A Good Old-Fashioned Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thanks for playing along! Add your link at the end of my post, and then go see what others had to say. Here are my answers-

1. The expression, 'mad as a March hare' originated with a fictional character who is distracted and frantic. When were you last 'mad as a March hare', and what was it that made you that way?

Probably last week as I worked to complete our tax organizer for the accountants. They have a strict deadline, require umpteen forms uploaded to the computer, and my scanner was on the fritz. Plus when I'm in the middle of the process the numbers take up 110% of my brain. If someone phones needing something, or wanting to chat while I'm logged in to the organizer, I really am no good to them. 

Getting this extremely unpleasant job done every year always makes me a little bit frantic...hubs knows I'll be needing dinner out once it's done-ha! 

2. Mardi Gras this year falls on Tuesday, March 4th. Have you ever been to Mardi Gras, and if so what did you think?  If not, do you have any interest in going?  Purple, gold, and green are the colors of Mardi Gras. Which one is most prevalent in your wardrobe? How about in your home?

I've never been to Mardi Gras or New Orleans for that matter. Do I have any interest in going? It's not high on my list of must-sees, but I'm pretty much up for going anywhere if the opportunity presents itself, so I wouldn't say no. 

Of the colors listed gold is the one you'd see most, both in my wardrobe and in my home. My foyer, family room, sunroom, upstairs hall, and one guest bedroom are all painted a muted shade of gold. I'm in love with the color, Benjamin Moore ladyfinger, for anyone who wants to know...it's very livable.  

3. Are you old fashioned?

In some ways I am, but in other ways I think I'm quite modern. Hey, I have a blog, and that's very 21st century, don't you think? I read a definition online that defined the term old-fashioned in both negative (methods, attitudes, or machines no longer useful in the modern world) and positive terms (referring to nice things from the past that still exist).  

I'm probably a little old fashioned when it comes to good manners. Common courtesy seems to be one of those things that lately falls under the 'no longer useful in the modern world' category. At the risk of sounding like grumpy Mr. Wilson, I think I'll just leave it at that.  

Some of you don't know who Mr. Wilson is, do you? 

He was the grouchy, get-off-my-lawn-neighbor in that old-fashioned television show, Dennis the Menace.  

4. Do you like to carefully plan your vacations, or do you prefer the days to be more spontaneous?

We're somewhere in the middle. We always do our homework before we travel so we don't miss something fabulous where we're going, but we also leave plenty of room for whatever the day and location may bring.

5. March is National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce, and what do you most often top with this sauce?

Currently my fave is a super spicy BBQ sauce from Kansas City called Cowtown's Night of the Living Bar B-Q. It's hot, so I usually temper it a little by mixing with something milder, but it's loaded with flavor and so delicious. A co-worker who lives in the KC area, and knows my hubs loves hot sauces, sent us a couple of bottles a while back, and we liked it so much we've continued to order it online.  

I also love a good homemade marinara or bolognese on a plate of pasta, but that's a very rare treat these days. 

6. What's something that easily brings a tear to your eye?

Lots of things, but one of the first to pop into my head would be the soldier dad and child reunion videos that make the news or circulate online. They get me every time.  

7. If you could own any sports team, which one would it be and why?

Chelsea Football Club. Why? 
Because it's London silly. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Here's a little happy for you today. If you haven't seen this video brace yourselves for the most adorable choir conductor ever...enjoy! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 165

Before I post this week's questions I thought I'd answer a couple myself. I'm often asked how I come up with questions, and while I'd love to say they're all at the ready, simply floating around inside my head, the truth is it takes some work.

I keep a file on my computer, phone, and iPad, so if something pops up in the course of my day I can add it there. I like to keep about 30-40 questions on file, and I normally take one or two from that file every week. I'll go back and add in to the file as I collect ideas. If I'm traveling or have a lot on my plate, I know the question file is there, and I try to save it more for those weeks I don't have a lot of time to spend creating from scratch.

I read a lot and that inspires questions, and I also try to pay attention to what's happening in the world.  Real life friends and family, along with blog friends, make suggestions too. And most weeks I look around online to see if there is a holiday or trend I can use as a springboard for questions. I try hard not to repeat questions, but it happens sometimes.

Also, I never read anyone's answers until I've hit publish on my own. I never want my own answers swayed by yours. I love the different directions people run with the questions, and don't want to be influenced by which way you went with yours if I was thinking in a completely different vein.

I'm always on the lookout for great questions, so feel free to send yours my way. I always try to link back to the sender when I ask.  Each week I aim for a mixture of deep and light. Sometimes I surprise myself with a question that feels light, but turns deep or vice versa. I avoid yes and no questions because where's the fun in that?

I do my best to visit everyone who participates. That doesn't happen 100% of the time, but close to it.  I hope everyone who joins will visit at least two or three of the bloggers who linked before them, and I think it's especially sweet when people come back later in the week and say hi to the late linkers. I know those bloggers appreciate that too.

Now on to the Hodgepodge...answer on your own blog then hop back here tomorrow to share answers.  Newcomers are always welcome!

1. The expression 'mad as a March hare' originated with a fictional character who is distracted and frantic. When were you last 'mad as a March hare' and what was it that made you that way?

2. Mardi Gras this year falls on Tuesday, March 4th. Have you ever been to Mardi Gras, and if so what did you think? If not, do you have any interest in going?  Purple, green, and gold are the colors of Mardi Gras. Which one is most prevalent in your wardrobe? How about in your home?

3. Are you old fashioned?

4. Do you carefully plan your vacations, or do you prefer the days to be more spontaneous?

5.  March is National Sauce Month...what's your favorite sauce, and what do you most often top with this sauce?

6.  What's something that easily brings a tear to your eye?

7. If you could own any sports team, which one would it be and why?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

A Little Bit Of Linus and A Whole Lot of Nothing Much

Hello blog.  It's been a while, but not a whole lot to report or maybe too much, which is why I've been avoiding you. I've eked out the Hodgepodge these past couple of weeks, but that's about it, and I'm determined to say something here today.

Even if that something is essentially nothing.

Who thinks I've spent too much time curled up under my super soft blankie watching mindless television on our overly comfy couch? Do you remember the blanket I got at our neighborhood Christmas party? That blanket y'all! It just might be one of my all time favorite gifts ever.  I don't actually drag it around the house with me, but somedays I'm tempted.

So the weekend. You know the drill-ridiculously cold temperatures that make you wonder why you thought dinner out on a Friday night was a good idea. On the bright side we did not get the foot of snow originally predicted, and instead we got a whopping none. I'll take it. We still have a couple of feet on the ground, frozen so solid you can walk across the top of the 'grass' without falling through. I'm pretty sure I'll be posting photos here in June of the 'big rock candy snow mountain' at the top of our driveway.

Here's the boardwalk in tinytown-

Also, there's a lake out there, and benches in front of the water. 
You'll have to take my word for it...

...or you can wait til July and see for yourself.  

I always say March is the hardest month of the year for me. I won't utter a word of weary complaint about snow in January or February, in fact I love it. But then you flip the calendar and it's like the word SPRING literally pokes you in the eye. It's March, and I need winter to begin tapering off. When you can't see so much as a blade of grass it's hard to imagine that happening, but it will. The earth will not be restrained by a little thing like a snow mountain. Seasons changing are one of God's very best ideas, don't you think?  

We do have a couple of fun things on the calendar which helps, because I need something to look forward to in March. Also, last week I managed to book a couple of small getaways for later this spring, and just seeing the reservations written in my datebook makes my heart feel lighter.  

We watched some of the Oscars last night, hubs would say too much, and I'm inclined to agree.  I thought the show really dragged. I think Ellen DeGeneres is so funny, but even her bits felt like she was working too hard. I did think there were some beautiful gowns, and Charlize Theron is my pick for best dressed. She has the most amazing bone structure, and her hair, makeup, jewelry, and gown were flawless. I loved absolutely everything about her look.

I stayed up too late for a Sunday, but I was thinking we'd at least wake up to the couple of inches still in the forecast, and my 6 a.m. boot camp would likely be cancelled. Where are those snowflakes when you need them? I dragged myself out of bed and the whole ride to the gym I kept thinking how next weekend we spring the clocks forward, which means the 5:15 alarm will actually feel like 4:15. Daylight Savings Time is all a big mind game isn't it?

Last week I had a board meeting at my house and I like to always have a little token of thanks for the volunteers. Usually I make something relating to a holiday or season, and then try to be clever in wording the tags. This month I made these-

I did something similar last year for my daughters on St. Patrick's Day, only for theirs I used Mason Jars.  FYI-it takes a whole lotta Skittles to fill up a Mason Jar. This time round I got smart and used pretzel bags. They are just the right size and hold the rainbow shape. The gold 'at the end of the rainbow' is actually four Rolos, which I think are like gold in their own way. Also, for anyone trying this at home, it seems a bag of Skittles contains a disproportionate number of red and orange as opposed to yellow. I used two big bags of Skittles for eight treat bags, and had to monitor the yellow. There's less purple too, but does anyone actually like the purple?

So that's a little bit of nothing too important on this frigid, but thankfully (unless you count what's already on the ground) un-snowy Monday. I almost feel like digging in to my Spring Cleaning list, and maybe I will, but before I do there's this-

Sunrise from my front porch. If we didn't have winter, would I still have this? Maybe not.  And just when I feel bone weary of the cold gray winter skies God reminds me,"....for everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." March on!

Nurturing the Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge Hodgepodgers!  If you've answered this week's questions add your link to the end of my post. Then go say hi to some of the others who also joined the party today. Here are my answers-

1.What is something you'll never forget about the age you are right now?

Relating to my daughters as young adults. I love their wit, their sense of independence, their huge hearts, and their confidence. There's something completely amazing about watching those tiny creatures you've raised take on the grown up world.  

2. What's a household chore you've never done? How have you managed that???

Changed the filter in the furnace.  
Is it the furnace that has a filter?  
I think so.

I haven't consciously avoided this job, it's just not one that ever crosses my radar.  

I don't wash the cars either (unless we're talking drive it through a professional car wash). This is a job hubs prefers to do himself because apparently my idea of a perfectly clean car doesn't match his idea of a perfectly clean car. 

I'm okay with that. 

3. Does nature shape our personalities more than nurture? Explain.

Ah, the age old question of nature vs. nurture. Here's what I think-

I think its sometimes one, sometimes the other, but most of the time its a combination of the two. I'm sure we all know of children who've gone off the rails in spite of their loving parents and a warm nurturing home life. We can also find plenty of children who've thrived in spite of horrendous circumstances and a significant lack of nurturing. 

I think most children can be trained and nurtured into well adjusted adults, and its a parent's job to do the best they can to make that happen. I've never read any studies on this, but I'd imagine that most (not all, but most) seriously troubled adults were not born that way, nor can they blame their troubles entirely on a lack of nurturing.  

I'll leave it at that, because this answer could quickly become an essay.  

4. Friday (February 28th) is 'Something on a Stick Day'...funny because Zoanna at A Penchant for Pens recently sent me a question for the Hodgepodge relating to this topic.  What's your favorite food eaten on a stick?

A perfectly toasted marshmallow, preferably eaten beside the campfire upon which it was roasted.  A starry sky overhead only makes it better. 

5. Which of your five senses do you treasure most, and why?

It's hard to imagine being without any of the five, but I'll say the one I treasure most is sight. I'm a very visual person, and the idea of never seeing my children's faces, the ocean, the view from a mountaintop...I think that would be so hard.  

6. What's the best music, theatre, or sporting venue you've been to? What made it great?

I've been in a lot of wonderful venues but probably the best would be The Coliseum in Verona. What made it great? 

Uh, Italy.  
Also friends-

Italian opera

and the intoxicating magic of Italian night air.  

7. It's the last week of the month...in five words or less bid adieu to your February.

Loved your big beautiful snowfalls!

p.s.-Note to self, next time I ask something like this make it 10 words or less. Five is not nearly enough!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I received a really nice surprise in the mail last week. Susan, who blogs over at Stew Mama Says, had emailed asking for my address. She said she'd seen something she had to buy for me...that when she saw it she thought of me, my brand, my blog, and my word for this year. That's a lot to squeeze into a gift, so I was really curious.  

The big box arrived on Friday and here's what was inside-

Another big box.  Fun!!
Inside that box was this-

A small globe. 

In my blog colors. 

With my verse written around it.

And a word closely linked to my word for this year on the other side of the world.  

Well, yes I guess she did have to buy it! 

You know, when I started my blog back in 2009 I never imagined that one day someone I'd never met in person would see something that so perfectly fits where I am right now, that they would somehow recognize that, and then would go to the trouble of buying, packing and mailing it to me. As a bonus, the box arrived on a day when I needed a little help remembering these words, so thank you for that Susan! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 164

Another weekend has come and gone, and here it is now late Monday afternoon. I still have too many undone must-dos calling my name, so if anything remarkable happened over the last couple of days, you'll have to hear about that another time. It's Hodgepodge question time and the Hodgepodge, like time itself, waits for no over-committed blogger man.

Answer on your own blog, then jump back here on Wednesday to share answers with friends old and new-

1. What is something you'll never forget about the age you are right now?

2. What's a household chore you've never done? How have you managed that???

3. Does nature shape our personalities more than nurture? Explain? 

4. Friday (February 28th) is 'Something on a Stick Day'...funny because Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens recently sent me an idea for a question relating to this topic. What's your favorite food eaten on a stick?

5. Which of your five senses do you treasure most, and why?

6. What's the best music, theatre, or sporting venue you've been to? What made it great?

7. It's the last week of the month...in five words or less bid adieu to your February.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Five Minute Friday

Linking up with Five Minute Friday today, and here's the deal-

Tell your inner critic to hush, then write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. Then hop over to the party hosted by Lisa Jo Baker, and add your link to the list. Be sure and leave a comment for the writer who linked before you, because that's the neighborly thing to do.

Today's prompt-small 

Sometimes being an adult is not all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes the world beats you down in the form of mean. Sometimes a co-worker rails on you because they can. They know that you, the fair haired woman-child with the soft sweet voice, and the tender heart, and the quiet strength...they know that you can take it. They need someone to take it. You carry on. You wobble only a little.

It's the key in the ignition that does it.

Your car is dead in a cold dark February parking lot at the end of a too long day. It's the proverbial straw. That one more thing on top of too many things, and suddenly the way your grown up life rises up, and smacks you in the face makes you want to collapse into a puddle on the slushy gray pavement.

You are struck with a longing for the familiar place called home.

I hear them. The tears at the edge of your words. They reach out across the miles and phone lines. It's the catch in your throat, the pitch in your voice, that takes me back to when you were small and your hand held mine. When I could sit on the edge of your bed and be the fixer of problems, the soother of hurts, the cheerleader reminding you tomorrow is a brand new day. When my lips kissed your sweat stained forehead. When a cup of water and my off key lullaby were enough. When we told God together all the weary worries on a small child's heart, and you slept secure in the knowledge that every little thing was gonna be okay.

The calendar does not lie and more than two decades have been marked and lived and loved. We're states and miles apart, and somehow you're no longer small.

We've got this though, you and me. You talk and I listen. I talk and you listen. I find words to soothe, to remind you tomorrow is still a brand new day. You're good now, just needed a place to set down all the balls for a minute while you exhaled. You get over all the many things this day has wrought because you're a grown up now.

What about me?
I'm still a mother.

So I  sit on the edge of my bed and tell God all the weary worries on my grown up child's heart.

Like two decades ago.
Like yesterday.

And I sleep sure in the knowledge that every little thing is gonna be okay.

Cruising Through the Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge...add a link to your own answers (Hodgepodge posts only please!), and then be all neighborly-like, and visit the bloggers who linked up before you. Here we go-

1. What's the biggest change since your childhood in the way people think or act?

There is in general less respect, not only for those in authority such as teachers, police officers, etc, but also for the average person we encounter as we go about our day. I think we've become quite rude as a society. 

We don't know how to deal with someone who holds a viewpoint counter to our own, so that person must be eviscerated. They must be judged and judged harshly, labeled with the most derogatory terms we can find, and then verbally beaten to a pulp. It does seem to me the more we have talked about 'tolerance' the less 'tolerant' we've become. I feel like there is now much more emphasis on our differences, less celebrating what we as humans share.  

There's no shame. 
In anything.  

Technology is amazing, but has definitely re-shaped the way we interact with one another, not always for the better. There are new ways to communicate, but also new dark anonymous alleys for bullies and pedophiles and other creepy crawlies. I think there's more fear in the world today, which leads to less trust, and consequently planet earth feels a little less friendly than it did when I was young.  

Wow that got heavy.  

On the bright side I'm not wearing polyester or blouses tucked into high waisted jeans anymore either.  

2. The Olympic Biathlon involves cross country skiing broken up with two or four rounds of target shooting. Which part of that would stress you out more? Or would you love them both equally?

I'd like to try the shooting portion of this event, just not in combination with the pressure of a cross country ski race. I've never actually been on cross country skis, but those athletes all seem to fling themselves to the ground once they cross the finish line, so I'm thinking its way harder than it looks!  

3. February is National Canned Food Month...what is your most purchased canned food item? What was in the last can you opened?

I use very little in the way of canned foods. My most purchased item would probably be tuna fish, although I will admit to a love of canned whole green beans. I love fresh green beans too, but I really do like the taste of whole green beans, eaten right out of the can. There are worse things to snack on, right? 

4. What river (anywhere in the world) would you most like to cruise?

I'm not a 'cruiser', but I can handle rivers, so this would likely be the only way I'd ever agree to that sort of holiday.

The Rhine...castles, vineyards, and fairy tale towns in The Netherlands, France, Germany and Switzerland. What's not to love?

5. It's the middle of the night and you can't sleep...what do you do?  Count sheep? Toss and turn? Watch television? Or do you get up and do something productive?

This question reminds me of an e-card I saw the other day-

Well I don't count sheep. If I wake up in the middle of the night I'll start by ripping off the covers, since heat is normally to blame. I'll probably toss and turn a little, and oftentimes  I pray. Prayer has a way of settling me down on the inside so I can sleep. I don't turn on the television in the middle of the night, and I try not to get up and disturb my hubs. Apparently I'm not that great at being quiet-ha! 

6. How important is keeping your cool?

Keeping my cool is really important to me. I'm a pretty even tempered person, and find anger in others very difficult to handle. I think a viewpoint or opinion is heard, and more willingly considered, when it's made in a reasonable tone. Anger wounds. 

7. I've got white stuff on the brain so why not run with it? White lie, wave the white flag, white knuckle it, white wash a situation, or white as a sheet...which phrase could most recently apply to your own life in some way?

Hmmm...none of these really apply to me at the moment, although some of the Olympic events make me think of white knuckling it. I'm so nervous for the athletes, especially those doing the super scary stunts.  Aerial skiing anyone? Or how about the skeleton sled where they hurtle down an icy route head first going 80 mph? 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of the Olympics and treating others with kindness today...did you see where the Russian cross country skier fell in the middle of the race, and broke a ski? He thought he wouldn't be able to finish, but a coach for the Canadian team ran in from the sidelines with an extra ski he'd carried up in case his own skier needed it. The Canadian coach helped the Russian skier put the ski on, and the Russian was able to finish the race. He came in 12th, but was greeted by the Russians as if he'd won.  

How about US hockey star, T.J. Oshie, who when labeled a hero for essentially winning the match against Russia said, "The real heroes wear camo. I'm not one of them." 

Humility from someone in the spotlight is refreshing, isn't it? 
And another person's spontaneous act of kindness makes the whole world smile.   

"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world." ~William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice