Wednesday Hodgepodge

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

I'm not sure anything surprises me anymore. To be sure, this isn't what I expected, but it is what it is.

2.  Sweet potato fries, sweet potato casserole, a baked sweet potato, a bowl of butternut squash soup, a caramel apple or a slice of pumpkin pie...you have to order one thing on this list right now. Which one do you go for?

A baked sweet potato, please.  I do love sweet potatoes.  (I love pumpkin pie, too, don't get me wrong...but...)

3. What's a famous book set in your home state? Have you read it? On a scale of 1-5 (5 is fantastic) how many stars does it rate?

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  On the scale, I'd rate it a 4--it was a good book, but it didn't compel me to pick up any of the other books in the series.

4. There are 60 days until Christmas...have you started your shopping? How do you stay organized for the holidays?

HAHAHAHAHA!  Oh, you were serious.  Um, no, I haven't started shopping yet; and organization is a thing of the past.

5. October 26th is National Tennessee Day. Have you ever lived or spent any time in Tennessee? Is this a state you'd like to visit one day? The top rated tourist attractions in Tennessee are-

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park (Gatlinburg area), Elvis's Graceland (Memphis), Birth of the Music Biz (Memphis and Nashville), Dollywood (Pigeon Forge), Tennessee's Military Heritage (many battlefields), The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home), The Parthenon (Nashville), Oak Ridge American Museum of Science and Energy, Chattagnooa and the Tennessee Valley Railroad, Downtown Knoxville, Lookout Mountain, The Titanic Museum (Pigeon Forge), The Museum of Appalachia (Clinton), and The Lost Sea Adventure (Sweetwater)

How many on this list have you seen? Which one on the list would you most like to see?

I've never seen any of them, though I hear a great deal about the Great Smoky Mountain National Park...so I suppose I'll choose that one.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Fall is finally here, and I'm glad it is...but honestly, I wish it had arrived on a day when I could stay home and make chicken noodle soup for dinner instead of running everywhere...

My ray of sunshine

This tale starts on a Wednesday morning.

I was heavily pregnant.  My high-risk doctor had scheduled me for an appointment, so I was wobbling my way through the parking lot at the hospital (where his office was).  I know it was 11:00, because the state of Kansas tests the tornado sirens the first Wednesday of every month at 11:00.  And the sirens had started to go off in the distance.

I chuckled to myself and called my boss.  We were fortunate enough to share a workspace situated directly below one of those sirens, and it always brought work to a grinding halt for a few minutes because the sirens were so loud, we literally couldn't do anything else but wait for it to be over.  So I called her and jokingly asked, "So are the sirens working?" because that's the kind of rapport we had.

I won't repeat her reply, because it's family-unfriendly.  Because that's the kind of rapport we had.

Anyway, I signed in for my appointment and situated myself on the table for my bazillionth ultrasound for this pregnancy.  I was lucky enough to live near a high-risk prenatal specialist with all the equipment on hand, and they used it enthusiastically.

"Good morning," he said as he walked in.  "38 weeks...let's take some measurements."

I agreed and settled back for what had become routine.  I barely listened as he called out numbers to the nurse sitting at the computer behind him.  But it got my attention when he turned to her and said, "So, where are we at?"

The nurse didn't reply immediately.  When she did, she said "Second percentile."

The temperature in the room dropped by about fifteen degrees.  "Say again?"

She didn't say it.  She didn't have to.  The doctor had walked over to the computer to review everything.  I was whisked down the hall to a room with a large, squashy chair in it but not much else and told to have a seat.

When the doctor came in, it was with the news that something was going very, very wrong.  The baby that I'd been trying so hard to take care of was measuring at about 15 weeks, and they needed to get her out before tragedy struck our family again.

"Okay, when?" I asked stupidly.  It wasn't that I hadn't caught on, it was that I was in denial.

"As soon as possible.  If not, sooner."

Five frantic hours later, I'd rushed home, packed a bag, told my boss, set my away message on my work phone, picked up my son from day care, run him over to my sister's, and rushed back to the hospital.  The baby never stopped moving.  The whole time, she thrashed and struggled as if to tell me that she was still there and things were still okay.

An hour after that, doctors placed a nearly-seven-pound bundle into my husband's arms.  She was here, and she was healthy, and the doctor shrugged and phoned in a request for his instruments to be checked.

Today, Sunshine is eight years old, and she's just as unstoppable now as she was then.

Wait, what?

Really? A non-Hodgepodge post?  Yup...

I talked briefly a while back about when that tree came down on our house a few weeks ago (on my 37th birthday, in fact)...repairs are done, and the room that will eventually belong to Sunshine is well underway.  The floor is getting redone, and I finally got all her favorite My Little Pony characters traced onto the walls, and I should be able to start painting those tomorrow.

Meanwhile, take a look at a fun thing we got to do over the weekend...

The people who organize our local marathon also organize a few other races throughout the year, and we decided to give the Flyby 5K a try.  There's two races--the 5K itself, and an untimed 2-mile "fun run" that we were more comfortable participating in.  All four of us were signed up.  Scout and my husband were a minute ahead of us.  Sunshine and I made a deal ahead of time to run across the finish line, no matter what, and that's what we did--in a time of almost exactly 34 minutes.  The race itself was along a runway at the airport, and it was a fascinating ground-level view of a lot of things I've never seen up close before.  At the end of it, we all got medals, and we all agreed we were in for it next year.

Running is not exactly a "passion" of mine, per se.  But I do enjoy it, and I'm so grateful I finally got my family to go along with me.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What pets did you have while growing up? Tell us a little something about them.

Quite a few, actually.  We had two dogs--both wonderfully sweet.  One was incredibly smart (like you could tell him to pick up his toys and he'd do it), and the other was one of the dumbest creatures ever called into existence.  Also two cats--again, total opposites.  One was a good mouser and was a loving cat; the other was a lazy, mean, hissing ball of spite and fangs.
Also, birds.  Mom loved finches, and we had a number of them over the years. 

2. What is one thing you absolutely must accomplish today?

I have to get a new coffee grinder.  the lid on mine (that actually operates the grinding mechanism) snapped this morning.  If I go through tomorrow without coffee, I will also snap.

3. Where were you ten years ago? What were you doing there?

Living in our former city, working for the local government.  I miss having a job--sometimes.

4. September 26th is National Dumpling Day. Did you celebrate? Apple dumpling, xiao long bao (steamed Chinese dumpling), chicken and dumplings, pirogi, matzoh balls, or gnocchi...which dumpling on this list would be your dumpling of choice? Have you ever made homemade dumplings of any kind?

I did! I made gnocchi sautéed in sage butter.  I've tried making homemade pirogi before (because I wanted a gluten free version) and it was sort of a mess and it was hard with limited space, but it turned out..well actually it turned out kind of meh.  I've also made chicken and dumplings before, it was tasty and I had fun making it.

5. 'There are two kinds of adventurers: those who go truly hoping to find an adventure and those who go secretly hoping they don't.' William Trogdon

So which kind are you?

I would like to say I truly hope to find an adventure, but right now I'm a little tired of adventures and I would like to just quietly enjoy a day.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

At long last, the contractors are done.  And just in time for an overwhelming amount of fundraiser information to be coming home.  I understand the need for them but I kind of wish they'd just ask me for a check.  Until then, if you need candles, candy, nuts, magazines, cookie dough, or popcorn....and no, I'm not joking.  That's an incomplete list of the stuff my children are currently selling.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Hey y'all!  Here's hoping to get back into the swing of things...

1. Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.
Sometimes.  Sometimes, a picture says things that can't easily be articulated in any other way.

2. Have you ever driven any part of the Pacific Coast Highway? If so what was your favorite stop? If not, is this sort of trip on your bucket list?
No, I've never been that far west in America.  I'm not a huge fan of road trips in general anymore, to be honest.  I suppose I'd be happy to take it by train, but not if I'm driving.

3. How do the changing seasons affect you? As the seasons change do you find yourself looking more forward or backward? Which season-season transition bothers you most? Why do you suppose that is? 
The fall-to-winter transition is hardest on me.  Makes my back ache a lot more.  I do love summer-to-fall, though, it makes me look forward to fresh apples and pumpkin everything.

4. It's your birthday and you get to pick the dinner menu. What are we having? Do you ever lie about your age?
Something with cheese!  Seriously, though, my mood varies so much it's hard to pick one particular thing.  We went to a Mexican place for my birthday this year, if that counts.

I don't generally lie about my age.  For the time being, I don't feel like I have anything to hide.

5. What's a life lesson you've learned recently?
Not sure how to articulate this one.  We got a big life lesson when that tree came crashing down on our house.  It's still in a state of disrepair.  But the new roof is on, and the inside work is starting...uh, today, actually.  But I've learned I can deal with a few weeks of chaos if I know for certain things will be better in the end.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.
I never posted the obligatory first day of school pictures!  Scout is starting sixth grade, Sunshine is starting second.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Did you watch the solar eclipse? Your thoughts? Sun Chips, Moon Pies, Starburst candies, a Blue Moon beer, a Sunkist orange, or a Milky Way candy bar...what's your favorite eclipse related snack on this list?

We did!  The kids were mesmerized by it.  We had a fantastic time playing outside and watching the sun disappear little by little.  We weren't in the path of totality, but we saw a lot of it!

I wanted to get Moon Pies, but the store was sold out.  Not that I'm surprised...
2. What are you 'over the moon' about these days? What's something you enjoy doing every 'once in a blue moon'?

The cooler weather.  I'm not necessarily meant for winter, but I like it when fall starts to arrive.

Once in a blue moon...I...don't know what I like to do.  I seem to be kind of all-or-nothing about things.
3. Tell us about something in the realm of science that interests you. How do you feed that interest?

Electronics.  I used to have an IT job that I loved, but I left that job long ago.  So I try to help out when I can.

4. What are a few things you remember about going back to school as a child?

Nervously looking around my classroom to see if any of my friends were there.  Wondering what the teacher would be like.

5. I've seen several versions of this around the net so let's make one of our own...share with us five words that touch your soul and briefly tell us why.

Huh, I haven't seen anything like this!

peace
service
sharing 
understanding
love

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Tuesday was my 37th birthday (though a lot of people in my orbit have started joking that I'm turning 29 again). I don't mind getting older, I kind of feel like I've earned it.

It was also the day a tree landed on my house about ten minutes after I took the kids to Scout's violin lesson.  Everyone is okay, but the house is in desperate need of some repairs.  But everyone's okay, and since my son had actually been IN the room that got the most severe damage about fifteen minutes before that tree came down...we're hugely blessed to all be safe.

In other news, I'm redecorating a room, and I'm totally open to ideas anyone has...

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do your actions match your words? Elaborate.

I hope so.  I like to think I can be relied upon to be honest.  It's harder during the summer, when I can't do ANYTHING without having to open a juice box or answer a question about cats or settle a debate about anything...

2. Sick as a dog, go to the dogs, dog days of summer, dog tired, it's a dog's life, every dog has it's day, can't teach an old dog new tricks...now doggone it which saying could most recently be applied to your life?

Dog days of summer.  It hasn't been that hot here, which is good, but it's closing in on the beginning of the school year, and we're running out of energy and time to do everything.  

3. Your favorite book featuring a dog in the storyline? What makes it a favorite?

Is anyone gonna laugh if I say Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?  I know the dog was Sirius, but he was a good boy.  Yes he was.  

4. What's something you hope to one day have the confidence to do?

Speak up.  There's kind of a lot of stuff going on, and I wish I had the spine to make my opinion clear.  I feel like my own blog should be a safe place for me to say something, but I've seen people get burned by that in the past.  The only thing I think we can all agree on here is we don't have the time or the place in our lives for hating one another.

5. August 16th is National Tell a Joke Day. So tell us a joke.

I stole this one from my son, who wrote it down and put it in his sister's lunchbox.
What sound do porcupines make when they kiss?
...
...
...
Ouch!

(Putting jokes in Sunshine's lunchbox is kind of our thing.  I'm gonna need some ideas for the coming school year, so hit me with your best ones!  She's gonna be eight in October, if that helps...)
6. Insert your own random thought here.

I discovered the other day that most of my tea towels have holes in them.  What the heck?  So I ordered a bunch of new ones, and I ordered some of those designs that you iron on to embroider over so they wouldn't be so BORING but turns out, I don't know how to use an iron because the pattern I was trying to iron on to a towel this morning only got half transferred.  I have no idea what I'm doing and I kinda feel like less of an adult because of it.