Routine Hodgepodge

 

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

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2025? 

Back to self. Well, actually, I wanted to say that I feel like I'm getting back to my old self, but that's more than 3 words. 😉

2. I ask this question every January, and I always get comments about how we shouldn't be banning words. This is fun and games so just play along : ) 

Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse, or just general uselessness (go here to read about how the words are chosen). Here's the list for 2026- 

67 • demure • cooked • massive • incentivize • full stop • perfect • gift/gifted  • my bad • reach out 

Which one (if any) do you use most often? Which one of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word you think should have made the list? 

I use "perfect" quite a bit; I've also found myself using "gift" quite a bit, as in, "That's definitely not my gift" when talking to a certain sister about her hospitality gift! 

67: What does that even mean? I've never heard anyone say it, although I hear it's popular among the high school crowd. Anyway, it's not a word; it's a number.

3. What are your nightly rituals? Is that different from your 'ideal' nightly ritual? If so what's your ideal? 

Remove contacts, take off eye makeup with makeup remover, take off foundation with micellar water, wash face, apply moisturizer and gel for rosacea, take medicine, brush my teeth, use the toilet (TMI?), and then I'm ready to get in bed. When I'm in bed, I'll read, set the timer on the tv to go off after an hour (although this usually wakes me up), or I'll listen to an app that has the Liturgy of the Hours (prayers that all religious-priests, brothers, monks, nuns-pray several times each day) on it.

Ideally, I'd love to not have to put the gel on my face, but...! Maybe Joyce didn't want such detailed ritual? 

4. January 6th is/was National Bean Day. Do you like beans? Which one is your favorite? Last thing you ate made with beans? 

I'm not a big cooked vegetable person. I'll eat them if they're in something else, like kidney beans or navy beans in chili. I do like red beans & rice; I made them last Monday. I'd say lima beans are my least favorite.

5. Are you easily embarrassed? Elaborate. 

When I was younger, I was very easily embarrassed. That didn't stop me from doing/saying stupid things, though. Sometimes, something would just slip out, and I couldn't stop it. As I've aged, I'm not easily embarrassed. So what if I say what I'm thinking? I just don't care! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of not caring, have you seen this woman on SM? She is a scream, and she is dead-on!

I wrote a post (on my travel blog) on part of my first solo road trip that I took last March. You can find it here.