Wednesday Hodgepodge

1.  Are there any men or women in blue on your family tree?
No, not that I'm aware of.  Lots of friends, though.

2. Are you someone who suffers from the Sunday night blues? What helps you get over it?
I can't say that I am.  By the time the weekend is over with, I'm ready for the week to start again.

3. I read the color blue is an appetite suppressant since there are very few naturally blue foods out there. How do you feel about blue cheese? Love it or blech? If you're a fan, what's something you like that's made with blue cheese?
No, no, no, no, no.  I cannot tolerate it.  Every time I've tried to get over my distaste for it has ended in regrets.

4. We can't head in to the Labor Day weekend without a related question, can we? Complete this thought: I work best when____________________. 

I have a list.  I love lists.  I make lists for everything.

5. 'Everything yields to diligence.' Antiphanes Your thoughts? (on this particular quote or on diligence in general)
Well maybe not EVERYTHING, but a lot of things...
6. The National Park Service turned 100 years old on August 25th. Have you been to many of America's National Parks? If so share with us a favorite or two. Which National Park would you most like to visit before the next birthday rolls around? 
Quite a few, actually.  I have seen the Flight 93 Memorial, Mount Rushmore, Rocky Mountain National Park, and the National Mall.  I love the Rockies and I would love to go see...something? before next August.

7.  Bid farewell to August in seven words or less.

Farewell overwhelming humidity!  Bring on autumn!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Sunshine had her most recent round of tests at the hospital today.  She came through with no complications.  Thank goodness that's all over with...

Wednesday Hodgepodge

I'm early this week!  Wow I feel so organized!

1. It's National Waffle Day (August 24th)...what decision are you currently 'waffling over'? (or share one you've recently 'waffled over')

Buying a new vehicle.  My current one is a van that hit 100,000 miles over the summer, and it is not handling its age well, mechanically or otherwise.  The paint job it received after I was rear-ended six years ago has not held up well.  The engine can't keep oil for very long.  The transmission has this lurch about it every once in a while.  It probably doesn't have another one of our long road trips left in it.  I've decided what I'd like my next one to be, but I hate buying new vehicles.

2. It's the middle of August, but I'm already seeing lots of autumn-related posts. Do you think we rush the seasons? If so, does that bother you? I saw (here) an end of summer bucket list that included-

make s'mores, read a new (or favorite) book in the park, eat something delicious and bad for you at a state fair, be a tourist for the day, have a pot luck picnic, book a last minute summer getaway, relax by or in the pool, take a hike to watch the sunset, have a day on the lake, try a new summer recipe

Which activities on the list might you squeeze in before summer officially comes to a close? 

It's a mark of a great summer that I've already gotten to do a lot of these things, or they're on the schedule.  I'd like a day on the lake, but "the lake" is three to four hours away and we don't actually have a boat.  Maybe a last minute getaway/hike to watch the sunset in the form of one last camping trip.

3. Your favorite summertime 'art' found in nature?

Clouds.  Anytime my kids are outside playing, somehow it always turns into finding shapes in the clouds.

4. Stephen R. Covey is quoted as saying 'We judge ourselves by our intentions, and others by their actions.' Agree or no? Do you define yourself based on your intentions, your actions, or something else? 

Sort of.  I think a lot of us are harder on ourselves than we are on others, but I also think it's easier to take our intentions into account because we know what they were to begin with.

5. Are you useful in a crisis? Elaborate. 

It really depends on the crisis.  For the most part, I think so, yes.  As long as I'm not the one in charge, I can handle a lot of things that need to be done.  In general, I don't know how to do anything but keep moving forward.

6. What's been your go-to dish this summer? Is it something you'll continue making as the seasons change?

There's been a couple of them.  Well, one of them is actually my son's.  He's got his mac and cheese that has been a big hit around here.  And I've been making a lot of fruit salad.  (Scout won't eat it because he doesn't like strawberries, but more for me!)

7. Adult coloring books are a thing now. Have you jumped on the bandwagon? If not is this something you think you might enjoy?

I have, and I love it when I have time to do it.  But summer isn't really a good time of year for "free time" in any form.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

School starts Monday, and my kids' classroom assignments arrived in the mail yesterday.  My daughter was disappointed to hear that most of her girl scout friends were going to be together--in a different classroom--until we found out her best friend was going to be in her class again.  Now she can't wait for school to start!  (They're good girls, but you'd think the school would have learned their lesson last year...)

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. I read here four creative activities to try this month. They were-calligraphy, make your own cookbook, dance or learn a new type of dance, and letter writing. Which activity on the list appeals to you most? Will you add it to your August? 

Probably make a cookbook.  I started a project some time ago for each of my kids, where I'd write down recipes I'd made that they enjoyed so they would have a collection of recipes when they moved out.  Now that Scout is full-tilt into learning to cook, it's time to get that project back out again.  (He's been making mac and cheese ever since I said something about it on Facebook...people at church keep requesting it!)

2. Bertrand Russell is quoted as saying, 'To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.' Agree or disagree? Explain. 

I think I agree.  Once you have everything you want, it seems like it'd be easy to stop trying.  That would be sad.

3. August 17th is National Thriftshop Day...are you a 'thrifter'? If so, tell us about one of your best or favorite finds. 

Not...really.  We don't have any good thrift stores close by.  I envy the people that find something simple and turn it into something fabulous, but that's never been my superpower.

4.  On a scale of 1-10 (with 1= almost none and 10=loads) how would you rate your sense of wanderlust? What kicks your wanderlust into high gear? 

I would guess it's about a 5.  It once was much, much higher, but I've been told to stay and keep waiting for so long that I'm not sure I want to go most of the places that were once on my "bucket list". 

5. Has life felt more like a marathon or sprint so far this month? How so?

This entire YEAR has felt like a sprint.  August is calmer, but still full of things.  Summer camp and a weekend of camping as a family and appointments and school starting and...oof.

6. What do you need to get a jump on before fall officially arrives? 

cleaning up this mess.

7. What's the last thing you did with friends or family where you lost track of time? 

A couple weeks ago, one of my friends (and the mother of one of Sunshine's friends) invited us over to spend an afternoon together while Scout was at church camp.  The girls played and we talked and before I knew it, it was four hours later and we had to go so we could have dinner ready when my husband got home.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Sunshine's next procedures have been scheduled for the end of the month, and I still don't know what time she's supposed to be at the hospital.  Very frustrating.