Hey World! It's the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Vol 95

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge!  Here are my answers to this week's questions...be sure to add your link to the bottom of my post before you dash off to the neighbors.

1. The Wednesday Hodgepodge falls on John Chapman's birth date.  He's more famously known as Johnny Appleseed...what's your favorite variety of apple?

McIntosh or Gala. Or Granny Smith for baking. Actually I love 'em all. When I was in Taipei back in March I tasted the most delicious apple...

Our host called them wax apples and they were so light and sweet, a little smaller than we normally see here, but really scrumptious.  

2. When did you last say 'ick'?

Maybe when hubs texted me his turtle soup photo from China a couple of weeks ago....

I posted this on my blog when he sent it but it's worth another look don't you think?  
Variety is the spice of life.  

3.  Do you think there's a generation gap?  Explain.

I guess every generation feels slightly misunderstood by the one before, but in my own family the gap doesn't feel all that  big. We're talkers. Ha- Hubs might say when we three girls are together a gap in all the communicating would be a relief.   

I do my best to listen, and in return my girls give me the courtesy of listening back. They educate me on today's attitudes and trends and I remind them of what is at our core that never changes.  I think we both have things to learn from one another and I try hard to remember what it was like to be young, idealistic, and confident the world was going to come at me exactly as I planned.  I enjoy being around people of all ages and think that's how life was meant to be lived.  Pretty sure my girls would say the same. 

4.  What's on your computer screen saver?  Do you change it often or leave it alone?

Currently its the last family photo we snapped in front of our UK house, March, 2009.  The girls were home from university on their spring break and knew when we got in the car to drop them at Heathrow they were  leaving the house where they'd lived out their teenage years for the last time.  

This was the place they grew into the people they would become.  
Everything about this picture makes me happy...why would I want to change it?

5.  If you had the attention of the entire world for two minutes what would you say?

I'm probably dating myself with this reference, but if you read here regularly you already know how old I am so a moot point.   Does anyone remember the Saturday Night Live skit from the late 90's featuring a character called Nadeen?  She was played by Cherie O'Teri who made this phrase famous-

Simma down na!

In plain English that's 'Simmer down now'. 

I know I should say something deep and profound here, but honestly those are the words that popped into my head when I wrote this question.  For a world gone mad they seem to apply.   

6.  Four fashion trends to try this fall are brocade/jacquard (fancy fabrics), peplum, lace, and printed pants...which of these four would you be most likely to wear?

I like the idea of the printed pant but would definitely need to proceed with caution. Some of the prints I've seen conjure up images of wallpaper and bedspreads and tablecloths ala 1972.  I'd need a good basic neutral on top I think.  I bought a sleeveless black lace top to wear under a sweater or jacket and I love that so maybe lace is the safer answer.  

7.  What can make your bad day better?

Hubs can usually make a bad day better.  He's funny and knows how to make me laugh even when I don't feel like it.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I'm meeting 40 girlfriends in Boston for the weekend, women I knew while living in England who are now scattered here there and everywhere.  I don't actually know all 40 (yet!), but I do know most of the group.  The reunion spans a few years so some left before I came or left while I was still there or moved back to England after I arrived here.  I can't wait!  

Hubs will be home working, painting the new dining room window, and keeping the pup company. I'm sure that will be fun too.   

Questions for the Hodgepodge-Vol 95

Here are the questions for this week's Hodgepodge.  See you back here tomorrow to link answers...everybody's welcome to join the party!

1. The Wednesday Hodgepodge this week falls on John Chapman's birth date.  He's more famously known as Johnny Appleseed...what's your favorite variety of apple?

2.   When did you last say 'ick'?

3.   Do you think there's a generation gap?  Explain.

4.  What's on your computer screen saver?  Do you leave it alone or change it often?

5.  If you had the attention of the entire world for two minutes, what would you say?

6.  Four fashion trends to try this fall are-brocade/jacquard (fancy printed fabrics), peplum, lace, and printed pants...which of these four would you be most likely to wear?

7.  What can make your bad day better?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Another Pleasant Valley 'Monday'

I was sitting here drinking my coffee wondering how to make sense of all my weekend words when hubs yelled from the kitchen that a bear was having breakfast in our rubbish bin.

Let me tell you, nothing focuses a person quite like a bear in the driveway.  

Actually, hubs would say in my case the opposite is true and I lose all focus when a bear is nearby.   Whatever. Normally he leaves for work at o'dark thirty and I'm the one wheeling the bin all the way down our very long driveway and I'm the one making the long walk all the way back up the driveway.

Thankfully hubs had an out of the office event today so he was still at home when the excitement happened. You might laugh,  but we drove the car to the end of the driveway to repack the bin.  After Smokey mozied on up into the next door neighbor's yard (yes, they often mozy) we lost sight of him.  Having the means to make a quick getaway seemed wise...what if he comes back for that  steak bone he dropped?

So anyway, the weekend...it was nice.  Autumn officially made her grand entrance on Saturday but it wasn't until Sunday the weather got with the program.  It was gray and humid on Saturday so we lounged in our pjs and then went out to lunch.  Hubs had a gift card to spend at Dick's Sporting Goods so we popped in there too.  Does anyone else feel motivated to work out harder and more often when they see all the cute work out clothes available now?

After we ate and shopped we went to the movies and saw The Words with Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid and Jeremy Irons.  Here' my .02-

the ending-huh?
Bradley Cooper's People magazine title is well deserved.

That's all.

Sunday afternoon we headed to a nearby Oktoberfest celebration.  What a gorgeous day...blue skies and the perfect temperature!

I'm not a beer drinker but I do love the music and the atmosphere and pretending we're in Munich instead of North Jersey.

And latkes with applesauce, let's not forget that.

Hubs wore his authentic German hat and brought his authentic German stein and we planted ourselves at a table in the sun and enjoyed the day.  Various people came and went from this table and we made friends with all of them.

The first couple who sat down beside us were world travelers and have already emailed me their write up of a trip across France from north to south and another from south to north. I never turn down a good travel tip. Another couple joined us and I was dying to ask the man if people told him he looked like Steven Tyler, but wasn't sure if he'd take that as a compliment or not. Would you take that as a compliment?  I intended it that way-he had the boyish good looks but I don't think he had the crazy or probably the vocal chords either.

These folks were at the table behind us and I needed a picture of this gentleman's hat. He told us the fur piece on top cost $6000.

Hmmm...is that true or is that the Spaten talking?  Either way, it was fabulous!   I think this one is badger, but I'm pretty sure if I could catch one of the groundhogs in our yard hubs could have something similar for free.   

Later in the afternoon another couple joined our table along with their adorable little girl.  My hubs and the other hubs hit it off like long lost friends and guess what?  We're going to their daughter's 1st birthday party next weekend.  

It sounds a little crazy, but as it turns out they live not too far from us.   Maybe it was the magical fall feeling in the air, but when you're friendly people are usually friendly back.  

Our Oktoberfest was held on the grounds of a local ski resort so at the end of the day we all took advantage of the free gondola ride and rode to the top of the mountain together. I was going to take pictures but I forgot this gondola was for skiers and had no seats.

Why is it always so windy on these things?

It's been well established on my blog here, here, and here how I feel about this sort of thing, and no way was I taking my hand off the rail. Hubs kept trying to use logic on me, saying things like in France I was thousands of feet higher, but you know what? When you're up in the air, you're up in the air and it doesn't matter if you're 1500 feet or 15,000 feet, you're still not on the ground. Right?

He finally wrestled the camera from around my clenched fist and snapped some photos.

It's not the Alps, but still beautiful in its own way.  

I Am From...

While visiting my daughter2 a week or so ago she shared a poem she'd written with her fifth grade class. It was such a precious peek inside her head and heart and is something I wanted to try too.  I'd seen something similar a while back on Pam's blog, and there is a template you can follow on Mama Kat's blog here, but I believe the idea originated with the author George Ella Lyon. It has since morphed into a world wide writing prompt, a thoughtful one at that, so I'm giving it a try today. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be...so much life and memory to cram into so few sentences. I think y'all know that brevity is not my forte.

So where are you from?

I Am From...

I am from soft pink roses on the bedroom wall, Little Kiddles, and Dippity-Do. I am from the green house with white shutters, Barbie clothes under the tree, and paper dolls spread across the living room rug. I am from Crow Boy, Anne Shirley, and a mountain of books read aloud. I am from a twin bed and a baby sister across the dark space, House of the Rising Sun strummed one thousand times on a brother's guitar, and an older sister with mascara, and records, and a bed made for jumping.

I am from purple iris reaching up to my chin, and a real Christmas tree whose needles land in small piles on the sheet around it's base. I am from wisteria outside the kitchen window and pyracantha scaling the chimney brick by brick, year by year.

I am from chores on Saturday mornings and imaginary creatures named Naugahyde. I am from a box of dress ups in the basement, the black and white fuzz of a TV at midnight, and a phone cord stretching from kitchen to den. I am from new Easter clothes and Give Me That Old Time Religion, from farm stock and painters, The United States Marine Corps and the free public library. I am from  the hum of a sewing machine, the whirl of a mixer, and letters stamped Vietnam.

I am from grace before meals and holiday feasts served on good china. I am from sit up straight and elbows off the table. I am from a pew on the left, hymn sings, pot luck dinners, and bless be the tie that binds. I am from Sunday night youth group, The Cowtail Bar, and Jesus Never Fails.

I am from the great blue expanse of an Albuquerque sky and the crisp clean air of Rocky Mountain high. From Aloha and the loving arms of Ga-Ga, an island called Parris, and a base called Quantico.  From a used-to-be farm called Barclay and walking barefoot in the grass. I am from no hands on the bike, running as the can was kicked, and all-y all-y in come free.

I am from enchiladas and hot sauce. From buttercreams dipped one by one and Christmas cookies baked by the dozen.  From quiet strength and sure love. I am from hard workers and careful spenders, integrity, and faith put into action.

I am from a father unwrapping his gifts with a letter opener so as not to tear the paper and a mother,  who in her worst, worst-case scenario fit of worry late one night, convinced my father to remove the door from a bedroom because her perfectly fine son didn't answer her knock. She was sure a spot on the carpet was blood.

I am from racks of slides now in boxes, pictures taken on the steps, 70's clothes and awkward family photos. I am from moving away with home in my heart, and then moving some more, and again and again, and still more agains.  With every again I reach back for myself and the familiar taste and feel of home, certain in the knowledge that no matter where I lay my head,  my present will be stamped with the sweet gentle touch of where I am from.

Post Birthday Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Volume 94.  Yikes! Volume 100 is looming and I'm feeling a little pressure to come up with something great for that one.   Maybe now that I'm a whole year older the questions will just roll right off my brain and onto my blog.

You knew I couldn't let my birthday just end, right?

Speaking of (and you knew I would)...thank you for the birthday wishes left here yesterday. Hodgepodgers are not only random, they're also super thoughtful!

1. What's the best and worst thing about growing older?

I think the worst thing about growing older is forgetting I'm growing older and then being caught by surprise when I pass a mirror or get out of bed and have to consciously straighten my back.  In my head I can still do a cartwheel and my roots are never gray.  In my head I'm still so young and I feel so relevant. That isn't necessarily the message society sends back.  

The best thing about aging? 
Wisdom

2.  Autumn  arrives in the Northern Hemisphere this week...what one thing do you love most about the fall season?

Such a hard question since fall's my favorite season,  but I'm going with the color.  

3. Speaking of fall...pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan?  What's your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage?

Am I a fan?  eh...I do like pumpkin pie as long as there's some whipped cream to go with, but definitely no pumpkin flavored beverages.  I don't dislike pumpkin, but it's not my favorite flavor.  

4. Since we're on the subject of fall...what's the worst fall you've ever taken?

I'm kind of clumsy so you'd think this would be easy but its not.  I've had my fair share of mishaps but most were not falls.  When I was in elementary school I slipped on an icy sidewalk in front of our house and landed on my chin.  I needed stitches and it was all very dramatic.  Or perhaps I made it feel that way?  

Oh, and there was also the time when hubs and I were first dating, early early days, before he knew me well, and he pulled up beside my dorm to drop me off.  It was raining and someone was going into the dorm just ahead of me and they were holding the door so I hopped out in a hurry.  

Just as I stepped out of the car I caught my foot on the sidewalk and went all out flat.  I mean face first, arms and legs sprawled out for all the world to see.  Hubs had already started to pull away from the curb so I told myself he hadn't seen my belly flop onto the pavement but in my heart I kinda knew he did.  I jumped up so fast and ran inside without ever looking back.   I skinned my knees but that was nothing compared to my pride.  My stomach is doing flip flops just writing about it. On the bright side-he still married me.  

5. If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose?

This question could go in a million directions.  Maybe the gazebo from The Sound of Music because I could make that work somewhere on our property.   We saw it on a trip to Austria but you can't go inside anymore.  At one time you could,  but according to our guide some tourists were injured re-enacting the scene where Liesl and Rolf leapt gracefully between the benches.   These tourists were not 16-going-on-17 either, ahem, and as a result the door is now locked.  

6. What's the most interesting word you've read or heard in the past week?

I read the phrase 'quotidian minutiae' in a book review and think that's an interesting phrase.  It was in reference to the daily pile of mail that comes into the house.  Pretty sure I can work that into a sentence at some point.  

7. When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office?  Was it a big deal?

Shortly after we moved in here I locked myself out, so that was about three years ago. We hadn't given a key to a neighbor or stashed one anywhere yet, so I had to wait on a locksmith.  It was early morning, but fortunately I was dressed and hadn't decided to let the dog outside while still in my nightgown.  A mere $110 later all was well.  

Last week I went to visit my daughter2 in South Carolina.  I already mentioned the long delays getting out of NJ so my nerves were slightly rattled.  Upon landing I turned on my phone and listened to a voice mail message from her.   She said that somehow she'd broken off the key to her front door in the lock as she was leaving to get me.  We weren't locked out but we weren't locked in either, which might actually worry me more.  

That child is so her mother's daughter.  

She left the apartment unlocked and came on to the airport.  All was well when we returned back home, and fortunately for her I was there to wait on the repair while she went to work Monday.  
8. Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of mothers 'being there'...I posted this link on my facebook yesterday, but if you haven't seen it and you're a mom of daughters it is most definitely worth a read.  Absolutely beautiful! 

Click here to read.

Happy Hodgepodge to me...

Hi.  It's my birthday.  Just thought I should get that out there first thing.  For those who are new here...I've been known to make a fuss about my own birthday.  I'm not like a lot of women my age.  I love my birthday.  My mom sent me the sweetest birthday card this year telling me I'm her favorite.  Ha...okay calm down siblings.  That's not exactly what she said but I'm sure that's what she meant.

I guess we need Hodgepodge questions.  The Hodgepodge turns 94 this week which means its way older than me.

Wait, that's weeks, not years.  Whatever.
On your birthday you're allowed to calculate your age any which way you want.

Okay, I'll hush.  Here are this week's questions.  Come back tomorrow (that would be the day after my birthday) and link your answers to the party.  The Hodgepodge party, not my birthday party.  As I mentioned,  today is my birthday, tomorrow is the day after.

Okay, I'll really hush.  Here ya go-

Wait!  One more thing...CapriKel who blogs over at No Whining Allowed,  and who most weeks joins the Hodgepodge,  is also celebrating a birthday today.  If you have some time hop over and wish her a  happy birthday.

Now, here ya go-

1. What's the best and worst thing thing about growing older?

2.   Autumn arrives this week in the Northern Hemisphere...what one thing do you love most about the fall season?

3.  Speaking of fall...pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan?   What's your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage?

4.  Since we're on the subject of fall...what's the worst fall you've ever taken?

5.  If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose?

6. What's the most interesting word you've read or learned in the past week?

7. When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office?  Was it a big deal?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Planes, Trains, and Birthdays

The weekend passed in a whirlwind as weekends around here are wont to do.  There's a word you don't hear anymore-wont.  It means accustomed, apt...I don't know why I'm explaining other than its Monday and maybe you haven't had enough coffee either.

I wrapped up my week in South Carolina on Friday doing motherly type tasks in daughter2s apartment while she was busy teaching 5th grade.  I did three loads of laundry including her sheets and towels, made chicken and rice and packaged it into small containers for her freezer, and stuck post-it notes all around her apartment so she wouldn't miss me too much when I left.  We zoomed to the airport as soon as she was through with school so I wouldn't miss my 4:50 PM flight.  I knew better.  Honestly, a four hour delay going to SC and a two hour delay leaving.  Ugh. United emailed me when I got home and asked me to rate my experience.  Alrighty.

I'm used to flight delays and mostly take them in stride, but on Friday I had things carefully timed so I'd arrive in Newark about an hour before daughter1 would arrive in Newark.  She was coming by train and this would allow me plenty of time to get my bag, find my car, negotiate the confusing airport exit and traffic and make the 15 minute drive to the train station.  Didn't happen.  She and I finally rolled into tinytown about 10:15 PM and hubs met us for a late supper at the diner.  He did not want to hear about my very stressful day because he'd spent the past day and a half trekking home from China.

Okay.  He wins, but still a very long day for me too.  

When we finally walked into the house at 11:30 PM I was surprised to see hubs had laid out all sorts of birthday goodies he'd brought me from his travels.  When I visited China back in March you might remember I had two coats made, a raincoat and a winter coat. While I was there I also really admired a beautiful cape the seamstress had made, so on his most recent trip hubs went back to her little stall and bought it for me.

I like it because you can button up the sides and make them more like big sleeves.  Now I just need a cool day in the city so I have an excuse to wear it.

Even though it had been a long, emotional, and somewhat frustrating day, I could still smile when my head hit the pillow because there was a grown up daughter in the house.  I slept until 10:30 on Saturday.  I have not slept that late since ever.  Even when I was a teenager I wasn't a late sleeper.  Life seems to have finally caught up with me.  Hubs was up at some ridiculous hour because of that whole China thing but I felt like I'd been run over by a mack truck, even at 10:30.

Saturday afternoon we went to an engagement party for a friend of daughter1.  Her parents are good friends of ours too and we just love the whole family. I've mentioned her a time or two before on my blog, but in a nutshell, she and daughter1 met at age three and became fast friends and now that little toddler girl is planning her wedding. How's that for succinctly summarizing 21 years?

The flower girl wanted in on the photo op here too, and speaking of flowers, isn't daughter1's necklace the cutest thing?

We left the party a little early and went out for an early birthday dinner pour moi.  So fun to have a daughter home to make it feel extra special.

The weather was spectacular on Sunday and once again I slept in.   Not quite at late as Saturday, but still, much later than normal.  Obviously my sleep tank has hit E and needs re-filling.  Or maybe I need to hurry up and get that flu shot.    Did you come here to read up on my sleep patterns?  Anyway, we had a late breakfast and then decided to get outdoors and take advantage of the beautiful day.  Daughter1 did not have the appropriate footwear for a walk in the woods so she put her tiny toes into some thick socks and an old pair of my tennis shoes.  Then I loaned her a t-shirt which fit like a dress but she was game.  And then she let me take pictures of all the fun stuff we did, like applying bug spray.

Or I took pictures and she was exasperated but laughed anyway.

The pup was in her glory too.

I'madogI'madogI'madog.
I just know that's what she's singing in her head.

When we got home daughter1 and I played some backgammon while hubs watched football.  Hubs and I played a bajillion games of backgammon back in our college days, so I wonder why its so hard to remember how to set up the board?  I made daughter1 a little crazy because I kept asking her things like, "Which one is my home again?" and "What color am I again?" and "Remind me again which direction I'm supposed to be going?"  She was a good sport.  Our backgammon board is beautiful.  We bought it in Dubai, but it was hand made in Iran.  When I look at the Middle East today that trip feels like a lifetime ago.

Hubs grilled hamburgers for a late lunch/early dinner and I opened some super cute birthday gifts from my girls and then just like that, we're back in the car heading to the train so daughter1 can get back to DC and her own home and life.  Sniff.

So nice to have had time with my girls this past week.   It's easier to turn a year older with daughters around.  Course all this birthday hullabaloo and my birthday isn't even here yet.  All I can say about that is I'm staying true to form and making it last more than a day.