Wednesday Hodgepodge

WHOO what a few weeks it's been.  Husband was traveling, then home again for just barely long enough, then we ALL hit the road for Christmas....and then there's Christmas.  I love the holidays but I am always so relieved when they're over.

My husband's birthday is a week and a half after Christmas, and it always made him a little sad because the Christmas tree always got taken down on his birthday.  My goal is to leave it up just a little longer, just for him.

To the Hodgepodge!

1. Share a favorite memory/moment from the week of Christmas.
Maybe my daughter, shrieking "It's just what I wanted!" every. time. she opened something new.  Or my son, whose new favorite thing is space, waking up to find a model of the Saturn V, and the Saturn V flight manual, from Santa.  Or my daughter, who picked up one of the books that Santa brought her, and read it through, without problems, by herself.  Or my son, who noticed his grandmother's tears, and curled up in her lap with the words, "You seem sad.  I don't want you to be."

2.  If someone wrote a book about your life based on the past year, what genre would it fall under? What would the title be?
Beats me.  Is BORING a genre?  Because nobody would want to read about the last year of my life.  Because it was totally non-fascinating.  As to the title, it's kind of funny.  The last time my husband was out of town, I found this list of 365 things to talk about as a married couple, so we answered one question a day.  One of the questions was, what would the title of your autobiography be?  I chose to call mine "The Horse I Rode In On (and Other Tall Tales)".

3. What made you feel patriotic this year?
Will it sound ridiculous if I say baseball games?  There's very few other events I attend in which we're invited to consider the sacrifices our military makes.  Every game, we start with the national anthem, and the seventh-inning stretch is devoted to honoring a service member and singing "God Bless America".  I have never left a baseball game without tears because of these two things.

4. What experience from this past year would you like to do all over again?
Well...I'm confident there's something.  But it's been a long year, and I'm lucky if I remember where I was two days ago.

5. What song lyric sums up or is a reflection of your 2015?
I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar.

6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate 2015?  (10=stellar) Why?
5.  Very meh.

7. What part of the upcoming year are you most excited about?
There's a rumor that my husband will be traveling less for work.  It'll be nice to have him not constantly leaving.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Happy new year, everyone!

Wednesday Hodgedpodge

1. What's your biggest 'first world' problem?

I have too much junk in my house.  (Mamas, let me hear you say ROAR.)  Starting with the first Saturday in January, my weekend will not be complete without getting rid of one full bag of junk that we don't need.  (Part of it is my fault...how can I get rid of the Fisher-Price barn when my grandkids might want to play with it a million years from now?)

2.  Each year Time Magazine names a 'Person of the Year', someone who has 'for better or worse...done the most to influence the events of the year.' It was recently announced they've named Angela Merkel Person of the Year for 2015. You can read more about this year's selection here. Your thoughts? If you were in charge, who would you declare Person of the Year? 

I really don't feel educated enough to answer this.  Someone will, inevitably, come up with someone who earns it far more than I could ever say.  Angela Merkel has been through her fair share of trouble, but I'm not sure who I would declare Person Of The Year.  It's hard for me to pick a favorite anything.

3. Do you have a nativity set in your home? If so share it's history and how you display the pieces.
I do, and last year, we had the pieces in our window.  We don't have it up this year because we're travelling for Christmas, and it's hard for me to justify getting out the Christmas Tree and Advent wreath and Nativity scene if we won't be here for the big day.  The story behind how we got it...my F-I-L wanted (like, desperately wanted) to get us our first Nativity set not long after we first got married.  We wound up in this terrible mess, population-wise, as a result, and I chose, not only the first thing I could find, but for the first time, the least-expensive as well.  (shoes are a different story.)  He wanted to get us another set that I thought looked stretched-out and odd, but we wound up with the set I liked, in spite of his contempt for it.  Most of why he hated it so much?  It wasn't the "best".  But I like this one, even if it isn't on display at the moment.

4.  Do you make an extra effort to give back in some way during the holiday season? How do you encourage those who need encouragement this time of year?
I try to.  I'm not sure if it works or not.  I'm fortunate.

5. Who is your favorite person to shop for? Why?
Without question, my kids.  It is way, way more fun to be an adult at Christmas than it ever was to be a kid.

6. What's the last delicious thing you ate?

WELL I had taco soup for dinner last night, but I'll guess that doesn't cover it.  So I made a batch of toffee for one of my friends...My husband picked up the wrong almonds but it works VERY well anyway.  (I had to make sure her family would like it, sooo...)

7. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is________________.
"Love one another, as I have loved you."  I'm pretty sure that's the quote.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Facebook is amazing for a lot of things.  Today it reminded me that, one year ago today, I had asked for prayers and good thoughts for my daughter, who we eventually found out, has an aneurysm and an occluded artery in her brain.  I  can't believe it was only a year ago, it seems like so much longer.  And yet, I know. I KNOW that we are blessed to be in a situation where the best possible doctors are a 20 minute drive away, not several hours; and I know I'm grateful to be able to have my daughter near me and not have to let her stay in the hospital for another night.

It's the time of year for miracles.  I hope you believe in them.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

AUGH these weeks keep sneaking by...I have barely started any Christmas shopping, like, at all, and it's almost here!!!

1.  Many families have a story they love to tell every year around a holiday. Does your family have one? Are you the star of that story, or does another family member take center stage? Share your story if you want.

Not particularly...though I do have a lingering Christmas memory from many years ago.  It was Christmas Eve, and my father had just come home from work.  He was in the process of setting his things down in the kitchen when his coat let out a tiny "yip!"

He reached into the inner pocket and took out a tiny black lab puppy.

That dog grew up to be one of the dumbest creatures I've ever seen, but she was sweet and she was our Christmas dog.

2. Are you afraid to speak your own opinion?

Not particularly in general.  It really depends on what the setting is.  

3. Pantone has announced the color of the year for 2016, and for the first time have chosen two shades-rose quartz and serenity. Hmmm...did you know serenity was a color? You can read the thought behind their selection here, but essentially it's blending the warmth of rose quartz with the tranquility of a very soft shade of blue. So what do you think? Are these colors I'd find in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in these shades to either place in the new year?

Probably not.  I can't keep adding stuff while I'm trying to REMOVE stuff.  And who at Pantone keeps making these decisions for us?  And PINK? Perhaps no.

I tend toward darker colors in my wardrobe anyway--not necessarily because I feel suited to dark colors, but mostly because I don't like trying to remove stains.

4. If you could be in a Christmas carol, which one would you choose? Why?

I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day.  God is not dead, nor does He sleep.  I think it's a reminder we can all use once in a while.

5. December 9th is National Pastry Day. Will you celebrate? When did you last purchase something from a bakery? What's your favorite treat that falls under the heading of pastry? Do you make it yourself or buy from the professionals?

Probably not, but not because I don't love pastries!  Last time I purchased something from a bakery was Thanksgiving, when my sister left me in charge of bringing pies, so I went to a place that sells Kansas City's favorite pies and picked up a pumpkin pie and a French silk pie, because that's how we roll.  In a nutshell, I love pie.  I haven't made one in a long, long time--I REALLY need to get cracking on figuring out gluten-free pie crust!

6. When it comes to holiday decorating_____________________________.

I...got the Christmas tree out of the attic?  I'm not sure how time got away from us this year, but I don't think we're gonna be decorating much.  :(

7. When did you last laugh so much it hurt? Explain.

Last week.  I had told my kids the story of how, the day they went back to school after Thanksgiving break, I had heard a heavy footfall coming down the stairs, and without even thinking about it, I had responded by asking my son how he was that morning.

The cat responded, "meow?"

Scout was at school.  The heavy footfalls were the cat's.

My kids laughed, I laughed, we all laughed until we ached.  Then Sunshine, master of VERY DEEP quotes, commented that she loves it when laughter makes her eyes wet.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

God is not dead, nor does He sleep.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

  

1. Did you watch The Charlie Brown Christmas special Monday night? Who's your favorite Peanuts character and why?

I did not.  I was traveling from Kansas City back to Pittsburgh for most of Monday, and missed it.

"Most psychiatrists agree that sitting in a pumpkin patch is excellent therapy for a troubled mind."~Linus  

Would you agree? 

Yes, but more as it applies to nature.  Pumpkin patch, mountaintop, in a boat on a lake, take your pick.  Somewhere away from the noise of the city.

2. Describe a sound from your childhood. What does this sound bring to mind? 

There was a set of railroad tracks that ran about a quarter mile away from the house I grew up in.  It saw a lot of traffic, and the nearest crossings were pretty close.  Every train that went by, we could hear the long-short-short-long signal of the train horn at least three times.  If we were outside, we could hear the rumble of full coal cars and the clatter of empty ones heading back the opposite direction.

3. You've won a trip to a winter wonderland...would that excite you? Which one of the following would you most want to experience (or which one would you dislike the least)-see the Aurora Borealis in Norway, stay in Sweden's Ice Hotel, go dogsledding in Lapland Finland, take a winter wildlife safari in Yellowstone or celebrate Winter Carnival in Quebec? 

Norway!  I have no desire to stay in an ice hotel, but I would love to see the Aurora Borealis.  (We were supposed to be able to see it here a few weeks ago, but surprise, it was cloudy.)

4. Who or what keeps you humble?

My kids.  If anyone can come up with a question I can't answer, it's always them.

5. What part of preparing for Christmas do you like the most? Explain.

Making toffee and distributing it.  I have a batch that I still need to break into pieces and take to some of my friends.  I made a ton of it last year before Sunshine's first hospital stay when a bunch of my friends came at me with a big basket of gifts for her (and for me--love those ladies).  We probably won't be decorating this year, because we won't be here, but we'll see what the kids want to do.  Right now, I have to leave the Christmas tree down until they measure my front window.

6. Gingerbread-yay or nay? Is making a gingerbread house part of your family holiday tradition?

I love gingerbread and my kids love making gingerbread houses.  This year I might see if their grandmother is cool with them making the houses at her place.

7. What's one thing you want to start, do, or complete before the calendar rolls into a new year? 

Declutter.  It's an ongoing wish.  Also need to complete the passport application process.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

As much fun as last week was, I'm glad we have our routine back.  I don't seem to do "unstructured time" very well.  

Thanksgiving

So I missed last week's Hodgepodge.  I kept meaning to get to it, honest I did, but...

Last Wednesday we flew to my hometown for Thanksgiving.  We got there late that night and pretty much just went to bed as soon as we got to our hotel.  Thursday morning, we went to IHOP for breakfast with Dad (it's tradition!) and then headed to my sister's house for the celebration.

Scout and Sunshine had a great time playing with their cousins (there's three of them, I'll think up nicknames for them later).  There's usually a lot of underlying tension between my husband and I and my sister and brother-in-law, but this time, that wasn't the case.  The kids played and the grownups talked and it was really wonderful.

Friday we mostly relaxed, which isn't actually that easy to do with the kids bouncing off the walls.  What I knew for sure was that I wasn't going to get out into the craziness, so I waited until all the Black Friday shoppers had gone home before venturing out.  Which we eventually did--I wanted to see my grandmother (and she wanted to give me her fabric stash) and then we went to have dinner with some old friends.  And when I say "old friends" I mean I've known him since we were in kindergarten and I've known her since college and we introduced the two of them to each other.

Saturday was absolute chaos, but in the best way possible.  I'd booked my favorite photographer (someone else I've known forever) for some family photos, and I invited my sister and her family to come along.  So in a few days, we'll have pictures of all the littles together.  Usually with him, we're outside, but it was chilly and rainy, so he suggested Kansas City Union Station, which is huge and beautiful, especially this time of year.  "Give me a week," he said.  I'll give him his week, but he's known me for twenty years and he KNOWS I've been checking his website and Facebook obsessively looking for samples...

That night, we headed out to dinner with some MORE old friends of mine (back in middle school, our little group was J, M, S, and me.  S wasn't there, but J and M were and the laughter was abundant).

(Sunshine wanted to stuff some chocolate in her face...so Aunt J obliged her.)

Sunday was pretty low-key, and I was glad for that.  Monday was a travel day, and here we are chugging coffee and getting ready for a busy day of cleaning, grocery shopping and laundry.

I'm thankful for all the time with all the people we got to see this time around.  I'm thankful for the ability to travel.  I'm thankful for my kids and their cousins and for bear hugs from sisters and heart-sisters and heart-brothers.  I am thankful for the food that we have and the comforts of home and the fact that "home" seems to be wherever my family happens to be.  I'm thankful for friends who take care of my cat and my frog while we're out of town.  We're richly blessed, and I hope my kids will remember these things for a long time to come.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's not quite the "late show" version, but....heeeeeeeeeere's Hodgepodge!

1. What's surprised you most about your life, or about life in general?

Genuinely not sure.  I don't want to think I've lost the ability to be surprised, but very little surprises me these days.

2. Among others, these ten words were added to the Oxford English Dictionary this year...awesomesauce, beer o'clock, brain fart, buttdial, cat cafe (apparently this is a real thing), fatberg (gross-read the definition here), fat shame, hangry,Mx (gender neutral), and skippable. 

Your thoughts? In looking over the list, which word do you find most ridiculous? Which word would you never in a million years say out loud? Which word would you be most likely to use in conversation?

Ugh, ugh, ugh.  I like to think I would never say "fatberg" out loud, but I have used the phrases "brain fart" and "buttdial".   I would absolutely go to a cat cafe...but if that's what I wanted, I'll make my own cup of coffee and pet my own cat.

3. Do you like gravy? Is there a food you'd rather not eat unless it comes with gravy? Do you make your own or buy the canned or store-made variety? Turkey and gravy, sausage gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy, country ham and red eye gravy, biscuits and chocolate gravy, pot roast and gravy...which one on the list is your favorite?

I like gravy, but don't require it as such.  If I'm making it, it's likely to be from-scratch sausage gravy served over biscuits.

What is chocolate gravy?  I think I'd try that.
4. Do you have a plan? Do you need a plan? Have you ever had a plan fall into a trillion pieces? Explain.

I laughed at this, because parent-teacher conferences were last week.  My husband was out of town, and the neighbor lady's husband was out of town, and so the neighbor lady and I took turns watching each other's kids while we went to conferences.  That doesn't seem like it should have been a big deal to plan, but somehow we managed to make it a thing.  Anyway, Sunshine's teacher tells me she's very methodical and will be a notorious list-maker when she's older.

In a nutshell, yes, I like plans.  I can barely get through the day without saying "Okay, first I'm gonna do this, then I'm gonna go here, then I need to come home and work on this other stuff, then..."

It almost never works that way.  And most of the time, that's a really minor thing.
5. November 19 is National Play Monopoly Day. Do you own the original or some version of the game? Do you enjoy playing Monopoly? How likely is it you'll play a game of Monopoly on November 19th? Ever been to Atlantic City? Ever taken a ride on a railroad? Is parking in your town free? Last thing you took a chance on?

I actually have two versions of Monopoly.  We have the original version, and we have the electronic version (which is nice because there's no loose bits of paper to go EVERYWHERE when the box inevitably gets dropped).  We didn't play it today (the kids were at school, then at scouts, then doing homework) but that's life.  I've never been to Atlantic City, and I'm genuinely not sure how interested I am in doing so--nothing I've heard about it makes it sound appealing.  I have taken a ride on the railroad, and let me take a minute to say that I do love Amtrak.  Sure, it takes a long time, but it's pleasant and relaxing and I can take my OWN sandwiches, thankyouverymuch.  Parking is free in parts of town--other parts it's rather expensive.  Last thing I took a chance on...I really don't know.

6. A song you like that has the word (or some form of the word) thanks in the title, lyrics, or meaning?

For the Beauty Of The Earth

7. In keeping with this month's theme of gratitude....what is something you're taking for granted that when you stop and think about it, you're grateful for?

clean water.  I mean really.  It's hard to stay healthy without it.

A roof over my head.  It's easy to fall into the assumption that everyone has it, but it's a definite luxury.

My kids.  They drive me insane, but getting them here was HARD and I'm glad they're mine.
8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am stupidly excited for next week.  I haven't seen my sister in a long time.  We're going what I would term "back home" for Thanksgiving, and the kids will be taking their first ride in an airplane (Heaven help us!) and all misgivings aside, I hope it's as great in reality as it is in my heart already.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. In two or three sentences tell us what Veteran's Day means to you?

The men and women who have put themselves in harm's way for our safety deserve better than our nation treats them.  Their courage and integrity are inspirational.

2. What's your favorite film with a patriotic theme woven into the storyline?

I really liked the movie Men of Honor.

3. Flu shot-yes or no? If you answered no, do you plan to get a flu shot? If not, why not? Have you ever had the flu?
Yes, I've gotten mine this year.  The last time I had the flu was about three years ago, when they misjudged what the dominant strains would be and a lot of the people who got the shot wound up with the flu anyway.  I was one of those lucky ones.  Fortunately, my family didn't catch it.

4. I've seen lots of people posting pictures of their Christmas trees up and decorated. Many stores have had Christmas on display since well before Halloween. Red cups are back at Starbucks, sans the holiday decor, and that has some people up in arms. What are your thoughts on all the holiday ruckus this second week of November?
Putting a Christmas tree up this early isn't how I roll, but I understand why it makes my friends happy.  One of my friends said she does it because the kids love it, and they're only little for a short time.  The stores having their Christmas stuff up before Halloween wears me out, but I understand why it's up in November--how else am I supposed to decide how I'm decorating my house this year?  I think the people getting upset about the red cups have a really narrow view of what Christmas means--instead of getting upset about a cup, how about I take my own travel cup to my favorite coffee shop, get it filled up, and then buy some food for our local food pantry?

5. What 'critter' are you most afraid of encountering unexpectedly? Why that one?

Hm.  It's a toss up between a brown recluse spider or a house centipede.  House centipedes are creepy and like to hide in the folds of shower curtains or sneak out from things I'm trying to clean and it always creeps the bejabbers out of me.  Brown recluse spiders are on the list because I was bitten by one a few years ago, and it nearly cost me my left leg.  

6. Do you like building things? What's the last thing you 'built'?
I used to.  Don't have a lot of time for it anymore.  The last thing I built that required a workshop was a coffee table.  The last thing I built in my kitchen was a big pot of soup.

7. In keeping with this month's theme of gratitude...what are you most grateful for that brings beauty to your daily life?
My kids!  Love those little stinkers.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

To all the veterans in my life--thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Besides Thanksgiving, something you're looking forward to on your November calendar?

Whoo.  Well, "Thanksgiving" covers a lot of ground on my calendar, because we're travelling to visit my family for Thanksgiving.  I am looking forward to seeing my sister and her family again, and I'm looking forward to the kids' first trip on an airplane (and I'm grateful Sunshine has been medically cleared for air travel!), and I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends, and I'm looking forward to the photo session with my sister and her family and our faaaavorite photographer while we're there.

If you're talking about something other than that weekend, I'm looking forward to my son's first day at baseball clinics.

2.  If I gave you a thank you card right now who would you send it to and why?

Fascinating question.  I had to think about this one for a while, but I think I'd send it to my mother-in-law.  I'd explain why, but this blog is supposed to keep me focused on the positive things, and it's hard to explain how much she's had my back while keeping the bitterness out of it.

3. Of the breads listed, which one's your favorite...bagel, cinnamon, sourdough, garlic, banana, biscuit, pita, Naan, or plain old fashioned white bread?

garlic bread!  I love garlic bread.  (I miss garlic bread.)  There's a store here that sells a loaf of French bread with chunks of roasted garlic baked into it, and despite realizing that gluten and I don't get along, that bread is sorely tempting.

4. What's something you have in abundance? Is that a good thing?

LEAVES.  Oh my goodness.  One oak tree in our back yard, and it's a mess.  I guess I don't mind raking leaves, I just hate having to bag them and drag them to the front yard.

5. November 5th is National Love Your Red Hair Day. Are there any redheads in your family? Who's your favorite redhead?

My grandfather was a redhead back in his younger years.  So were both my uncles (on opposite sides of the family).  Grandpa died when I was 11, but my uncles are both still with us, and they're awesome.  Favorite (non-family) redhead crown has to go to my friend E, who is awesome and hilarious.

6.  The travel website Busbud recently calculated the most Instagrammed spot in every state. Go here to see what made the list where you live. Are you happy with your state's #1? If not what do you think should be the most photographed spot in your state? Have you snapped a photo there? If you live outside the USA answer as it relates to your state, city or province.

Ours is the Pittsburgh Zoo.  I've only been there once, and I'm not sure if I took a picture there or not.  (Probably?)  I have to admit to being surprised that it's there, because there's also Hershey, and Philadelphia, and Valley Forge, and Jumonville, and a whole truckload of other amazing things to see right here in Pittsburgh.  (The clipper fleet?  PNC Park?  The Point?  Mount Washington?  Even without the rest of the state, how did the zoo win the battle in Pittsburgh?)

7. I'm going to try to have something related to gratitude in this spot each week during the month of November. Here's this week's question-

What's something you've learned about yourself this year that you're grateful for?

I have learned that I don't actually give up, even when I want to or when I say I'm going to.  I would much rather just keep going forward.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am overjoyed that my hometown baseball team won the World Series!  The photos of the victory rally look overwhelming, and rumor has it that the number of attendees is almost double that of the actual population of the city herself, but in a crowd of 800,000 people, if nobody gets hurt and only three of them get arrested, I'm proud to watch how they celebrate by being a community rather than drunken rioting.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Are you comfortable with silence? If you're home alone, do you like silence or do you need regular background noise? Do you seek out times and places to be silent? What's your favorite place to find silence/be silent?

I am.  Eventually, I'll turn on some music or something, but I do enjoy quiet time.  My favorite quiet/silent place is in my home with a good book.

2. October 28th is National Chocolate Day. Can't let that go by without a mention now, can we? Will you celebrate? How? Let's say you can have one of the following right this very minute... a cup of hot chocolate, a strawberry dipped in chocolate, a bowl of plain chocolate ice cream, or a slice of chocolate pie...what's your pleasure?

Probably won't be celebrating.   But if I had to choose right now, I'd go for a cup of hot chocolate.  I'm coming down with some nastiness and would drink all the hot things if I could.

3. How do you feel about blue jeans? Favorite thing in the world to wear or nope, don't own a single pair? How often do you wear blue jeans in a typical week? Do you own a blue jean jacket?

It would be safer to say I almost never wear anything else.  I don't own a jean jacket but I practically live in my blue jeans.  So comfy.

4. Are you superstitious? If so, in what way?

Not really.  But I did see a black cat yesterday when the moon was full, is that anything?

5. If you had to come up with a costume using only things you have on hand right now, what could you come up with? 

Well fortunately, I have a cloak in my closet, and that covers a wide variety of things.  If only I had a wheelbarrow, I could go as the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride.

6. What scares you a little? What do you do when you feel scared?

Spiders.  When I find them I just vacuum them up.

7. Perhaps today will be the day I ______________________________.

finish putting the laundry away.  It was quite a weekend, so it didn't get done then...

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Scout's science class just wrapped up a unit on biology.  For the last few weeks, they've been raising African Dwarf Frogs and Fiddler Crabs in class.  Early last week, we got a letter from the teacher saying that the animals were going to be up for adoption and if they weren't adopted, she would have to dispose of them.

Scout would not hear of it.  And that is how we wound up with Billy Bob, the African Dwarf Frog.

Billy Bob likes to hide.  I can't get pictures of him because any time he senses me coming, he hides under his moss ball.  But he's cute and Scout is happy to have rescued the little guy.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. October 21, 2015 is Back to the Future Day. Did you see the movie? The sequels? In the second film, Doc takes Marty into the future to prevent Marty's future son from making a mistake. They leave 1985 and land on a 'skyway' on October 21st, 2015. So tell us, what were you doing in the fall of 1985?

In the fall of 1985, I was in kindergarten.  So I genuinely have no clear memories of anything in particular I was doing.  Filling out letter books, playing on the playground, that sort of thing.

2.  If time travel were possible, would you want to go to the future? The past?

The past.  I love history and I would love to witness it.

3. We're not flying cars, but some of the technology imagined in the 80's film has indeed come to pass in real life 2015-flat screen TVs on the wall, tablets, fingerprint recognition, video conferencing, online banking, 3-D movies, motion controlled video games, drone cameras, and smart glasses (Google glass).  Do you worry technology is growing at a rate so fast we'll soon be unable to keep up with it's demands? Do you think the Internet does more harm than good? 

No, I think any demands technology has will be within our capability to handle.  If not, it's ours to control.  And I think the Internet definitely does more good than harm--it makes keeping in touch with my distant family easy and makes finding out answers to the random questions that my kids come up with easy and it makes finding new recipes easy.  Love it.

4. Your favorite dish prepared in a slow-cooker? Your favorite fast food?

Slow cooker:  tortilla soup.  Fast food:....does Chipotle count?  I'm not all that into fast food...

5. No time like the present, down time, face time, pressed for time, in the nick of time, make time, mark time, or just in time...which timely saying most relates to your life right now? 

No time like the present.  I like to get things DONE so I can relax with my family and not panic, say, on Saturday when the house is still a mess and our friends are coming over to help us eat food on sticks.  (Side note! if anyone has good ideas for what to include on a veggie kabob that doesn't include mushrooms, let me know!)

6. Tell us about a place you went as a child or younger person that's no longer there or is now something else. How does that make you feel?

It's a weird thing to cross my mind, but my mom used to work at this little convenience store when I was a kid.  They moved to a new building, and for a while, the old one was kind of cursed--nothing lasted there for very long before going out of business.  I never knew why.  Then someone came in and opened our little town's only restaurant, and it was a great restaurant.

My first week away at college, the restaurant caught fire.  The owner was undaunted; he rebuilt and reopened with the community's help.  A few years ago, he'd sold the place to a couple young punks who wanted to run it "the right way", and when it caught fire again, they lost their nerve.  The building is still there, though no longer open.

The original owner is still in the barbecue business, and that's a very good thing.

7. Describe your comfort zone.
Someplace where shoes are optional and laughter is abundant.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Tomorrow we remember my mother, who passed fifteen days after my daughter was born.  She was so grateful she got a chance to meet Sunshine.  I've no pictures of the two of them together, because Mom would not have appreciated it, but I have a very clear memory of Mom lying in bed, with Sunshine in her arms.

Colder weather is here!

Scout's scout pack held their annual fall campout last night.  It got cold enough that the tent was covered in frost by morning.

So, of course, our furnace went out.  And apparently it's been nonfunctioning since Thursday and we never knew.

Since I'm supposed to be using this space to keep myself positive, let's hear it for:

• fuzzy socks!
• broccoli cheese soup!
• hot cider!
• slightly warmer weather on the way!
• banana bread!

note to self: go to store tomorrow, buy the stuff to make banana bread.

second note to self: find Grandma's banana bread recipe.  (I've tried lots of others, none quite compare to hers.)

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What's something that has recently 'tried your patience'?

Traffic.  The roads in our community aren't well laid out for alternate routes to most places, so when there's construction, things get chaotic.

2. Do you think patience comes to us naturally or is it something you have to learn as you grow? On a scale of 1-10 generally how patient are you? (1=I blow up at the drop of a hat and 10=I've got all the time in the world).

I think it's both.  Some people are just calmer, but I think people can learn to not sweat the small stuff.  On a scale of 1-10, in general I'm probably around a 6.  As patient as I try to be, once things start piling up it just doesn't work anymore.

3. Share about a time when you felt like you could fly. Or a time you wished you could fly. Or a time you felt like you were flying.

Every time we're on a road trip I wish I could fly there (mostly like a bird, since I'm not a fan of planes either).  Seems like it'd be easier than dealing with traffic (see #1).

4. Your favorite song with the word fly in the title or lyrics, or your favorite song that relates to flying in some way?

At the moment, it's probably "Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz.

5. What's in your fall picnic basket and where are we picnicking in your neck of the woods this time of year?

Well if I had a fall picnic basket, it'd contain cider, sausages, stuff for peanut butter sandwiches, or anything else that could be heated up over a campfire.  Because there's gonna be a campfire, right...?

We'd probably have our picnic somewhere near Jumonville.  It's a beautiful area this time of year.

6.  Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, landscaping...which skill would you most like to possess and how would you put that skill to use today?

Landscaping.  There's this big rock garden in my front yard that was probably really nice once upon a time, except now it's crumbling and I'm a little fed up with the fact that it blocks so much of my driveway.  That thing has got to go, and the retaining wall needs to be moved back about eighteen inches.  All I need is the knowledge to get rid of it and replace it with...something.

7. What's something you think is too expensive to justify buying lately?

A new van.  Or some of the stuff at the grocery store.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Grateful for the cooler weather.  The older I get, the more I realize summer is simply not my thing.

The last few days

OOF.

I spent the weekend at a scrapbooking retreat, which was a fun little getaway.  I spent most of it making Christmas cards, which will look something like this...

It's a work in progress.

But it was fun, and apparently I sullied my reputation, because I went along for the ride on Friday night when the lady who was running it went to pick up dinner, and when we got back, I was sitting next to someone I've actually known for a while.  After a few minutes, she asked me if I was doing shots, and yes.  Yes, I was.

ANYWAY.  The cards are all cut out (unless I decide I need more...?) and ready to assemble.  NOTHING made me tired of looking at this project like picking out all the tiny scraps of paper.

The last week has been full of things.  Between my MIL's visit, my daughter's birthday, my FIL's visit, and my husband getting some surprising good news from the doctor, it's been tiring.  I'm ready for tomorrow, when I'll have the house to myself, the quilting frame up and ready to go, and all the time I need to make wedding soup and baked apples for dinner.