Category: WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE

Part of this week’s Wednesday Hodgepodge plays right into yesterday’s Tuesday 4. You can play along over at Wednesday Hodgepodge.

Today is Mickey Mouse’s birthday…happy birthday Mickey! Have you ever been to Disney, any of the parks at all? Are you a Disney super fan or something less than that? They’re open right now, so tell us, would you go if you had the time/money/a free trip?

I absolutely adore Disneyland! When I was a kid we lived in southern California and Disneyland as well as Knott’s Berry Farm were the big attractions.  Grams and gramps would go all the way to Knott’s Berry Farm with its Old Western Town feel JUST for the Sunday Chicken dinner that they were famous for. I was all about HIGHER and FASTER so it was roller coasters for me – Matterhorn, Space Mountain etc… but I’m also a sucker for the Haunted House, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Jungle Cruise and It’s a Small World.  As for the foods at sit down places, my all time favorite was a Monte Cristo at the Blue Bayou along the river that runs through the Pirates of the Caribbean or the Polynesian Chicken at the Tiki Hut which unfortunately has been gone a long, long time. And the Fried Chicken dinner I mentioned above at Knott’s Berry Farm was always a treat.  We didn’t get many snack foods as my family was more into “real” meals. While I am staying socially distanced, wearing my mask and mostly staying home, I would consider a free trip if I was assured of reduced crowds and a socially distanced line queue, but NOT under previous protocols.

Your favorite place to go when you want to be quiet as a church mouse? Would those who know you well describe you as more church mouse or perhaps more like mighty mouse? 

This is a completely open ended question as for how others view me – totally depends on the circumstances of any given event. As for where I go to be quiet, I either go for a drive to do some photography or a hike.

The day before Mickey’s birthday happens to be National Homemade Bread Day. Did/will you celebrate? Do you bake your own bread? Last time you had hot out-of-the-oven homemade bread? What’s your favorite kind of bread?

Yesterday was my dad’s birthday or would have been if he was still with us. Despite being National Bread Day, I always make an Upside Down Pineapple Cake – his favorite.

I do bake my own breads for the most part and my favorite bread is a super sour sourdough, but it’s really hard to find these days! If I were making homemade bread today it would probably be beer bread to go with chili at this time of the year. I did recently see a fun new Ice Cream Bread over at Slow Roasted Italian that I want to try soon.  

What’s something you might say is ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread’? 

I guess that would have to be technology – things like cell phones and laptops. I find it utterly amazing the amount of information we literally have at our fingertips.

Let’s keep the gratitude theme we started last week rolling on through November. Share with us five little things you’re grateful for today. Small blessings. One catch-they all must start with the letter T. Gotta keep us thinking, right? 

• Toasty Warm Socks to keep my toes warm
• Turkey Breasts for roasting
• Time to myself each day for reading
• Tea
• Tried and True/Timeless family recipes

Boo, boo-hoo, make a boo-boo, boo(ze)…pick one and tell us how it relates to life lately. I actually can’t drink anymore because of my health issues, but if I could I’d choose Seagrams 7&7 or Malibu & Coke.  That said I thought this shirt was rather appropriate for the year 2020.

Do you like the color orange? Would we find this color in your home? Your wardrobe? Peach-pumpkin-tangeringe…your favorite shade of the three listed? Nope, none of the above!

October 28th is National Chocolate Day. What’s the last chocolate something you tasted? I had a couple of hubbys’ whoopers last night.  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being out of this world delicious, how would you rate it? They’re good, but my ALL time favorite is See’s milk chocolate Bordeauxs. I rate them a 10+

Life is like a box of chocolates or so says Forrest Gump’s mama. Would you agree?  Aside from the pandemic fallout tell us one way this saying has played out in your life. YEP, I seriously agree.  I had an aunt who used to say, “Man plans, God laughs”.  And because she always said this to me I grew up learning to “roll with the punches”.

As October winds down tell us three things you loved about the month we’re bidding adieu. Oh this is easy!

• Fall decorating starts.
• The weather changes to cool and crisp.
• Cinnamon and pumpkin are acceptable flavors!

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Head over to get the questions and answer them on your blog. Come play along!

2. Do you enjoy browsing second-hand shops? Last thing you bought or ‘inherited’ second hand? I LOVE second hand shops AND antique stores in general. There are priceless finds just waiting to be found. Over our anniversary we were out antiquing and visiting second hand shops when hubby found me a hundred old notebook full of handwritten recipes that we purchased.
3. Something you had second thoughts about after committing to, purchasing, or posting/commenting  online? That would have to unequivocally be the decision to go to Texas to help out my uncle with my grandparent’s house after my cousin passed away. Long story, but you can find the whole story and the pictures to go with it here (A House From Hell) if you are interested.

4. What’s a product or service you use that you’d rate as second to none? Hmmm this is a tough category. Honestly, NOTHING is coming to mind right now.

5. Something you do so often or that comes so naturally to you it’s second nature? Besides the obvious answer of breathing, there are a few not so obvious answers for me… cooking, improvising when necessary to complete household tasks especially when rehabbing houses…

6. Insert your own random thought here.

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Head over to get the questions and answer them on your blog. Come play along!

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Head over to get the questions and answer them on your blog. Come play along!

• Five years ago this month hubs and I relocated from New Jersey to the Palmetto State. What were you doing five years ago this month? 5 years ago today we were preparing to move to Texas to help my uncle by rehabbing my grandparent’s house after my cousin passed – still the worst decision ever, but that’s another story!
• What was the last 9-5 job you worked? Tell us about it. I’ve NEVER actually had a job that was literally 9 to 5, so we’ll take that to mean a Monday-Friday “daytime job 😀 I managed an auto body repair shop for several years. I did whatever it took to make the day happen from fetching parts, picking up the owner’s kids from school, accounts receivable and payable etc…
  
• Plead the fifth, high five, take five, it’s five o’clock somewhere, or the big 5-0…which number five phrase relates to your life in some way currently? Tell us how. It has to be IT’S FIVE O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE 😀 amid all the stress of the pandemic, quarantining and nowhere to go or anything to do with all the closures 😀
  
• During this season of spending so much time at home, what distractions get in the way of being your most productive? Or have you been extra productive since this whole thing started? I’ve actually been super productive as much as possible. 
  
• Give us a list here of your top five anything. Things that make me happy 😀

1. CLEAN & ORGANIZED
2. FLOWERS
3. FRESH FRUIT
4. HOME COOKED MEALS
5. MUNCHKIN HUGS

• Insert your own random thought here.

Wednesday Hodgepodge is hosted over at From This Side of the Pond

1. Last time you moved house? Something you’ve learned in moving house? Last time we moved was a surreal and emotional move.  We had been rehabbing my grandparent’s house for my uncle (who eventually swindled us out of about $75,000 – but that’s another story).  It was a cross country move, so pretty expensive.  The thing I have learned the most is to ONLY move the most important things.  If it’s a cross country move there are a ton of things that are better donated and repurchased on the other end – things like toasters, coffee pots, patio furniture which is big, bulky and heavy, etc…

2. Move mountains, move along, make a wrong move, moved to tears, get a move on, move up, move over, move out of the way, move the deck chairs on the Titanic, move it!…pick one and tell us how it fits your recent circumstances. Tough topic in this COVID world we are living in since I feel like I’m not moving at all, except in circles while we wait for the world to calm itself down.  So of those choices, I guess I’ll move on.  Move on as in taking one day at a time and moving forward despite all that is going on around us.

3. What have you been doing to make yourself move (aka stay fit-active) during these strange times? When this all began I spent a ton of time outside – we literally had most of the summer projects done during the spring  which included new garden beds, flowers, pruning and pressure washing all the concrete surfaces.

4. This week’s calendar includes celebrations for the following foods- National Coffee Milkshake Day (Sunday), National Creme Brûlée Day (Monday), National Milk Chocolate Day (Tuesday), National Chicken Wing Day (Wednesday), National Lasagne Day (Wednesday), National Cheesecake Day (Thursday), and National Avocado Day (Friday)
Which one on the list would you be most inclined to celebrate? I would definitely celebrate Milk Chocolate Day, Chicken Wing Day, Lasagna Day, Cheesecake Day  and Avocado Day.

Which would you be most inclined to skip? I would skip Coffee Milkshake Day and Creme Brulee Day – not a fan of either one.

5. Next week’s Hodgepodge lands in August! I know!! Raise your hand if you feel like July flew by in the blink of an eye? Now bid farewell to your July acrostic style.

Bright and Cheery,
Yet dismal and dreary,
Every day starts a new
Just as it’s supposed to.
Until we again realize,
Life goes on and on
Yielding both sadness and happiness.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. I have to say that I truly have no random thoughts today. HA HA 😀

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge over at This Side of the Pond.

1 The Hodgepodge lands this year on National Secret Keeping Day…on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being I’m a blabbermouth and 10 being I’m a vault) how good are you at keeping secrets? Of the following nine jobs listed for people who can keep a secret-cybersecurity worker, executive assistant, housekeeper, lawyer, nuclear plant technician, physician, private investigator, psychologist, security guard, which one most interests you and why?

This is an interesting question to say the least!  At one point I was an executive assistant and very good at the job and keeping things quiet when they needed to be.  I have also kept MANY secrets for people over the years.  I’m still keeping some for my cousin even after 22 years, BUT I am a BIG believer in NOT keeping secrets as a general rule.  I do discern between whether it is mine to tell or needs to be told by someone else as in my cousin’s case 😀  But, of these jobs if I were to pick the one that most interests me it would probably be a psychologist.  I really wonder what makes people tick! And what better way to figure that out than by hearing their secrets.

2 What’s the secret of life (or one of them anyway)?

Another thought pondering question.  For me, it would be NOT TO SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF and to remember that IT’S ALL SMALL STUFF.  Once something has happened, you cannot go backwards and undo it, so it is important what you do to learn from it and move forward.  IT IS WHAT IT IS and life goes on.  STAY POSITIVE!

3 Off the record, best-kept secret, a fly on the wall, top secret, my lips are sealed, secret shopper, as quiet as a mouse, poker face, spill the beans, open secret, bite your tongue…which secret idiom can you best relate to right now? Explain.

Right now, BITE YOUR TONGUE works for me.  We’re going through some things with hubby’s little sister and the less I say the better.

4 Spill here the secret ingredient in one of your favorite recipes?

QUALITY is the secret ingredient whether it’s cinnamon, honey or vinegar…  There is a difference in the brands.  Find the QUALITY one with the least amount of preservatives or additives and the most natural, flavorful taste and you have a winner.  The old adage, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR is ever so true when it comes to QUALITY ingredients.

5 My mama celebrates a big birthday tomorrow (Wednesday).  Share a favorite quote, song lyric, saying, or verse of scripture that will add some sunshine to her day (ours too!)

DON’T JUST COUNT YOUR YEARS, MAKE YOUR YEARS COUNT! ~GEORGE MEREDITH

6  Insert your own random thought here.

 

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge over at This Side of the Pond.

1 ARE YOU CURRENTLY MAKING PLANS OF ANY KIND? WHAT EMOTIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS? HAVE YOU HAD TO CANCEL ANY PLANS DUE THE CURRENT SITUATION?

We had to cancel several plans during the spring including a family reunion. We haven taken one trip to my SIL’s house that went well, but was a bit different. And now we are planning a trip to see friends in another state. In a “normal” world we would just take off an see where we ended up along the way.  In “THIS” world we are having to check distances, look for “SAFE” stops along the way to buy gas and use restrooms and make overnight reservations at “SAFE” locations. We will be packing a ice chest with snacks for along the way.

2 LAST TIME YOU SAW THE STARS, LITERALLY OR FIGURATIVELY?

Living in the country we can literally see the stars every night – at least those without cloud cover.

3 BLUEBERRIES, YAY OR NAY? BLUEBERRY PIE, BLUEBERRY MUFFINS, BLUEBERRY YOGURT, BLUEBERRIES BY THE HANDFUL… WHAT’S YOUR PLEASURE?

I love blueberries, but I am picky about them.  I only like the small WILD blueberries. I LOVE blueberry muffins, but are not a fan of blueberry pie.  I am NOT fond of eating them plain, but love them in vanilla yogurt with a handful of granola. 

4 SWIM AGAINST THE TIDE, SWIMMING UPSTREAM, IN THE SWIM, SINK OR SWIM, MAKES YOUR HEAD SWIM… CHOOSE A “SWIM” IDIOM AND TELL US HOW /WHY YOU RELATE?

Of those choices SINK OR SWIM fits my life best.  It’s along the lines of TRY, TRY AND TRY AGAIN.  I just don’t give up , but keep trying until I get it right.

5 SUM UP YOUR JUNE IN A SINGLE SENTENCE.

I don’t need a WHOLE sentence.  A SINGLE word will do it! SURREAL 😀

6 INSERT YOUR OWN RANDOM THOUGHT HERE.

Years ago, hubby and I made a pact to quit watching the news so much. We always end the day with some old stupid comedy. As I observe so many others around me I see them watching more and more news, reading more and more facebook posts, many of which are either weeks old, but being passed along as if they are new news or some of them are actually FAKE news. There needs to be less media or MORE RESPONSIBLE media as well as MORE FACT CHECKING, DATE CHECKING, SOURCE VERIFICATION…

It’s Hodgepodge time! Head over to From this Side of the Pond for this week’s question if you’d like to play along.

1. THIS TIME LAST YEAR WHERE WERE YOU?

This time last year we had just gotten back from my sister-in-laws house and I was working on some fun new summer recipes getting ready to celebrate the 4th with friends. I had just developed my latest cheesecake recipe for Blueberry Lime and learned to make Malasadas. This year will be a super quiet summer while still social distancing.

2. In honor of National Pink Day (June 23rd) tell us your favorite pink food or beverage. Was it on the menu at your house yesterday? Do you like to wear the color pink? If we came to visit would we find this color in your home decor? Blush-fuschia-salmon-raspberry-your favorite shade of pink?

Lately I’ve been loving a guava passion fruit juice and it is the prettiest shade of pink, but last night with dinner we had some pretty pink watermelon too.  I have been eating it with a balsamic glaze reduction YUMMY! Typically I am not a pink kind of girl, but I do have a few summer blouses with some hints of pink in them and I did happen to wear a pink t-shirt yesterday 😀 and my toes are a bubblegum pink for summer right now.  As for a favorite, probably fuschia bordering on magenta, but you won’t find it in my decorating except at Christmas time 😀

3. Stop and smell the roses, looking through rose colored glasses, a rose by any other name, not all moonlight and roses, no rose without a thorn…which rosy saying currently fits your life in some way? Explain.

HMMMMM tending to be an optimistic person at all times this is a hard choice for me.  I’m a real “The Glass is Refillable ” kind of girl so I tend to see 3 sides to most things.  If my grams was still with us she’d say Stop and smell the roses, but be careful of the bees or don’t let looking through those rose colored glasses tint how you really feel.  I guess if I had to pick JUST 1 it would be a rose by any other name is still a rose. To me that just means that no matter what “spin” someone puts on something it won’t change the facts.

4. Are you a ‘reader’? Do you tend to read lighter books in the summer months? Do you have a summer reading list? If so, give us a title or two.

I am a serious reader – always have at least a book going, usually 2!  I LOVE series books and ironically even posted my Wednesday inspiration this morning about just that!  I don’t necessarily change genres or theme from winter to summer – just depends on where I am in a series and if there is a new release!  I just finished Gill Paul’s The Lost Daughter and right now I’m reading:

Lisa Wingate’s The Book of Lost Friends and The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate.  Next up will be Hurricane Season by Lauren Denton

5. Share with us one rose and one thorn from your weekend.

The rose from the weekend was the fabulously good weather we were having and no rain in sight.  The thorn was that there was nowhere to go and nothing to do because of COVID19!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I received a letter yesterday from my mail order pharmacy that one of my medications has been recalled.  And while it was an informative letter to a certain degree, it did NOT actually address how to handle the issue. So, 3 phone calls later I have dealt with customer service and the pharmacist at the mail order pharmacy and the receptionist at my doctor’s office with the result that I have to have an “early refill” done and pay an additional copay to receive untainted medication.  WTH? I was told that I could call the drug manufacturer directly to be reimbursed, but not to hold my breath or waste my time.  While on principle I want to deal with this, it is 100% not worth any more of my time. :SIGH: When did it become easier to give in than stand up for what is right?