Final Hodgepodge of 2025

 

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. Did you make resolutions or set goals for the year we're waving goodbye? How did that work out for you? Will you set any goals for this new year, new season, or new month? Share one or two if you'd like to share. 

I don't make resolutions...even when I did, I always forgot about them. I'm also not a "goal" person. I'm learning to live in the moment and enjoy the present.

2. When did you have the most fun this year? 

I had a lot of fun this past year! But, I'd have to say the most fun I had was on my trip to Ireland. (Yes, another trip to Ireland!) I used to be anti-tour, but Vagabond Tours is incredible...small groups, amazing "vagaguides", and being shown "off the beaten path" places. I went on my 3rd tour with them. We had a total of  11 people in our group, and we got along famously. (Well, mostly. As you all know, there's always that "1 person" or "1 couple" in a group. Luckily, we had ours-which means it wasn't me!) As it turns out, several of the ladies (me included) were born in March of the same year. Maybe that had something to do with it?

The group on Sky Road

3. What's a song or song lyric you'll associate with 2025? Tell us why. 

This one really isn't easy. I could have picked one for 2024, but not for 2025. Not one single song or lyric pops out.

4. Best (or a favorite) bite of something delicious you tasted this year? 

I've had some awesome food this year! Here are a couple few:

In Ireland: Banoffee (cookie crust with bananas and caramel)

In Greece: Baklava

Also in Greece: Moussaka

5. What do you want to do more of in the new year? Less of? 

More of: laughing, getting out in the community and doing "stuff"; being content with where I am (physically), enjoying experiences, writing on my blogs

Less of: stressing, feeling committed to things that really don't matter

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Come back in a few days for my "Friday Fotos". This one will recap my year. Some months will have more than others, but it's a good review of my 2025. I'm looking forward to 2026!

Danube River Pilgrimage Recap 2024

In October 2024, I went on my first structured pilgrimage. You may be asking how this is different from any other tour. Matthew Kelly defines a pilgrimage as a journey to a sacred place for a sacred purpose. That purpose could be to ask God for a favor, thank Him for something, or it could be a quest for clarity.  

The planning started in January of that year. There were no single slots available at that time, so I just decided that if this was something I was meant to do, I'd find a roommate. And I did! Overall, this pilgrimage was exactly what I needed. It was almost perfect. This is an extremely quick recap of the pilgrimage. To delve into the religious sites, visit The Not So Perfect Catholic blog and click on the Pilgrimages tab. I also have similar posts on the Flyin' the Coop blog. 

• I found that, although awe-inspiring, Baroque Churches are just too much. They are beautiful, but I found it really difficult to concentrate on the Mass; there were too many things to look at.

  

  Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady, Regensburg, Germany "Old Chapel" or "Alte Kapelle"

• Dachau = Christ Victorious. (Find out why I say this in this post.)  I love how there are chapels there; in Buchenwald, there is nothing except the gate and the "medical building".

Carmelite Convent (Where we had Mass)

Russian Orthodox Church

Protestant Chapel

Mortal Agony of Christ Chapel (Catholic)

Jewish Memorial

• The ship (Amadeus Riva): I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the rooms. The bathroom was a good size with a GREAT shower. If I go on another river cruise, I need to remember to ask for a room closer to the front of the ship because of the engine noise. We were so pampered on the ship. The daily programs were fantastic. They would be on our beds when we returned from supper, as well as turn down our beds and spread out the bathmats. 
• The Pilgrimage had the entire ship...there were 140 of us. It was the ideal situation; even though our reasons for being on pilgrimage may have been different, we were all on the journey together. It didn't feel like there were that many people; we were split into 3 buses, so when we weren't on the ship, we were with our bus members.

Spacious Rooms (in a ship)

• It was really cool that I happened upon a couple of Stolpersteine in Regensburg. The sad thing was that our whole group walked right by it, but I stopped when I saw it & talked to others around me about it. One of the guides said Poland talked about doing something like that, but there were so many Poles taken away that it would be next to impossible to do something. Austria has upright plaques with a doorbell beside the names. (For an explanation of Stolpersteine, click here.)

Stolpersteine in Regensburg

• The church in Weltenburg Abbey was very interesting: no crucifix on the altar, but to the side of it. Instead, St. George is on it. The ceiling appears to be domed but is actually flat, and the painter of the frescoes is looking down. The church is built as if it were a theater with 3 levels: Hell, Earth, and Heaven. Good beer!

  

  Altar of St. George

  

  The monks make great beer!

• Linz, Austria. We had Mass in our first Gothic Church with incredible stained glass. In the church is a relic of Franz Jagerstatler and St. Catherine's (of Siena) Gate. The altar was in the middle of the church. Linz was separated during the Cold War: the Russians had 1 side, and the Americans had the other. The river separated the town. We were on the "American side".

  

  St. Mary's Cathedral, Linz, Austria

• St. Florian's Abbey was stunning. Being able to see (and hear) Anton Bruckner's organ, and also his tomb (which is directly under the organ), with all of those bones behind is something to see.

  

  Bones in Bruckner's Crypt

  

  Bruckner's Organ

• Melk Abbey was a little disappointing in that no pictures were allowed inside. Having said that, it was beautiful. Was it as beautiful as St. Florian Abbey? Hmmm... I didn't have time to walk around the gardens.

  

  Our first view of Melk Abbey from the ship in the morning fog

• After Melk, we sailed down the river during the day, and we could see vineyards. So charming!

  

  Wachau Valley, Austria

• Dürnstein: Medieval village oozing with personality. We saw a water line sign as we walked into town. A wedding was just about to start, so we went into the church for a quick look. The wedding party/attendees were dressed in traditional Austrian clothes. The town is famous for apricots, but they weren't in season when we were there. 

  

  Danube watermark on the side of a building

• The most significant "pinch me, I can't believe I'm here" moment was in Vienna, in Schonbrunn, the Habsburg Summer Palace. I still can't believe that I, a girl from small town East Tennessee, was listening to music written by Austrian composers in Maria Theresa's ballroom. It was such a magical evening.

  

  The ballroom where the private performance was held

• We celebrated Mass in some incredible churches: Baroque, Gothic, Wooden, in Dachau, in a Church Hall, and on the ship. One thing that stood out in all the churches was that there were no pads on the kneelers. At Dachau, I forced myself to continue to kneel, offering the pain up to the prisoners who would have loved to have had a place to kneel. It's hard to say which church was my favorite; definitely 1 of the Gothic Churches.

  

  St. Martin's Cathedral, Bratislava, Slovakia

• If I have any complaints, it would be that there wasn't enough time for reflection. I felt like we were rushed out of the churches after Mass because we had something else on the schedule, which was tight. I was also disappointed that the shops at the Divine Mercy Basilica were closed (All Saints Day); I was planning on buying Rosaries there, but Wadowice was a great 2nd choice since that's JPII's birthplace.
• One other thing that I would have changed if I could: I would have preferred tours of the churches. As I look back and dig into some of the churches we were in, we missed a lot. As in, miracles that we weren't made aware of. There was a Eucharistic Miracle in Regensburg that we weren't made aware of. I'm not sure why that wasn't pointed out (and that church wasn't visited) since we were on pilgrimage.

  

  The Minor Basilica of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary holds several relics I wish I had known about when I was there

• One thing did put a little bit of a damper on things at the end of the cruise: there was a couple who complained about our guide. I thought she was absolutely wonderful. She was very personable, professional, and when we needed reprimanding, she did so gently. One evening, I had dinner with another couple; all she seemed to do was complain about how things were different. You're on a pilgrimage, for goodness' sake. And, it's Europe...not the USA. Things are different there. 
• I met some wonderful, amazing people on this trip. The couples were just beautiful. I felt no sadness when seeing them together; they were so nice and just beautiful together. The guides we had (even though I know they had to have been stressed out at some point) were calm, professional, and knowledgeable. I could tell that they loved their country (Poland) and that they also loved sharing it with others.

  

  The whole group in front of Melk Abbey. Photo courtesy of Crossroads Italy.

Select International is the way to go. I can definitely see myself on more pilgrimages offered through this company.

Friday Fotos 2025 #3

Photo by Designecologist: https://www.pexels.com/photo/image-of-river-on-smartphone-1398339/

Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. 

One of those rare moments when Laika tolerated Smokey (OS' dog...who is NOT supposed to be on my bed!)

Dinner with the Benedictine Monks and Daughters of the Divine Will: Lots of laughs and great conversation...and food

Baking/Candy-Making Day!

The girls did a fantastic job...

While MS kept himself busy! (We gave him some things to do)

MS setting up the phone before the picture

I didn't get a picture (I think we forgot), but the St. Paula's Widow Group from church had a brunch at a local restaurant on Tuesday. The restaurant has a coffee shop and a "manor" where a sit-down breakfast/lunch is served. Mismatched dishes make it feel like you're at home! This group is a lot of fun; we get together a couple of times every month to support each other and keep each other laughing. 

That was all of the pictures on my phone for the week. It was a busy week, but not a "picture week"! 

It's Beginning to Look Like the Hodgepodge

 

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. What's one thing on your to-do list that you want to get done, need to get done, or that must get done before the year ends? 

I have nothing that absolutely needs to be done by the end of the year. I do want to paint the room I'm using as an office, but there's no timeline.

2.  December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day...are you a fan? Do you like maple flavor in other food items such as candy, cookies, donuts, oatmeal, hot toddies, coffee? 

I do like maple in everything.

3. Time magazine names a person of the year every year.  The tradition started back in 1927 with a 'man of the year' but has since changed to recognize not only an individual, but also to consider the impact of a group, movement, or idea that most influenced the year. The selection is not always someone or something good (think Hitler in 1938 and Stalin twice). 

This year they've named The AI Architects as their 'person of the year'. What say you? Is this a good choice, an obvious choice, a logical choice? Who do you think should have been named person of the year? 

Well, that's not a "person", is it? That's all that needs to be said. Pope Leo would have been an excellent choice, but maybe I'm partial!

4. What's a city, state, or country you've visited that you never care to visit again? Tell us why. 

Belfast, Northern Ireland. Even though they've made a lot of strides, I could feel the conflict when I was there. Some people really like it; I'm not much of a fan. If Northern Ireland were to reunite with the Republic of Ireland, I might consider going back. Derry/Londonderry is another place in Northern Ireland. I just got a bad vibe from it. My SIL and I (along with the 2 solo females in our group) opted not to go out the night we were there; we ate dinner in the hotel.  You can read about the visit to Derry here, and to Belfast here.

Did you know that Belfast has a wall separating the 2 sides? They voted to keep the wall since it made them (I'm not sure if it's both sides or just 1) feel safer.

The Peace Bridge in Derry/Londonderry

5. Next Sunday (December 21st) marks the first day of winter (or the opposite if you're living down under). What's one thing you love about this new season? 

I still love the excitement of a snow day, even though I'm no longer working. Sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, and watching old movies. What is it about old movies and winter?

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I was going to do a whole post on last weekend, but I always think: "Who really cares what I did over the weekend (because usually it's a whole lot of nuttin'!)?" I spent Saturday baking Eggnog Bread as a gift for the nuns/monks from a nearby monastery, and Apple Pound Cake for dessert that evening. I was invited to a friend's for dinner with the nuns/monks and a couple of other friends. I love being around all of these people. There were a lot of laughs and some great conversation.

The Benedictine Monks and Daughters of the Divine Will

Apple Cake and Eggnog Bread (pre-glazed)

I also made some cinnamon rolls (from scratch-but I use the bread machine) for the kids on Sunday. We had a baking/candy-making day. MS and his GF, and YS and DIL came over. It was fantastic! I showed the girls (and YS) what to do and then just stood back and let them handle it. What used to take me 2 days to accomplish was done in 1. 

1 pan of cinnamon rolls ready to go in the fridge overnight

It was a very good day, indeed!

The finished product, except for the Mamie Eisenhower Fudge

It couldn't have been a more perfect day!

Friday Fotos 2025 #2

Photo by Designecologist: https://www.pexels.com/photo/image-of-river-on-smartphone-1398339/

 Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. Yep, it's been a while. When I looked back to see how many Friday Fotos posts I've done this year, I was shocked that I've neglected this blog that much!  Maybe I'll do better next year. 😁

The view from my seat during the Tennessee 4A State Football Championship. This is the way to watch a game!

The Alcoa Tornadoes won their 11th straight, 24th overall state championship

At the beginning of the season, I didn't think they'd make it to play in December since they moved up a classification this year. My alma mater has now won a state football championship in 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A (as the school has grown and classifications changed through the years)

Smokey (OS' dog) and Laika in a rare moment of tranquility

The park Christmas Tree is looking a little sad this year. It looks like the lights were just thrown on. The "main" tree is by the municipal building and looks much nicer. There used to be a big tree lighting cerremony at the park (which is the "hub" of the town), but they did it at the city building this year. Maybe they have in other years & I just didn't notice it. I'm just glad the park tree has some lights on it; it would have been very sad not to have had it decorated this year.

As a reference, this is the tree in 2009. It's grown a lot bigger, so maybe they're using the same lights!

There may (or may not) be a Friday Fotos next week. I'm going to try to send 2025 out with a bang!

Holiday Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and commercialism start to take over? 

I used to when the boys were young, but now, not so much. Things aren't too busy around here these days. I try to stay out of the stores and concentrate on Advent.

2. What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends? 

I'm coming up with a whole lot of nuttin'.

3. December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? If so does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? If Hanukkah is the holiday you celebrate in December do you send cards to mark the occasion? 

I haven't sent out cards in years. When someone asks me for my address around this time of year, I make sure they know that I don't do cards anymore, so they won't think they've been snubbed. I hate to sound like a Scrooge or Grinch, but I honestly think it's a waste of time and money. 

4. What's your least favorite holiday related task? What's your favorite? 

Least favorite: Decorating the tree

Most favorite: Candy making

5. Let's do a little holiday this or that? 

• shopping or wrapping Neither
• baking or decorating Baking (see previous answer)
• eggnog or wassail Eggnog (I don't know that I've ever had wassail)
• real tree or artificial Real (see random thought)
• turkey or ham Ham
• white lights or colored lights Either one
• ugly sweaters or matching pjs Ugly sweaters
• peppermint or cinnamon  Peppermint
• presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day Christmas Day

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

For the first year in a very long time, I have a real tree. 2 years ago, I only put up a couple of tabletop trees; last year I had a 4-ft. artificial one (and it looked very sad!. This year, since OS is in the house, I have a real tree. We put it up (and by "we" I mean OS) and he put the lights on it, but I don't have any ornaments on it yet. When the boys were in school, we waited to decorate until after the State Championship Football Game because things were pretty busy around here. This year, OS was able to go to the tree farm he's worked at and get a tree over Thanksgiving Week. I thought I had pictures from 2023, but either I didn't take any or I deleted them. 

The sad little tree of 2024

2025 Tree