A Frozen Hodgepodge

 

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

1. Ice skating, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, playing in the snow, or a snowy walk...which winter activity do you choose? Have you done any of these activities so far this winter? 

Snowy walk. While sledding sounds like a lot of fun, I have to remember my age, and I want to avoid any broken bones! I haven't done any this year since we've had zero snow.

2. Everyone is posting pictures from ten years ago on their social media sites so let's jump on the bandwagon too. Share one photo and one thought to go with said photo from the year 2016. And maybe everyone isn't doing this, but many are and we're going to be part of the fun. 

It was interesting to look back to see what I did that year; I had a hard time choosing just one, so maybe a whole post is in order!

During a camping trip to South Dakota/Colorado, we met up with some British friends who were in Colorado visiting her sister. Robert met them a few years earlier (I think) when he was riding his motorcycle through the Continental Divide; they were on a "round the world" motorcycle ride (2-up). I still keep in touch with them every now & then. In fact, this was taken when Robert & I went to Ireland in 2022; they flew over to Dublin for a few days:

So, I cheated and got in 2 pictures for this answer! 

3. What's a trend you hope disappears in this new year? 

I'm going to shamelessly admit I googled "current trends in the USA". Gosh, I'm old! :) I really hope AI videos just go away. I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't foresee it happening, though.

4. 'They' say there's a day for everything and January 21st proves it. National Granola Bar Day. Do you like granola bars? How about just regular granola? Do you like bars of other kinds? 

I'm not big on granola bars. If I'm hungry, they just don't do it for me. But, if I'm going to eat a granola bar, then I'll go for the sweet & salty ones, which defeats the purpose of eating something healthy, I suppose! Sometimes I'll eat some granola on my yogurt, but not very often.

5.  A frozen lake, a trickling stream, a raging river, or a deep well...which one describes something about your life right now? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

Can I say all of them? It depends on the day or even the hour right now. I like the idea of a frozen lake or even a trickling stream, but unfortunately, especially this last week, there have been some raging river and deep well moments.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The more I think about doing a whole post on what I did 10 years ago, the more I like it. It seems like all I'm posting on this blog is the Hodgepodge. I haven't done my "Friday Fotos" this year since I haven't taken any photos. Maybe my life is more of a frozen lake than I thought it was!

Come back on Friday to see what I did that year.

Head in the Clouds Hodgepodge

 

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

1. What kind of winter person are you-snow lover, fireplace snuggler, winter adventurer, or indoor hibernator? Elaborate. 

I'm a combination of snow lover, fireplace snuggler, and indoor hibernator. I love the snow as long as I don't have to get out in it. Being from the South, we'll have a beautiful snow and (most of the time) it will be gone by lunchtime. I mentioned here that my upstairs fireplace is in a weird spot, so while the idea of hugging the fireplace is ideal, I don't do it a lot because of where it is. Just give me a warm blanket and a good book/movie, and I'm good!

2. The Pantone color of the year is cloud dancer, described as a gentle, billowy off white shade. The color symbolizes 'peace, clarity, quiet reflection, renewal, and a soft reset'. Of the terms just listed which do you need most in your life this winter? 

Clarity. 

3. Every cloud has a silver lining, on cloud nine, head in the clouds, storm clouds gathering, or cloud of suspicion...which 'cloud' idiom do you most relate to currently? Explain. 

Head in the clouds. I'm planning a big semi-solo trip, and I'm hoping I don't have my head in the clouds. When I start having doubts, I remind myself who is putting that doubt in my mind and try to remember that God has this!

4. coconut, cauliflower, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, onions, ranch dressing...of the white foods listed, which would be the hardest for you to give up? Do you like all or any of the foods on the list? 

I don't eat any of them on a daily basis, so I don't have an answer to this one. The only one I don't like on the list is cottage cheese.

5. Thomas Wentworth Higginson is credited with this quote-

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year." 

Agree or disagree? Tell us why. 

I wholeheartedly agree. It takes rain to appreciate the sunshine. It takes winter to appreciate the spring. It takes bad times to appreciate the good times. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I wrote a couple of posts on my first solo road trip on my travel blog. I managed to get it all in 2 posts!

The Painted Churches of Texas

History and Fun

A Cozy Winter Hodgepodge

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

1. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)? 

Sledding in the park across the street from the house where I grew up. This happens to be the same park where I walk the dogs. Hearing the laughter coming from the hills in the park after our last snow on the 10th brought back a lot of memories.

View from the bottom of the street

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

I can't remember the last time that happened. After CH's passing, everything was a breeze. Social Security was incredibly easy and everyone in every office I had to talk with was extremely helpful and nice. Well, except for the HR person in the company where he worked. It didn't have anything to do with red tape, just a person who didn't adequately do her job.

I recently went to the Driver Services Office to get my Real ID; I was in and out of there in no time. I also went through some travel government offices to get what I needed to travel to the UK, as well as Global Entry. Everything was extremely efficient. 

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favorite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing? 

I like fish but I don't cook it at home. I've never been ice fishing; I don't think I could stand to be outside in the cold that long. I like a good salmon, but CH made a blackened swordfish when we camped near Charleston that was amazing. And I do like a good mahi taco. 

4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics? 

I was out running errands and honestly, I didn't even know what time it was scheduled. I'm about a 1 with being interested. I don't have anything to do with local politics. 

5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so? 

I recently purchased this pj set from Land's End and absolutely love them. Very warm and soft.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Just in case you're interested, I started writing about the 2nd week of my latest Ireland Adventure. I'm only getting it posted 9 years after it happened. I figured I'd better get it finished before my next one begins. 2 more posts and I can start writing about the adventure that was next. And then the 2 after that and I'll be caught up. You can find all of the posts here. I'm also writing similar posts on my travel blog, Flyin' the Coop.

Winter Wonderland Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

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

1.  It's been said January is 'the month of opportunity, inspiration, and change." Which of the three do you need most right now? Elaborate. 

Definitely inspiration. I need to be inspired to keep the house clean, to cook so I'll eat like I should instead of just snacks, and to continue with my routine. 

2. Do you consider opportunity as something that comes to you or something you create for yourself? 

Merriam-Webster defines opportunity as a "favorable juncture of circumstances". Since circumstances are out of your control, I'd say it comes to you. But, what you do with it is your choice.

3. The British Museum opened on this date (January 15th) back in 1759. Do you like visiting museums? Do you have a favorite? 

It depends on what kind of museum. When CH & I visited London, we went to several. My least favorite were the military museums but I trudged on because that was his interest. 

My favorite museum so far is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It was just fascinating, and the story behind it is as well. This was the site of the world's single largest art heist; the thieves were in the museum for 84 minutes! The art has not been recovered (the heist happened in 1990) and the men who are believed to have stolen the 13 pieces are now deceased. I could have stayed in the building all day long; there's so much to see. I'm amazed that 1 person could accumulate so much artwork. She even outbid The Louvre for one piece. 

4. It's National Oatmeal Month (yes, apparently it gets a whole month as opposed to a single day). Do you like oatmeal? How often do you eat a bowl of oatmeal? How do you like yours? What about an oatmeal cookie? Is that a sweet treat you enjoy? 

 I like a good bowl of oatmeal, mostly in the winter. My favorite oatmeal is Irish oatmeal...in Ireland. (I know...broken record!) The best bowl I ever had was in Ballygally, Northern Ireland.

I had no idea this was a thing! I'm tucking that away for the next trip!

I do like a good oatmeal cookie, but prefer chocolate chips in them to raisins.

5. What's something useful you learned in high school? 

I'm not sure but I can definitely tell you it wasn't Algebra! I learned a lot about myself, especially my last year. I'm just going to leave it at that.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Last Friday, we had quite a bit of snow. At 6:00 pm, there was around 3 inches but then it snowed again that night, so my guess is 5. I didn't measure it, but judging by the rate of the snow, that's my guess. As I write this on Tuesday, there's still snow on the ground, so according to the old wives' tale, we should get hit with more snow soon. As long as I can stay warm, I'm good with snow. I live on a main road and the Small Town does an excellent job of keeping the roads clear. As long as I can get out of my driveway, I'm good.

My sad little Christmas Tree came down on Sunday, the Feast of Jesus' Baptism

MS & company did an excellent job with this snowman

Night scene

Hodgepodge for the Birds

 

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

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-
Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? How many did you have to look up? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. 

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), 

sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

I use 'cringe' and 'game changer' often, but not on a daily basis. I had to look up skibidi. Is that really what it is??? I must be getting old because I had no idea! People use that every day? It needs to leave the planet!

2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

I have a potato soup that I make in the slow cooker that is absolutely wonderful. And, it's gluten-free (for those who need that option) and can be vegetarian with some changes. The first time I made it I wasn't sure about it. I like my potato soup creamy and I wasn't disappointed at all. The creaminess happens just before serving.

3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

I can take it or leave it. Before I retired I loved winter...for snow days! I'm a Southern girl and can't take a lot of cold weather. I stay inside and read or watch movies.

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 
In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

It is a pretty color, but it's kind of dark. I could see that color in a wardrobe but I'm not sure about a wall. Maybe an accent wall?

I'll take the mousse, please!

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

Chill out. I worked 2 interims last semester and decided I'm forever done. There are too many other things I want to be doing and I don't want to schedule activities around work. So, I'm chilling out this winter!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Recently, I found a perfect birdfeeder. And it truly is squirrel-proof! When I first put it out I watched at the window and a squirrel was quickly deterred. I haven't seen them try again. They'll sit under the feeder & root around on the ground but have made no attempt to get into the feed. I now have 3 of them, with a smaller one (but same concept) as well. The perches will hold the birds' weight but will collapse if something too heavy tries to put weight on it. I saw a squirrel attempt to go from the top of the feeder down to the opening, but it was too slick and he fell off.  If you're looking for a birdfeeder that will feed the birds and not the squirrels, I would highly recommend one of these. 

Shadowy Hodgepodge

 

1. Feb 2nd is Groundhog Day in the US of A. Tell us about one day you wouldn't mind living over again, and why you chose that day. 

May 18, 1984. The day I married CH!

 2. Something you know beyond a 'shadow of a doubt'? 

God is in control and He has a plan for every one of us.

3. Give us an example of history repeating itself in some way, in your own life or the lives of your children.

Who would have thought this would have been such a hard question? 

4. Snowed under, snow job, not a snowball's chance, snowbird, on thin ice, snug as a bug in a rug, tip of the iceberg, snowball effect, run hot and cold....choose a wintry idiom and tell us how it best applies to your life right now. 

Snowball effect. I'm just going to leave it at that.

5. Your favorite sign of spring? 

Jonquils. Hands down. I love seeing those yellow flowers busting out of the ground.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We didn't get a lot of snow Sunday night into Monday, but I did have a snow day and then a 2-hour delay on Tuesday.  It snowed most of the day but didn't get any traction on the ground. Some of my students said they played in the snow, so I guess some areas in the county actually had some. We have another chance in a few days. Fingers crossed!

A Foodie, Wintry Wednesday Medley

It's just like the Wednesday Hodgepodge, but with a new name and a new "hostess with the mostess"! Much thanks to Terri for continuing our Wednesday Q&A...I'm looking forward to being reacquainted with old friends and meeting new ones.

NATIONAL CROISSANT DAY – January 30

NATIONAL CROISSANT DAY

In the United States, National Croissant Day is observed each year on January 30th. Croissants are a buttery, crescent-shaped rolls that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  

The key to a perfect croissant is laminating the dough. Laminating the dough is a process by which butter is folded into the mixture creating multiple thin layers of butter and dough. The result is a mouth-watering flaky crust and airy body.

Legend surrounds this pastry, as is often the case with a popular, worldly treat. What is known, is that crescent-shaped breads have been found around the world for ages. One of these was the Kipferl which originated in Austria as far back as the 13th century. This nonlaminated bread is more like a roll.

Credit for the croissant we know today is given to an Austrian military officer, August Zang. In 1939 he opened a Viennese bakery in Paris introducing France to Viennese baking techniques.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Stop by the bakery for a fresh, warm croissant or try making your own using this recipe: Croissants recipe.

1.  Well, I do love croissants when they are fresh, but day-old croissants need to be turned into a donut.  I happen to really like the croissants that have a donut-like glaze on them!  Sugar overload but so good.  So... do you like croissants?  What is your favorite way to eat them?

WHAAAT? Croissants made into donuts??? Seriously??? I've obviously never had them that way, but I do like to eat one as a chicken salad sandwich.

2.  Speaking of food... How do you handle stress?

Yep, you guessed it: by eating. As I've gotten older I've learned to hand a lot of it over to God...and to be more organized. A lot of my stress comes from not being organized during different times of the year.

3.  Out of the negative emotions of greed, anger, jealousy, and hate, which one would you say affects you the most?

It's a toss-up between anger and jealousy. Jealousy has decreased a lot over the past year, but I definitely need to work on the anger flare-ups!

4.  Out of the positive emotions of compassion, positivity, enthusiasm, and initiative, which one is your biggest strength?

Compassion. Hands down. I don't even have to think about that one!

5.  What do you get every time you go grocery shopping, other than the staples such as bread, milk, butter, flour, sugar...

I'm becoming a coffee hoarder. I almost always go by the coffee when I'm at the grocery store or Target or WalMart...even though I have plenty in the cupboard.

6.  Please tell us something random about your week so far.

This happened Tuesday morning:

The dogs loved it...at first:

School was called off Monday night for Tuesday, and then Tuesday night for today. Looking at the temperatures, I'm guessing tomorrow will be at least a 2 hour delay (if not another day off depending how the roads are in the mountains) and there's a wintry mix forecasted for Friday morning so there's a chance this week will just need to be crossed off!

Thanks again, Terri, for hosting! Want to get in on the Wednesday Medley? Check her blog Your Friend from Florida on Tuesdays to get the questions, then don't forget to link up on Wednesdays!

Wintry Hodgepodge

Joyce has winterized today's Hodgepodge! Click here to write along with us!

1. What keeps you blogging?

Ha! This is a good one because I haven't been doing a great job of blogging over the past couple of years. Meeting a fellow blogger over Christmas break helped rekindle blogging for me.

2. Some people like to travel in the winter months. Do you enjoy the beach in winter? According to Southern Living the best U.S. beach towns to visit this winter are-

St Simons Island (Georgia), Hilton Head (South Carolina), Bald Head Island (North Carolina), Seaside (Florida), Bay St. Louis (Mississippi), Cape San Blas (Florida), South Padre Island (Texas), Folly Beach (South Carolina), Chincoteague (Virginia), Duck Key (Florida), Nags Head (North Carolina), and Fairhope (Alabama)

Have you been to any of the towns listed (in any season)? Which on the list appeals to you most this winter? 

I've been to Hilton Head (favorite family vacation spot when we lived in SC), Folly Beach, and Nags Head. But I don't think I've been to HHI in the winter. Weird.
I love the beach in the winter. In fact, I just wrote a post about our Winter vacation in Panama City Beach, Fl. (I just realized the title should have been 2017, but...oh well!) Hilton Head can get rather chilly in the winter, and I would imagine Bald Head Island, Nags Head, Folly Beach, and Chincoteague would as well. My recommendation would be to go south...St. Simons might be a little "iffy", so go farther south than that! 

The beach can be chilly in the winter, but the upside is that you'll have the beach to yourself!

3. What's a song you're embarrassed to know all the lyrics to? Are you really embarrassed or do just think you should be?

I know the lyrics to an awful lot of songs...and I'm not embarrassed to know any of them. I've been known to have the Oklahoma soundtrack blaring from my car, windows rolled down, and the boys begging me to stop!

4. When you were a kid what's something you thought would be fantastic as an adult, but now that you're an adult you realize it's not all that fantastic?

Eating what I want, when I want. Unfortunately, I inherited some bad genes from my mom, so I have to watch what I eat.

5. Share a quote you hope will inspire you in 2018.

No quotes, but on New Year's Day, I did the Saint's Name Generator for my Saint of the Year. I randomly received Blessed Titus Brandsma, who isn't a saint yet. He was a Dutch priest who spoke out against the Nazis in WWII and was captured & was a prisoner in several different camps. He ended up in Dachau, where he was tortured, and when he could no longer work because of illness, they used him for "experiments". He was given a lethal injection.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I finally got started on my Ireland posts! The first installment is tomorrow, so come back and join me!

Thankful Thursday

Rebecca at Knit by God's Hand hosts this little get-together every Thursday. It's a great way to stop and just be thankful.

This week, I’m thankful for…

...unexpected words that seem to come just at the right time.

...new Church friends who make me laugh. 

...soup on cold nights. And a down comforter. :)

...quiet weekends that involved the beginning stages of vacation planning.

What has you thankful this week?