Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 504

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

1. What surprises you the most about people? 

2. Would you rather have a chauffeur, nanny, gardener, maid, personal shopper or cook? Tell us why that one? 

3. May 18th is National Notebook Day. No idea what that means but let's run with it anyway. What's something you currently keep in a notebook? Have you seen the movie The Notebook? On a scale of 1-5 how does it rate? (5=a favorite, can watch and re-watch and re-watch again) 

4. Do you like mushrooms? Last dish you made or ate that had mushrooms on the ingredient list? Your favorite dish that calls for mushrooms? 

5. What would you say is the most annoying thing people do in public? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Ho-Ho-Hodgepodge

Hi Friends! And strangers lurking here too. A reminder this will be our last Hodgepodge of the year. We'll return to the regularly scheduled random on Wednesday January 5th, so mark your brand new calendars and plan to be here. 

If you've answered today's questions add your link at the bottom of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you because 'tis the season. Here we go-

 

1. How young is young? In the past, according to various organizations who decide these things, age 60 was the 'border age' to old. The World Health Organization has done new research recently and divided up the categories as-0-17 (underage), 18-65 (youth or young people), 66-79 (middle-aged), 80-99 (elderly senior), 100+ (long-lived elderly). Your thoughts on this particular breakdown, and also your thoughts as to where you land?

Well I for one am loving where I land-ha! Is it accurate? Hmmm...depends on the day I suppose. According to this chart I'm young. Or youthful which sounds even better. I feel more middle aged than young but I like that our 60's and early 70's  are still considered middle age. That definitely feels accurate. 

2. TIME magazine has declared Elon Musk person of the year in 2021. What say you? If you want to know more about how they choose you'll find that info in the link here. If you were choosing, who would be your person of the year? 

I've asked this question several years in a row now in the Wednesday Hodgepodge, so I know the criteria is essentially the person who most influenced the news and our lives, for better or worse. I don't often agree with the magazine's choice, but I think this year Elon Musk is not a bad selection. He has for sure made a lot of news. 

As far as who I would choose if given the chance...I can think of thirteen soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan who are certainly worthy of the title. Remember Afghanistan? 

3. I read here ten habits of extremely likeable people which include-they greet the world with a smile on their face, they ask questions, they're consistent, they put the phone away, they remember names and use them, they keep an open mind and don't pass judgement, they're authentic, they're kind and generous, accountable for their mistakes, and they send thank you notes.  

So, are you likeable-lol? Which one of these habits could use some further developing in your own life? What is one habit/quality you'd add to the list? 

Am I likeable? Don't we need someone else to answer that question for us? I think I'm pretty likeable. 

I'm an optimist and if I were adding something to the list it would be 'likeable people see life's glass as more than half full'. 

4. One non-holiday related task/job/goal/dream on your to-do list that you hope/plan to make happen before the new year rolls in? 

I'd love to say my office reno, but it's unlikely to be completed before the calendar turns. It's underway though so I'll take it! I've been reading through the Bible this year and I got a little behind but am catching up now. My goal is to finish before the clock strikes 2022.

5. Share with us some of your holiday plans.

I will not have my daughters or my grandsons here on Christmas Day, which was not at all the plan but is now the plan. I'm not on board in case you're wondering. 

Sometimes we have to work to see the glass half full, don't we? 

Daughter2 and her Mr. will be here a few days before Christmas and we're going to have my mother-in-law with us for about ten days which will be nice. Hubs recognizes I am struggling to find my holiday spirit this year, so he's putting things on the calendar, inviting friends here, accepting invitations, all to help make the season feel more merry. He's a keeper. 

Hubs and I are lighting our church advent wreath on Christmas Eve at the 9 PM candlelight service. The Christmas Eve service is almost always the thing that really and truly reminds me all is calm, and all is bright. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

~Merry Christmas to you all~

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Merry Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, Volume 400. 400!! How many of you have been here since the beginning? I think there's a few. 

And since we've all got lists we need to be checkin' let's roll right on in to episode 400. If you've answered the questions add your link at the end of my post. Then go say hi to your neighbor and have yourself a merry little Christmas Day. 

1. I feel like episode 400 cannot go without comment. That is a lot of Hodgepodging folks. 2000 questions if my math is right. So, what's something you feel like you do 400 times a week? 

Rearrange my refrigerator and freezer? They both get a workout this time of year and I feel like I'm constantly moving things around to make room for more things. 

2. Tell us where you were and something about what your life looked like in the year 2000? 

Twenty years sure goes fast, doesn't it? I feel like maybe this question needs to be it's own blog post. Let's see if that can happen before the calendar page turns.  

In the year 2000 we were living by the Bay (the Chesapeake of course), I was working as the Director of a church preschool (a job I loved), hubs was working and traveling quite a bit for work too, and together we were parenting girls in grades 5 and 7. 

I think I've made my feelings about 7th grade pretty clear on the blog, but in case you don't know-NOT my favorite. My girls know-ha!  

It looks like we spent Christmas in the Smokies that year. It used to be an every other year tradition, one year with hubs family in the Smokies and the next year with mine in New Jersey, but then in the blink of an eye your children grow up and get married and you realize you need to start some new traditions. See question #4. 

3. Do you like cinnamon? What's something you make and enjoy that calls for cinnamon? Of the cinnamon 'foods' listed which is your favorite-red hot cinnamon candies, cinnamon toast, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast crunch cereal, apple cinnamon oatmeal, churros, an Indian curry?

I love cinnamon, and I especially love the scent of cinnamon. I love the Yankee Candle Christmas scent called sparkling cinnamon. I use cinnamon a lot in cooking, but one dish I make that everyone in my household loves is my overnight French Toast. I like all the foods listed but will confess I probably love red hot cinnamon candies the most, particularly hot tamales. 

4. Does Christmas 2020 (or Hanukkah) look much like it has in years past, or is this year vastly different for you and your family? How so? How are you feeling about it all? 

It's going to look a little different than most years in that it's a smaller group, but then our last few Christmases have been smaller so maybe that's our new normal? I'll have the soon-to-be marrieds here and that makes me happy. Daughter2 spent last Christmas in South Korea with her sister and I can't tell you how often we all say we're so glad she went when she did. She had considered waiting to go until her school spring break (she's a teacher), but opted for Christmas because it gave her more time. And of course we all know what happened in the spring. 

How do I feel about what this year's Christmas looks like?  I'm learning (and it's a process) that when traditions change, when I have to let go of some of what I love most about the holidays, that it helps to turn my eyes on the real meaning of the day, the birth of Jesus.  To do what I can to amp up the Christmas spirit in my own home and heart. 

5. What's one thing you need or want to do before this year ends? 

Write that blog post I mentioned above? 

We have a wedding coming up in the new year so there's a fairly long list of things to do before the new year rolls in. Fun stuff though so not complaining. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Merry Christmas Hodgepodgers! May the love born this day find room in your heart this holiday season.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 400

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge, Volume 400. 400!! Answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with all of Santa's elves. See you there-

1. I feel like episode 400 cannot go without comment. That's a whole lot of Hodgepodging folks. 2000 questions if my math is right. So, what's something you feel like you do 400 times a week? 

2. Tell us where you were and something about what your life looked like in the year 2000? 

3. Do you like cinnamon? What's something you make and enjoy that calls for cinnamon? Of the cinnamon 'foods' listed which is your favorite-red hot cinnamon candies, cinnamon toast, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast crunch cereal, apple cinnamon oatmeal, churros, an Indian curry?

4. Does Christmas 2020 (or Hanukkah) look much like it has in years past, or is this year vastly different for you and your family? How so? How are you feeling about it all? 

5. What's one thing you need or want to do before this year ends? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 396

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 the turkeys playing along. See you there!

1. It's Thanksgiving week in the US of A so let's talk turkey. And by turkey I mean the elephant in the room because it's still 2020 and our blogs are a record of sorts of the times in which we live. 

Do you live in a state (or if you're outside the US, a country) that's instituted restrictions on the size of gatherings in your own home? What do we think about this? (keep it classy folks)

2. Let's move in a cheerier direction. Will there be corn on your holiday dinner menu? How so? Cornbread-corn pudding-corn chips and dip-cornbread dressing/stuffing-corn chowder-or regular canned, frozen or fresh corn in a bowl...which of the 'corns’ listed is your favorite? 

3. What is there a cornucopia of in your home, job, or life currently? 

U4. Have you ever quit something (such as a habit, a food, a time-sucker, a relationship) cold turkey? Is there something you need to quit cold turkey? 

5. Share a favorite verse, quote, saying, or song lyric relating to gratitude. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Starting The Year Off Write

On a whim I've signed up for a 31 Day writing challenge because that's how I seem to fly here. By the seat of my pants. I also tend to overthink absolutely everything, but new year new me. Maybe? Actually what happened was I was busy yesterday and didn't have a lot of time for overthinking so I just quickly said yes to the email invitation and also to joining the accompanying writers support group.

I'm supposed to write 500 words a day for the next 31 days. Blogging counts but I rarely do a word count there. Pretty sure there's never a deficit-ha! When I put yesterday's post into a counter I was at 757 words so on track. If I complete the challenge I'll have written over 15, 000 words this month which is a lot even for me.

In staying on point here I don't have any real idea what I'm going to write about. Well maybe a small idea for something that's been pinging around my brain for a while, but really I'm pretty much in free fall.

How many words is this?

188.

See, this is why I can't overthink.

One other requirement of the challenge is to tell people you're participating and to share your writing somewhere somehow. Consider yourselves told. And since I already overshare on my blog I think I can check that second item off the list too.

Now will I share what I'm writing outside of my blog?  I hope so. I'm a bit chicken and also a bit lazy but new year new me, right?

How many words is it now?

273.

Whew, today is hard.
I think maybe I shouldn't count words and I should just write.

I used to get up really early and write. Hubs would leave for work and I'd settle in at the computer and that worked for me. Once he retired I let that early morning commitment slide, and while it frustrated me I did nothing to make myself get back to it. You know what? Teachers also leave for work at the crack of dawn and my teacher daughter is in the process of moving home until her wedding. Having her here up early every single work day has allowed me to get reaquainted with my early morning self and I'm really liking that.

I know I don't have to get up with her, I mean she's in her late 20's and has worked and lived on her own for several years now, but I recognize this season as fleeting and I want to get up with her. I like to make her lunch or a hot drink for the longer commute she has now and I give her a hug and tell her to have a great day. She's not a morning person but she likes me being up with her in the pre-dawn hour, and I'm remembering how much I love the early darkness.

The gentle quiet, the space to think and write and plan.

How everything feels possible and the world is full of hope.