Montly Musings-June

It's too hot to think deep thoughts. Plus today's my volunteer day followed by a trip to see the orthopedist,  so keeping it simple. I'm linking with the Monthly Musings girls, Holly (Pink Lady) and Patty (Good Better Best), who offer ten topical questions to answer on the last Thursday of every month. This month we're talking Summer Vacation Guide, and everyone is welcome to jump in...here we go- 

1. Share your summer trips for 2025. 

Our backyard is a summer destination so we try not to do a lot of traveling this time of year. 

We love company in the summer months and typically have a lot of it. We prefer to do our own traveling in other seasons. 

That being said, this year we've booked a house in Hilton Head for a family beach vacation late summer, and I'm looking forward to that. All the grands will be there, along with their parents and I'm sure it will be crazy fun. Have you ever been to Hilton Head? 

Fun fact...this is me on the beach at Hilton Head, aged 3. 

We lived in the nearby area that year. I've been several times as an adult and the island has a relaxed, family friendly vibe, great restaurants, fresh seafood, and plenty of sun, sand, and water for everyone to enjoy.

2. How do you manage the post vacation laundry? 

Pretty much the same way I manage laundry year round. Just get it done. If we're in a rental with a washer and dryer I'll do laundry before we head home, even though that goes against my personal motto NOT to do laundry while on vacation. 

Also I feel like hubs and I have a lot of laundry for two people. Not the point of this question, but true nonetheless. 

3. Most memorable summer vacation? 

Ooh, this is a toughie. From my childhood or my grown up life? How about one of each? 

We didn't take a lot of summer vacations when I was growing up. We belonged to the local swim club and spent our days there, lived an hour from the 'Jersey shore' so always had a couple of day trips there, and went to sleep away camp for a week which we loved. 

But! My grandparents all lived out west and every so often my parents would buy six plane tickets and take their whole crew to Colorado and then New Mexico. 

We absolutely loved these trips. My dad grew up on a farm outside of Denver and my mom grew up in Albuquerque so the landscape, the food, everything was big and exciting and so different than our East Coast life. 

We loved seeing some of our cousins on these trips too. Everyone was spread out far and wide and people didn't travel the way they do now so it was all very special. 

Now as an adult I've had some pretty fabulous trips so picking just one favorite is nearly impossible. Our family trip to Lago Maggiore definitely makes the top five. 

We spent the mornings taking the wooden boat taxis out to various islands in the lake, exploring and lunching and shopping. The afternoons were spent at the pool reading stacks of books. The food was fabulous and we ate our weight in gelato. 

It was 2007 and my oldest had just finished her first year of uni, my youngest was getting ready for her senior year of high school. 

Time moves fast in those young adult years and I'm so glad we hit pause and just enjoyed being together in a beautiful place. A core memory for all of us. 

4. Do you cook or eat out on vacation? 

Depends on what sort of vacation we're having. If we're in a rental house at the beach with five littles ages 8 and under, then we'll definitely be preparing many meals at home. Our plan for the summer beach trip this year is for each couple to plan one dinner, eat one dinner out with the whole group, pizza on the beach one night, and take out seafood at some point. We'll mostly do breakfast and lunch at home too. It's just easier and more enjoyable in this stage of parenting/grandparenting. 

Now, if it's just me and the hubs then I'm all about eating every meal out. 

5. Are you an overpacker, underpacker, or a just right packer? 

If we're traveling by car there's no such thing as overpacking lol. I'm a just right packer when it comes to air travel. 

6. Beach, lake, or mountains? 

Yes please. 

7. Road trip or fly? 

I prefer a road trip, but sometimes flying is necessary so I deal. 

8. Favorite vacation activities? 

A book and a beverage and a beach chair. 

Walking on the beach. 

Walking the countryside.

Exploring foreign cities. 

Going where the locals go. 

Eating where the locals eat. 

museums and history 

Coffee or wine sipped in a European city square.

9. Best packing tips? 

I'm a fan of packing cubes and use those when I'm trying to save space. For road trips I like to pack in tote bags, which hubs is not super keen on, but I feel more organized this way. 

10. Favorite road trip songs? 

I like a mix of 70's (best music ever), country, upbeat, and laid back. It might depend where we're going too. For a beach trip there will be lots of beach music which is one of our favorite genres anyway. On car trips we usually listen to Sirrus radio and switch between the 70's, 80's, The Bridge, and Y2country stations. 

Also, we listen to books on Audible when we have long car trips, and break it up with music. 

Enjoy your summer travels everyone, wherever you may roam.

Fly Me To The Hodgepodge

The Hodgepodge is back so let's get right to it. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger linking before you because that's the neighborly thing to do here on a Wednesday. Here we go-

1. Tell us about a time you felt like you were 'flying by the seat of your pants'.

It's hard to think of a specific example, but I do know I feel this way pretty often-ha! One instance that came immediately to mind was the time I subbed in a high school chem class and the regular teacher had left about 5 minutes worth of work for a 50 minute class. I was forced to wing it aka fly by the seat of my pants. 

2.  When or where would you most like to be 'a fly on the wall'?

The delivery room when baby boy makes his grand entrance. 

3. 'Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.'-Henry David Thoreau 

Would you agree? Why or why not?

Hmmm...not always, although there are certainly times when this is true. We do need to stop and smell the roses, and in the slowing down will sometimes find happiness has been sitting on our own front doorstep all along. 

There are times too though, when the chase itself makes me happy.

4. Share a favorite movie, book, or song with flying in it's title, lyrics, or theme somewhere.

I love the movie Fly Away Home based on the true story of the young girl and her dad who helped some baby geese get from their home in Canada to the warmer waters of North Carolina. I also love the song played at the end of that film-10,000 Miles by Mary Chapin Carpenter. 

Another favorite flight themed film and book would be October Sky, the movie based on Homer Hickam's memoir- Rocket Boys. Such a great story! 

5. What is one task or chore you tend to do 'on the fly'? Is this something that really needs to be done another way?

Dusting. Eh. It just keeps coming around, doesn't it??? I do periodically give the house a thorough dusting, but a lot of times I'll be walking by a piece of furniture, will notice the dust, and do a quick wipe with the swiffer. Not the same as actual dusting which does need to happen on a more regular basis round here. New construction people. 

6. What was happening the last time you thought to yourself or said aloud, 'Wow, time flies when you're having fun', and you meant it.

Spring break. Last week. I wrote about it here. 

7. This Thursday is National Garlic Day. Will you add garlic to your menu on Thursday? Do you like garlic? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?

I love garlic and cook with it fairly often. As I type these answers I've got a pot of lentil soup on the stove and there's a big clove of garlic in that. Not sure what I'm making yet on Thursday, but it's possible there will be garlic on the menu somewhere. My favorite dish made with garlic is my homemade pasta sauce. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's been so much fun to see all the baby gear available for new parents in 2017. While we were out in WA Daughter2 helped her sister set up the baby swing my son-in-law's parents bought for their new grandson. 

Yes this is a swing.  

Remember when this was the swing to have? 

The picture doesn't do it's size and scale justice, but that's my Daughter1 chillaxing in her baby swing c. 1980-something. 

The swing that required a ten foot radius to operate. 

By hand, because you had to crank that handle about a hundred times around to keep the swing going for approximately 48 seconds. 

The racket it made while you were cranking was akin to somebody operating a jack hammer in your living room, and then  just as your sweet baby was drifting off to sleep, the motion would end and you'd have to crank it again startling your baby into a level ten stage of alertness. 

My kids loved their swing. They especially loved when their Daddy would stand in front of it and make funny faces every time they came towards him. I can still hear the giggles. 

Today's swings plug into the wall so no getting a cramp in your arm winding that thing up. It sways, bounces, glides and swings, in blissful silence if you like. Or you can play music from your own handheld device on it which is why you have babies when you're young...you know how to do things like connect a playlist on your phone to your infants swing. 

We've come a long way baby! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 304

Hello Hodgepodgers! I have lots of catching up to do after a week away, but in the meantime here are this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge questions. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. Tell us about a time you felt like you were 'flying by the seat of your pants'.

2.  When or where would you most like to be 'a fly on the wall'?

3. 'Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.'-Henry David Thoreau 

Would you agree? Why or why not?

4. Share a favorite movie, book, or song with flying in it's title, lyrics, or theme somewhere.

5. What is one task or chore you tend to do 'on the fly'? Is this something that really needs to be done another way?

6. What was happening the last time you thought to yourself or said aloud, 'Wow, time flies when you're having fun', and you meant it.

7. This Thursday is National Garlic Day. Will you add garlic to your menu on Thursday? Do you like garlic? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?

8. Insert your own random thought here.