A Surprising Hodgepodge

1. What's left to be done on your Christmas to-do list? 

I have to make a couple of batches of Texas Millionaires; 1 for our neighbors & 1 for us, and then cook Christmas Eve Dinner & Christmas Brunch, and that's it. I've really scaled down my preparations this year. It's been totally stress-free and very relaxing.

2. The Hodgepodge lands on the first day of winter this year. What's your favorite thing about winter? 

Some people are going to think this is crazy, but I love that it gets dark so early, especially if I don't have anywhere I need to be after work. I love getting into my jammies right after supper and hopping into bed to watch a movie.

3. In what area of your life are you immature? Feel free to elaborate or not. 

Oh, my! I think the better question would be "in what area am I mature?"! 

4. What was the most (or one of the most) important lessons you learned in 2016? 

God knows everything. He knows what we're going to do, how we're going to mess up, and how we're going to fix it, so there's no need to worry. He's got it.

5. It's Fried Shrimp Day...are you a fan? What's your favorite way to eat shrimp? Will there be shrimp somewhere in your holiday feastings? 

I absolutely love shrimp! Favorite way: marinate in Italian Dressing and grill. There will most certainly be shrimp in my very near future!

6. What sound lulls you to sleep? 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but...silence. I've always had to have some background noise to sleep, but during Lent I started going to sleep without the tv or radio on. 

7. What one word best describes your 2016? 

Rollercoaster. It started off kind of sucky, we had fantastic trips to Edisto & SD, and then the fires in the area. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I was ready for a very quiet Christmas with just my daddy, CH, and YS. OS is out on the West Coast with his girlfriend, and MS decided to stay at school. There was an incident with his car and the university bus, so he was without a car. I had resigned myself to maybe seeing him next week for a day or two. BUT...one of his friends let him borrow his truck, and he surprised me! CH & YS didn't say anything to me, and I was totally surprised! 

Merry Christmas! See y'all next year!

{Friday Foto Friends} A Little Bit of This...

Joining Deb at Breathing in Grace for Friday Foto Friends!

I finally remembered to snap a picture of the moutain behind the school's gym last Friday. As you can see, there are no signs that there was a fire from where I was standing.

If you look closely (I helped you out by putting an arrow in the picture!), you can see the charred trees at the top of the hill.

1st batch of Texas Millionaires for 2016 is in the books. This went to the ladies who clean my house, and my daddy's house.

This little girl was enjoying some neck scratches! She's just a tad bit spoiled!

That's it for this week! It was a busy week with not a lot of pictures (obviously!). Hope you had a good week!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like the Hodgepodge

1. Let's talk holiday decorating. On a scale of 1-10 where do you fall? (1=Scrooge and 10= Clark Griswold). What's your favorite corner-room-table-space to decorate? Is it done?
I'm probably about a 5. My living room bears the brunt of the decorating; I've never gotten into decorating the rest of the house. I haven't even started yet. I used to have to wait until after football season, which ended  the first weekend of December. I'm sure I'll get around to it at some point. My decorations stay up until Epiphany, but I found out that they can stay up until the Baptism of Jesus...so, YAY! The tree can stay up a few more days than it usually does!

2. Is there a nativity scene in your decorating somewhere? Post a picture or, if it's special to you in some way, tell us why. Or do both-it's Christmas!
I have one that I put on the front hallway table; it's not really special, just one that I picked up at Belk after Christmas.

3.  Do you live in a social neighborhood? If so are you glad? If not do you wish you did?
We don't live in a subdivision, but we did in SC...and Ga. We have great neighbors, but we definitely don't socialize with them like we did in our other houses.

4.  As the saying goes, 'there's no time like the present'. How does that ring true in your life right now?
It doesn't. I'm just trying to get through the next week and a half (until Christmas Break!)

5. Do you dread Mondays? Why or why not?

Not really. It's just another day.

6.  Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus, Amaryllis-which on the list is your favorite holiday plant? Are any of these on display in your home right now?
I love Christmas Cacti; they remind me of my mom. I received one last year from a student, and it started blooming.

Something must be going right, because, even though my hibiscus looks like it's not doing well, it's blooming...something it didn't do this summer when I repotted it.

7. Share a favorite quote from a Christmas movie.

You're supposed to be the leading lady in your own life, for God's sake! (Iris Simpkins....The Holiday)

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I made my first batch of Texas Millionaires on Sunday to give away as a gift. I don't know how much baking I'll actually do this year...it seems every year I tone it down a bit. Hopefully I'll get more in the spirit by the time break rolls around. It just doesn't seem like the holidays...too much going on in this part of the country!

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