Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 484

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. When did you most recently need to 'think fast'? Elaborate.

2. The Hodgepodge lands on National Fast Food Day. What was the last fast food you ate? What's your favorite fast food? How often do you grab fast food? 

3. Life in the fast lane, get nowhere fast, on the fast track, not so fast...pick one and tell us how it applies to your life in recent days. 

4. Are you a fast walker? fast talker? fast worker? fall asleep fast? stay fast asleep without too much trouble? 

5. What is one 'hard and fast rule' in your house? 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Five On Friday

Actually I have seven not all that important things to share but Seven On Friday isn't a thing in the blog world and Five on Friday is. Quite often you have to use your imagination here. 

1. It's been a really rainy day here and we've taken advantage of the 'at home' time to get a few things done that needed doing. We've been gone more than we've been home these past two months and it feels good to slow down (ish) and catch our breath before the holidays roll in.  

2-I'm so excited to have my whole crew here for Christmas this year and we got the very first bit of decorating done today. I don't put my Snow Village out every year because the set up/take down is a bit tedious, but I know the grands will love it so up it went. 

I love it too. Takes me back to Christmases at my momma's as some of these buildings used to be hers. 

We won't put up any trees until after Thanksgiving, but I'm doing bits and pieces starting now to get  ready for the holidays. I've got my card sorted, stockings ordered for the two newest littles, and a few gifts bought. Baby steps. 

3. Last weekend daughter2 and her hubs and the cutest little boy in the world spent the weekend at a college reunion in Charleston. 

We were on their route home Sunday so they stopped for an overnight visit. We loved the unexpected snuggles with this munchkin. 

I could eat him up with a spoon. We Facetimed with the cousins and I cannot wait to have all four grands in the same house at the same time. 

42 days, not that I'm counting. 

4-We started watching the new season of The Crown and I have to say I'm not loving it as much as I enjoyed the previous seasons. I think the Diana storyline is still too fresh, and it feels strange to see the current royals in the news, then watch them fictionalized on tv. I bet it feels strange to them too. 

5-I loved the Amor Towles novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, and I saw this week it's being made into a Showtime movie starring Ewan McGregor. I'm excited.

6-This was the entrance to our neighborhood just a few days ago-

I'm sure all this rain will mean the end of the gorgeous color but we have really soaked it up these past several weeks. We've had beautiful moonlit nights too and while I love summer, it's the autumn skies that are my favorite. 

7-Heading to a little neighborhood Veteran's Day recognition ceremony this evening. My heart is so tender towards all who serve and towards their families too. I grew up in a military family and am not sure I truly appreciated the load my mother so often carried in my father's absences due to wars and other responsibilities relating to his service. 

And now I have a son-in-law in the Army and their various postings have once again given me the chance to spend time around the military community. These men and women and their families give so much that goes mostly unrecognized and is very often under appreciated  I'm glad we have this day to acknowledge all those who have served. 

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation 

is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~John F. Kennedy

Nine Out Of Ten People Read The Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. Last time you were 'dressed to the nines'? 

I'm not sure 'to the nines' describes it, but I suppose it would be a late September wedding we attended. My favorite heels and fancy jewelry made it so. 

2. Something recently that had you on 'cloud nine'? 

The birth of this little beauty of course-

3. Tell us about a time, circumstance, experience, or decision you made where the saying 'a stitch in time saves nine' proved true. 

Hmmm...I guess adding the wood to the stairwell wall when we did 'saved nine'. This wasn't part of the plan but when  the carpenters were here doing another project we had them price it out and then went ahead with it. The painted wall had been taking a beating with both big and little hands going up and down the stairs and especially with suitcases being toted up and down. Now that we have the wood installed we won't need to spackle, sand, and repaint on a regular basis.

4. A recipe you make that calls for exactly nine ingredients? 

I immediately did a mental run through of my Mexican style recipes because it feels like there are lots of little ingredients in many of those. This yummy baked taco dip calls for exactly nine items. So good! 

5. This coming Friday is Veterans Day in the US of A. Will you mark the day in some way? Are you a veteran? If you live outside the US does your country have a day dedicated to celebrating veterans? 

I'm not a veteran but my dad served and my son-in-law currently serves. Members of our military are near and dear to my heart always. If I see someone when hubs and I are out and about wearing a cap that indicates they served I make an effort to speak to them and thank them for their service. 

Our neighborhood is having an event in the clubhouse with a speaker and the chance to recognize neighbors who are vets. We're hoping to attend. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Today is my one and only brother's birthday. He grew up in a sea of women (three sisters, which I'm sure probably felt more like an ocean at times) and he is one of the nicest most easy going people I know. 

I like to think we sisters helped shape his character ha! He's a good listener and has always had boatloads of patience for all of our moods, worries, and emotion. 

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time." ~Clara Ortega

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 483

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

1. Last time you were 'dressed to the nines'? 

2. Something recently that had you on 'cloud nine'? 

3. Tell us about a time, circumstance, experience, or decision you made where the saying 'a stitch in time saves nine' proved true. 

4. A recipe you make that calls for exactly nine ingredients? 

5. This coming Friday is Veterans Day in the US of A. Will you mark the day in some way? Are you a veteran? If you live outside the US does your country have a day dedicated to celebrating veterans? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Good Monday morning everyone. It's the 7th of November and I'm blogging in shorts and a t-shirt which feels wonderful. 

Less than wonderful might be the truck needing breaks, the water heater needing a plumber, the Vols losing to Georgia on Saturday (not totally unexpected as GA is firing on all cylinders), the Tigers losing to Notre Dame on Saturday (whew, definitely won't talk about that!) or the Phils losing the World Series on Saturday night (they're my original home town team). 

Let's go back to wonderful and talk about these past two weeks spent with the sweetest little miss there ever was, and her big brothers too.

 Who are also sweet. 

And busy. 

But so so sweet. 

Baby girl made her entry into the world two weeks early, weighing in at a healthy 8 pounds. The early birthday was a blessing I'm sure-ha! 

When her momma was born people couldn't get over how alert she was. And how easy she was. She ate and slept and rarely fussed and now her own little girl? Well she is her mother's daughter. 

She's alert, looks you right in the eye, eats and sleeps like those baby books tell you they should but which most babies usually don't, and she's got an easiness about her that is so lovely. 

To be fair there is a lot of activity happening around her and we joke her mantra is serenity now. She will be in the middle of it all before we know it I'm sure. 

An added bonus on the timing meant we were in town to celebrate little man's third birthday. We missed his first two due to geography and Covid travel restrictions so this felt extra special. 

He was most excited about his adorable firetruck birthday banner and his momma's homemade strawberry cake. 

Next up was Halloween and y'all my daughter is a rock star. She made these adorable costumes while nine months pregnant and the boys absolutely loved them. 

It's Thomas the Tank Engine for those of you without toddler boys, James the red engine for the little mister who loves all things red, Sir Topham Hatt for dad, and the railroad crossing sign for momma because a woman who gives birth a week before Halloween needs a little bit of a costume too. 

The weather could not have been nicer and my daughter and I reminisced about all the Halloweens of her childhood spent trick or treating in the cold, trying to come up with a costume you could wear a fleece under. So nice to be out enjoying the people and the excitement of little ones as they shouted trick or treat and Happy Halloween to the neighbors. I think they loved handing out candy almost as much as they did the collecting. 

Hubs has acted as chauffeur these first two weeks of baby's life, and was able to take the boys back and forth to school which was a big help to mom. I know she's my daughter and I might be a little biased, but she truly is a remarkable woman. I'm in awe of how she is managing all the things, and creating new routines to include baby girl. Still the extra hands these first few weeks were appreciated. 

p.s. we're tired lol 

Also totally and completely in love with this precious baby girl.

Comfort and Joy In The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to November and another week in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer today's questions on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. What about your upbringing are you most grateful for? 

My parents deep faith and their commitment to raise us to know the Lord. 

2. What are two or three things that bring you comfort? 

an afternoon nap, a cup of hot tea, the Psalms

3. Something beautiful you saw today? (or yesterday depending on when it is you're answering this question)

This little nugget-

I mean, can you even??? I'm sure she'll have a post of her own one day soon. 

4. Have you ever used a typewriter? Tell us a memory associated with that. 

Yes I've used a typewriter. My parents had the traditional kind, but when I was in college I got an electric typewriter as a Christmas gift one year and that was exciting! 

When I was in high school typing was a class taken mostly, but not solely, by girls. We knew we'd have term papers to type and you might have a job someday that called for typing. It seemed like a good skill to have in your repertoire. HA! Who knew that would be the one subject we'd carry with us into the next century and use more than almost any other? 

I loved to type and was pretty fast. I remember doing timed drills as it was important to know how many words per minute you could type. I had a couple of jobs over my college Christmas breaks that required typing. I did not like carbon paper or corrective tape and just 'typing' that makes me feel a teensy bit old. 

5. Something you are grateful for today. 

73 degrees on the first of November and the beauty of fall-

Happy Wednesday everyone!

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 482

Welcome to November and another week in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer today's questions on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. What about your upbringing are you most grateful for? 

2. What are two or three things that bring you comfort? 

3. Something beautiful you saw today? (or yesterday depending on when it is you're answering this question)

4. Have you ever used a typewriter? Tell us a memory associated with that. 

5. Something you are grateful for today. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.