.  

7.  Share a favorite proverb.

"When words are many transgression is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is prudent." Proverbs 10:19

8. Insert your own random thought here.

 Combining two things I love (ballet and Degas) in a most beautiful way....click here to view. 

A Stroll Down Blog Memory Lane

I woke up this morning wondering what in the world I'd blog about at the beginning of a new week given the quiet weekend with the snow and the ice and the staying in my awesome sweater pants for two solid days.

Yes, bloggers sometimes wake up wondering what in the world there is to say that hasn't already been said or that won't bore readers to tears.

As I lay there thinking it dawned on me that it was on a long ago January day I first began blogging. January 21, 2009. A Wednesday like any other except I was living in England and my girls were in college and I didn't understand what a blog was, but other than that the same as Wednesdays in 2016.

Seven years.

A lot has happened in seven years, this I know without looking at life spelled out in writing. Still, I thought today it might be fun to look back to the first month of the year in days gone by. What was on my blog in January as the calendar rolled round and round into the future?

Also, I like photographs and there are many here on From This Side of the Pond, so as a bonus I'm going to choose one favorite from every January since the first one. That won't be hard at all.

2009

England. A trip to Leeds Castle. Cleaning out my nightstand. Procrastinating. My dog. Moving house. Moving country. Goodbyes.

I had no comments on my first post and one comment on my second. It was from my girl's high school Young Life leader who had moved back to the US a couple of years prior. Always the encourager.

My third post had two comments, again one from the YL leader and one from, GASP!, a stranger. And then later more strangers, with real life friends weighing in now and then, but the strangers! 

Where do the strangers come from? How do they find my blog? Are they stalkers? Is this safe? What in the world am I doing? I had no idea strangers would read my blog, and certainly no idea they'd comment. Why would a stranger read my blog?

Writing was suddenly a thrilling kind of scary fun.

2010

fondue, transition, repatriation, what I learned blogging for one whole entire year, random dozens answered, a book giveaway, my sleep habits, my dog's sleep habits, and a look back at boating on the Chesapeake with golden haired girls who went and grew up

2011

snow, ice, more snow and more ice, NYC, NYC in the snow and ice, college-aged daughters home for the holiday, random dozens answered, the routine of mid-life, attempting zumba, a traveling husband, my back yard hawk, the Cake Boss, airport runs, taxes, transitions and goodbyes

2012

a new year, college-aged daughters home, grown up daughters working in big cities, hanging out with said grown up daughter in a big city, our nation's capital, goodbyes and transitions, NYC food, NYC energy, Hodgepodge questions asked and answered, a traveling husband, jet lag, hiking with jet lag, my pup, the Garden State, and a camping recap from an accidental winter camping trip taken with Girl Scouts more than ten years prior

2013 

a new year, Hodgepodge questions asked and answered, hanging out with a grown up daughter in a big city, both of us sicker than dogs, my sweet pup, beauty in the Garden State, the weather, snow days, snow days gone by, Maryland days gone by, the Superbowl

2014

days I'd like to do-over, homemade Christmas crafting, Hodgepodge questions asked and answered, being brave, fragments, regular crafting, five minutes of deep thoughts, everyday mid-life, and snow

2015

The wedding. That's it. The wedding. To put it another way- love, marriage, daughters growing up, DIY, friends, dreams, plans, the weather, and the best day ever.

To summarize-

Count on me discussing weather during the month of January.
Also eating, drinking, and sleeping all of which seem interesting at the time.
I miss my pup, big snows, a country not my own, and daughters asleep in their bedrooms upstairs.
The earth is full of so much beauty it sometimes makes my heart burst.
I've said a lot of goodbyes.
There is enormous satisfaction in capturing small moments and ordinary days.
I feel complete surprise at the fullness of life in a season called middle age.

Peaceful Easy Hodgepodge Feeling

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Please only link here today if you've answered the questions. And be sure to skate over and say hi to the blogger linking before you...we're all about being neighborly here in the middle of a week. Here we go-

1. Speaking of skating...when did you last 'skate on thin ice', 'skate over the details', 'encounter a cheapskate', or just plain skate?

Our financial planner sent us some information last week relating to all the recent turmoil in the stock market, and I might have 'skated over the details'. I like hubs to worry about that stuff-ha! I did read it, got the gist of it, but didn't get bogged down in specifics. I will if I need to, but for now I'm gonna skate. 

2.  What would you say is the biggest problem of people your age?

Staying on top of your health and finances. As you reach/enter retirement there are so many decisions to be made relating to your future which by the way, is no longer on the far off distant horizon. It's now. Also, I think I mentioned here last week that once you pass the 50-mile mark you no longer take your good health for granted. 

Or it could be that we talk too much about retirement planning and the fact that our health isn't what it used to be? You decide. 

3. What's your favorite accessory? Is it something you wear every day, often, or only on special occasions?

My wedding band because I love the sparkle and the sentiment behind it. My watch because I feel naked without it. A bracelet Daughter1 gave me for Mother's Day is also very dear to my heart and I wear all three of these every day. 

4.  January 20th is National Cheese Lover's Day Are you a lover of cheese? What's your favorite dish made with cheese? Last thing you ate that contained some kind of cheese?

Never met a cheese I didn't like. We've had some fabulous cheese trays in our recent travels, this one just last weekend-

It was every bit as yummy as it looks. We sampled a cheese I hadn't tried before-bellavitano, which was delish. My favorite dish made with cheese would probably be my mama's homemade enchiladas.  

5. What's something guaranteed to make you roll your eyes?

Walking behind someone wearing their 'pants on the ground'. Seriously, isn't it past time we retired that trend? The other day I had the misfortune of riding up an escalator behind a young man struggling mightily to keep hold of his trousers and step off the moving staircase. I do not understand the appeal or the message of this 'fashion statement'.  Not even a little bit. 

6. Your favorite book series?

The Anne books...Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island...

7. Why did you choose your profession?

I always knew I'd work with children in some form or fashion, and started college as a nursing major. I suffered through many torturous hours of organic chem, only to change my major to speech pathology at the end of my freshman year. I don't remember exactly how I got there, but I think an advisor pointed me in that direction. It was a great fit for me and I enjoyed working in the field for several years. 

Motherhood has always been my passion though. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Hubs and I were away for the weekend, then extended our travels for another couple of days, so getting the HP questions written and posted was a little challenging for me this week. There's a lot going on here in real life at the moment, and I'm giving myself permission to keep the questions light or to take a break now and then. I have a lot of blogging to catch up on, but am spending very little time on the computer so a conundrum.

I don't blog from my phone or ancient iPad which means I need to be at home if I want to write anything of substance. Life will happen and I am trying to roll with it.

In other news, I was so sad to hear Glenn Frey passed away. The Eagles are the soundtrack of my youth and I love their music still. A reminder yet again that life is short. Too short to spend hours on the Internet. Love your people and catch us up when you can.  

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 252

Well that was quick! It's once again time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then skate back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe.  See you there!

1.  Speaking of skating...when did you last 'skate on thin ice', 'skate over the details', 'encounter a cheapskate', or just plain skate?

2. What would you say is the biggest problem of people your age?

3. What's your favorite accessory? Is it something you wear every day, often, or only on special occasions?

4. January 20th is National Cheese Lover's Day. Are you a lover of cheese? What's your favorite dish made with cheese? Last thing you ate that contained some kind of cheese? 

5. What's something guaranteed to make you roll your eyes?

6. Your favorite book series? 

7. Why did you choose your profession? 

8. Insert your own random thought here.