Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Have you ever been to and/or lived near the desert? What did you think? Travel and Leisure lists the 'coolest' American desert towns as-

Palm Springs CA, Virgina City NE, Bend OR, Winslow AZ, Marfa TX, Grand Junction CO, Silver City NM, Moab UT, Taos NM, Yakima WA, Borrego Springs CA, Terlingua TX, and St. George UT, and Tubac AZ

Have you been to any of these? Would you like to visit a desert town? Which on the list would you most like to see?

I've never lived in the desert, but we had a relative in Grand Junction that we went to visit on occasion when I was a kid.  Beautiful city.  I love it there.

Of the ones on the list, I'd probably go to Moab next.  No particular reason.

2. What's a plan or project you've deserted in the past year?

Trying to get organized.  For my next birthday, I'd like one of those people who comes in and tells me where everything is SUPPOSED to go to make my life easier.

3. Desert-dessert? Share two or three words you find yourself having to think twice about when it comes to spelling.  

Separate and desperate always trip me up.  I spelled both of them wrong just now.

4. High and dry, like watching paint dry, dry run, dry as dust, not a dry eye in the house...which phrase can you relate to currently? Explain. 

Not a dry eye in the house.  Scout is in his last year of elementary school, and as I was waking Sunshine yesterday, I noticed how very long her legs are getting (she's a restless sleeper--was half out of bed and everything).  It's a humbling experience watching them grow.

5. How often do you frequent the dry cleaners? Starch or no starch?  

I almost never go to the dry cleaners.  Husband has a couple sweaters I need to take to them, but other than that, all the clothes we wear on a regular basis are machine washable.  And no starch--if I have to wear something, it better be comfortable.

6. What's a food or beverage you enjoy that's named for a place? 

New England clam chowder.  My kids probably wouldn't eat it, but that won't stop me from making some sometime soon.  

7. Do you need solitude? 

Doesn't everyone?  To be fair, I've gotten way more of it than I bargained for since we moved here, but it'll all work out.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

...my kids probably won't eat this chile relleno soup I made earlier, either.  Guess it's up to me to finish it...

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What's changed in your life, home, or community since your last birthday? 

Well, ordinarily I'd say this seems a little unfair, since my last birthday was less than a month ago.   But then yesterday, we got rid of my van.  It was well over 100,000 miles and the engine was starting to burn oil, the rockers were rusting, the body was in meh shape, and it was having electrical issues.  Now I drive this bad girl:

Help me name her!

2. September is Classical Music Month. Do you like/listen to classical music? If so what's a favorite piece and/or who is a favorite composer? 

Not often, to be honest.  It's rapidly becoming my son's favorite thing, though, and he seems to have a preference for Bach.

3. Besides The Bible, what's a book that has positively changed your life, relationships, career, or perspective? How so? 

Interesting question.  I'm having a hard time coming up with an answer.  I've been reading nonfiction lately--The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom is the one I most recently finished.  The story is a sad one, but it makes me approach things with just a little more care in mind.  We're reminded to be thankful in ALL things, not just the things that make us comfortable.  Corrie and her sister were imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, and if they can find gratitude in their situation, all of us can.

4. I read (here) these ten hobbies will make you smarter...play a musical instrument, read voraciously, meditate regularly, work out your brain (puzzles, sudoku, board games, etc), exercise often, learn a new language, write your feelings down (blog, journal, just write), travel to new places, cook different kinds of meals, participate in sports actively

Are any on this list your current hobbies? Which hobby on the list would you be most inclined to try? 

I play guitar, I read all the time, I pray, I take yoga twice a week, I cook, and I write when I remember to.  So this kind of IS my hobby list...

5. What sports traditions does your family have? 

Everyone else ignores them and leaves me alone while I watch football.  It kind of works.

6. In a few words, weigh in on the current football/National Anthem brouhaha. Keep it family friendly please.

Had the people protesting been doing so by jeering or mocking everyone, I would be less understanding.  But...I'm not proud of the way our country has handled civil rights, and I think sometimes these men and women have a point.  Their protest is one of quiet civil disobedience, and that is respectable.  I hope they're somehow able to effect positive changes. 

7. Where do you have loads of patience, and where do you most lack patience? 

I have loads of patience when it comes to food.  If it takes me three hours to prepare something, so be it.  I have no patience when it comes to getting my kids to cooperate in the morning.  I'm a breath away from announcing it's time to put on shoes, and I'm guessing Scout is nowhere NEAR ready.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS, man.  Augh.

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.

CSA

At the beginning of the year, we signed up for a CSA package.  So far, it's been amazing.  We've eaten more vegetables, more fruit, and different cheeses, we've gotten jars of raw honey and good maple syrup, and locally made tomatillo salsa, and it's been fantastic.

But then it gets overwhelming.  To be fair, it's been kind of a crazy summer, and our ability to stay home has been uncertain to say the least.  I'm trying to keep up with the vegetables, but it hasn't worked well (and that's after two weeks of eating nothing but salads for lunches).

For instance, right now, I have eight ears of corn, eight HUGE zucchini, four cucumbers, a pound of beets, two pounds of green beans, a whole LOT of salad greens, four pounds of peaches, a pound of blueberries, a pound of jalapeños, and a big jar of applesauce that are all gonna go bad if I don't do something soon.  And I don't really have a good kitchen for canning a lot of stuff.

So I broke out my dehydrator.  Right now, the zucchini is in it, and it's full, and I still have one and a half zucchini left to go.  (There's more stuff from above, but if you have a dehydrator, and a small kitchen like I do, you do NOT want to dehydrate four big heads of garlic.  WHOO that gets overwhelming.)

I'll keep the green beans, the corn, and most of the peaches around.  The rest of it is all going to get dried.  I think I'll turn the vegetables into a veggie powder so as to hide it in things like meatballs and soups (THEY WILL EAT THEIR VEGETABLES, BAHAHAHA!).  The applesauce is going to make a fantastic fruit leather.

It's going to take a while to do it, and I'll have to eat some of the salad stuff while I'm at it (that's okay, I know I need to lose weight anyway), but at least it'll all get done.

A side note--I know I'm getting green tomatoes soon, and I know someone with my heritage is supposed to be super pumped about the idea of fried green tomatoes, but...they're not my thing.  What else could I make with them?

Another side note--know what's good with chevre?  EVERYTHING.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why?
(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)

It's been so full of extremes I don't even know how to answer.  Vacation and getting to see my sister and her family definitely rates a 10.  There's a lot of other things that rated a 1.  As this is supposed to be my attempt to keep on the sunny side, I don't talk about the lows much here.

2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who call you Aunt (or Uncle).

I wouldn't say I had many.  I had three uncles and two aunts, and I wouldn't say I was particularly close to any--we had one that was around more than the rest, and I always thought he was pretty cool (most people think he's weird, and he is, but he's friendly and he's fun and he's definitely his own person).  I am an aunt, I have three beautiful nieces and I adore them.  

A favorite memory is a little hard to come by, but I'll go with one from when I went back home for my grandmother's funeral earlier this year.  My sister was kind enough to let me stay at her place, and early the next morning I heard tiny footsteps accompanied by "Do you think Aunt B is awake yet? Let's go see!" and giggles.  

The joke was on them--I was indeed awake, and ready to surprise them.  :)

3. What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate? What's your favorite food dipped in cheese?

Dipped in chocolate: strawberries, or pretzels.  Dipped in cheese: probably bread chunks. 

4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.

Scout has been honing his cooking skills.  The other night, he made pancakes for everyone for dinner.  Start to finish.  I didn't stir, I didn't pour, I didn't flip, all I did was get out an egg for him.  He did the rest, including the recipe tweaks (which pretty much amount to a splash of vanilla and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar).  They came out really good and I'm really proud of him.

5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered?

Well I tripped over the ironing board this morning, does that count?

6. What's your favorite story from scripture? Why that story?

Jesus heals on the Sabbath.  The reason why is best summed up in Luke 6:9--Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?

Wow, just five cities...it's a big country!  But I choose Juneau, Alaska; Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; Nashville, Tennessee; and Charlotte, North Carolina.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm ready for cooler weather!