Growing Older With The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you. Comments keep the Hodgepodge rollin' right along. Here we go-

 

1. What's one thing you learned at the ripe old age of whatever age you are now?

Does Zoom count? I'd never heard of it before this year. 

2. I read here a list of foods that can help you look younger-

extra virgin olive oil, green tea, fatty fish, dark chocolate, vegetables, flaxseeds, pomegranates, avocados, tomatoes, spices, bone broth

How many of the foods listed have you tried? How many do you eat regularly? Your favorite from the list?

I've tried them all and regularly use extra virgin olive oil, eat fatty fish (salmon), dark chocolate, vegetables, avocados, tomatoes, and spices.  I like pomegranates but wouldn't say they're a staple here. If I could only have one thing on the list I'd choose vegetables.  

3. Something you miss from the 'good old days'? When were the good old days anyway?

Common courtesy, respect, and humor.

When did they occur? I'm not sure I can give precise dates, but feel pretty certain it was sometime prior to the invention of the iphone. 

4. What are two or three of the most rewarding things to be found in growing older?

There are many, but I'd say one of the best things about growing older is knowing who you are and being comfortable with that. Interacting with my adult children is pretty great too. 

Also see next question. 

5. What's your favorite part of your life right now?

Did you really need to ask? 

Grandparenting is not overrated. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

As I was turning off the light about 10:30 pm Tuesday night I suddenly remembered, that while I wrote the Hodgepodge questions, I never answered them. Bother. You'd think after almost 400 episodes answering would be automatic. Chalk it up to 2020 and/or turning a year older this week. 

On the bright side I did not overthink this one. Happy Wednesday! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 386

Still here, Hodgepodging on Wednesdays. This week's questions are below. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. What's one thing you learned at the ripe old age of whatever age you are now?

2. I read here a list of foods that can help you look younger-

extra virgin olive oil, green tea, fatty fish, dark chocolate, vegetables, flaxseeds, pomegranates, avocados, tomatoes, spices, bone broth

How many of the foods listed have you tried? How many do you eat regularly? Your favorite from the list?

3. Something you miss from the 'good old days'? When were the good old days anyway?

4. What are two or three of the most rewarding things to be found in growing older?

5. What's your favorite part of your life right now?

6. Insert your own random thought here.

And The Seasons They Go Round And Round

This girl celebrates a birthday today...

She doesn't ask for much on her big day other than a blog post, so how can I not? That being said, eleven years of birthday blog posts means I might need to give this one a good hard think.

Plus thirty.
Feels like a thing, doesn't it?

Sometimes we call daughter2 my mini me. If you and I are acquainted in real life and you happened to meet her out somewhere without me, you'd still know in an instant she's mine.

It's more than just the physical resemblance. She and I also share many of the same mannerisms, patterns of speech, a particular way of seeing life.

We both work/worked as teachers

We both love to be in the kitchen.

We're both a little clumsy (sorry sweetie)

We're both determined. Or maybe stubborn is a better word? You decide.

She's a mamas girl and I am too.

Jesus loves us this we know.

We're both patient.

Responsible.

Chatty.

Overly-independent. ahem.

She and I are both September babies, and while I'm not into astrology at all, I will say she and I share more than a few traits common to the September-born.

Last night we watched an old home movie, the one from her very first birthday, and I was taken aback by how quickly the years have flown. How this small but mighty baby girl there on the screen has, in the blink of an eye, become the woman who sits beside me on the couch.

It didn't feel like the blink of an eye. The days, the moments, the ordinary living of life. It wasn't really the blink of an eye. We lived those years between then and now. Filled them to the brim with so much goodness, so much fun, of course there was hard stuff too, but it's the goodness that bubbles up most in my memory.

We grew up side by each she and I and we marked the moments every chance we got.

In the video my baby walks on chubby legs, feeds herself fistfuls of icing, smiles big at the world around her, and for a minute I wish I could be there again. Back in that dining room with the papered walls, my mom and dad at the table, her three year old sister in the middle of it all...the room bursting with celebration...love...family.

Except I don't think I'd really go back.

I know that while I might do a few things better, I'd likely make some new mistakes too. Hi. I'm a mom and we do the best we can with what we know at the time.

It seems my girls birthday posts always end up being a little bit about me too and that's okay. Our lives and hearts and beings are entwined in a thousand million ways and for that I'm grateful. I think we humans are a little bit nature and a whole lot nurture and all that I poured into mothering my daughters, the right words spoken and the opportunities missed too, all helped shape them in to the women they are today.

And the woman she is today is a complete treasure.

Welcome to this brand new decade my darling girl. May it be filled with more joy your precious heart can hold.  

Hodgepodge Laboring

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger linking before you.  Ready-set-GO!

  

1. Something you've done in recent days or months that might be described as a labor of love?

Planning my daughter's birthday dinner with all her favorite things, finding one or two special gifts that will be meaningful to her, shopping for family Christmas pjs for my daughter overseas...

Preparing foods and shopping for/making small gifts with meaning are a labor of love for me. 

2. Last time you 'worked your fingers to the bone'?

I pulled weeds on our back slope for an hour on Saturday morning, and I don't know about my fingers but I definitely worked my back to the bone.

3. According to a recent survey people named the following ten jobs as the hardest-nurse, doctor, paramedic, police officer, firefighter, surgeon, healthcare worker, bomb squad, farmer, and prison warden. Of the jobs listed which would you say is the hardest? The one you'd most like to do? Least like to do? What's one job you would add to the list?

Currently I'm going to say being a police officer in America is the toughest job there is, and the one I'd least like to do. Of the jobs listed the one I'd like most would probably be nursing. I thought about being a nurse while in college, then changed my major to speech pathology which was also a rewarding field. 

What job would I add to the list? How about window washers on our city skyscrapers? Or oil rig workers, the people who climb those ginormous communication towers...anything where you need your wits about you to do your work all the while knowing there is a danger of falling from a great height. Shudder. 

4. A recipe you make that is labor intensive, but worth it?

My mamas homemade enchilada recipe. They take me all day, but of course that could just be me. Honestly they've always taken my mom a fair chunk of time to put together too, so I think it's just a labor intensive recipe. Worth it? Absotively posilutely!!

5. Last job you did or task you completed that required teamwork?

I feel like hubs and I do things on a fairly regular basis that require teamwork of some sort. Managing the dogs (I'll feed while he waters), getting the kayaks back on the rack (he lifts and I help guide then in to place and hang on to the straps), docking the boat (I hang the bumpers while he maneuvers the boat into the slip, then I carefully, and also occasionally not so carefully, step off and pull us in), and the list goes on. We docked the boat more than once this weekend so that's probably the best example of recent teamwork.  And good news! There was hardly any yelling or swearing. 

We need this shirt. 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Daughter2 has a birthday coming up this week and I will write a birthday post on the actual day because years ago she told me it's the one thing she looks forward to the most (no pressure Mom-ha!) but for today I want to share this-

For my beautifully strong hilarious girl on the eve of a brand new decade xoxo 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 385

I don't know why, but a post-holiday weekend Hodgepodge always catches me by surprise. Here are this week's questions...you supply the answers on your own blog then hop back here on Wednesday to share answers with the universe.  See you there-

 

1. Something you've done in recent days or months that might be described as a labor of love?

2. Last time you 'worked your fingers to the bone'?

3. According to a recent survey people named the following ten jobs as the hardest-nurse, doctor, paramedic, police officer, firefighter, surgeon, healthcare worker, bomb squad, farmer, and prison warden. Of the jobs listed which would you say is the hardest? The one you'd most like to do? Least like to do? What's one job you would add to the list?

4. A recipe you make that is labor intensive, but worth it?

5. Last job you did or task you completed that required teamwork?

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Hodgepodge Seconds

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered on your own blog, add your link at the end of my post then go say howdy to your neighbor there. Here we go-

1. The Hodgepodge lands on the second day of a brand new month. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in September.

If you've been reading here a while then you'll know it's my birthday month. Also hubs birthday month and Daughter2's birthday month but let's talk about mine-ha! If you're a friend of ours on social media you'll be sick of us by the end of the month. It feels like we're everywhere. 

That being said, I think this year I'm more excited about Daughter2's birthday than my own, which I guess is motherhood in a nutshell. It's just so great to see her so happy and feeling excited about the new decade headed her way. 

2. Do you enjoy browsing second-hand shops? Last thing you bought or 'inherited' second hand?

I'm not really a second-hand shop kind of shopper. I like donating items there, but don't do a lot of browsing in flea markets, consignment stores, or charity shops. 

Last thing we inherited or got second-hand? Does a dog count? 

3. Something you had second thoughts about after committing to, purchasing, or posting/commenting  online?

A volunteer role I took on several years ago immediately springs to mind. It was not for me and I think I knew that when I said yes because I had second thoughts almost as soon as I agreed to it.  I should have paid better attention. 

4. What's a product or service you use that you'd rate as second to none?

Lots of things, but one would be a company we use that auto ships the air filters for our house. You select how often you want them and they customize your order to whatever size filters fit your home. It's a no brainer, completely reliable, one of those things you don't have to remember to do because when they show up at your door you know it's time to change the filters.  

This isn't a paid endorsement btw, but here's the website if you're interested. Ironically it's called Second Nature 

5. Something you do so often or that comes so naturally to you it's second nature ?

I feel like with the age I am now most tasks require some level of concentration or intention. I suppose in practical terms there are a number of meals I cook on a regular basis that I can prepare without thinking too hard or referring to the written recipe. 

If you want something deeper I'll say looking for the bright side of life.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Yesterday was hubs birthday and on his birthday he always asks for a chocolate cake. Chalk it up to 2020, but this year he said he wanted key lime pie. I haven't made one in ages, but the recipe found here is so good. Even better, the mancub facetimed so he could help sing and blow out the candle. 

This might be the thing I'm most looking forward to about my own birthday in a couple of weeks.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 384

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. Here we go-

1. The Hodgepodge lands on the second day of a brand new month. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in September.

2. Do you enjoy browsing second-hand shops? Last thing you bought or 'inherited' second hand?

3. Something you had second thoughts about after committing to, purchasing, or posting/commenting  online?

4. What's a product or service you use that you'd rate as second to none?

5. Something you do so often or that comes so naturally to you it's second nature ?

6. Insert your own random thought here.