Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Mad As A Hatter Hodgepodge


Someone enjoys pulling books from the shelves!
Tommy's first step in learning to read


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1. Setting aside the real March Madness (NCAA Basketball) describe something happening at your house this month that might earn the title 'March Madness'?

This pretty much sums it up:

But the kittens surely have been a comfort
after losing our 17 year old Tuppence last week.

2. What's a favorite made up word from your childhood or a favorite from your children's childhood? Does your family still use the word today? If there's a story behind the origin please share.

I can't think of any cute, invented words from my childhood. We didn't have time for frivolity, struggling as we did to keep the family cave warm and the dinosaurs fed. But there are some in our extended family who had pretty cute words we all found amusing. One used 'Clo' as singular of 'clothes' and 'Santa Claw,' because he was an individual. Another used 'jamp' as past tense of 'jump,' and her family thought it was so cute that they never corrected her. She was in high school, really, high school, when she used it one day and was laughed at by the other kids. How embarrassing!


Shadows cast by late afternoon light
on my dancing cast iron cats.

3. Will you be doing any spring cleaning now that the season is upon us? I read here a list of 15 quick (under one hour) spring cleaning tasks. They were-

clean out a drawer, vacuum furniture, whiten tile grout, dust the nooks and crannies you don't get to year round, degrease kitchen cabinets, wipe down walls, go behind furniture, wipe down ceiling fans, vacuum the mattress, clean the range hood, wash baseboards, shine the stainless steel, clean out vents, tackle the windows, and wipe down gadgets

Of the fifteen 'quick' tasks listed which two most need doing at your house? Will you do them?

I've already been cleaning out drawers, and it's not a quick task, believe me. The windows desperately need to be washed, but I'm not making any commitment here. We'll see. It's a huge job. 
When I was a kid, we had a Norwegian neighbor lady who would coerce her husband and son into moving all the furniture out of their house and setting it on the lawn. NO KIDDING. Then she would proceed to scour the house from top to bottom before returning the furniture to the house. You'd drive past their farm and see all the furniture sitting out. It was so strange. Every spring it looked like they were holding an auction!

4. A favorite movie set in Paris or New York?
Two of my favorites!

I like so many Audrey Hepburn movies

I loved the group hug in the final scene of 'You've Got Mail.'

5. What's put a spring in your step this month?

The fact that there is currently NO SNOW on the ground has definitely put a spring in my step, or maybe it's my new New Balance shoes. They have a nice springy sole.



See? No snow!
6. Did you ever want to be a teacher? Why or why not?

I never wanted to be a teacher of other people's kids, but did homeschool our own kids for 21 years and loved it! Back in that day, however, it became a little tiresome to get the old refrain, 'But what about their social development??' as though we were keeping them chained in a dungeon. Besides teaching the basics, homeschooling provides so many opportunities for field trips, kids pursuing personal interests, interacting with people of all ages, etc. etc. So yes, I did want to be a teacher. And no, I didn't want to deal with other people's disciplinary problems.


I wonder how many kids have
great memories of times on the school bus.

7.  What's your favorite floral scent? Do you have this somewhere in your home or maybe in a perfume? How do you feel about florals in food? How about wines with floral notes-yay or nay?

My favorite floral scent is probably honeysuckle. I do have it in my home, in my soap room, as a matter of fact! I like lavender (an herb, not a floral, but you know...) in scones, and I like nasturtium blossoms on a salad because they're pretty. I don't have a lot of experience with wine. I can't get past the headache.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The late afternoon sun these days is very revealing. Especially after burning wood all winter, the house needs a good cleaning. I wonder if Mr. C. would want to carry all the furniture out onto the yard so I could give this house a thorough scrubbing (see #3 above).


They like me; they really like me!!


***


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Judy

32 comments:

Tanna said...

WE definitely need to hear about it if you get Mr. C to haul all your furniture out while you scrub the house. ;) hee hee. I'm so sorry for your loss of Tuppence. That cute little face does ease the sting, I'm sure. So sweet!

Daily, I'm seeing all the dust/pollen in the late afternoon sun... I'm wondering if My Beloved would be interested in moving the furniture out. Probably not.

blessings ~ tanna

Preppy Empty Nester said...

How did I forget "Breakfast At Tiffany's"? One of my all-time faves. As a matter of a fact I chose "Moon River" as the first dance at my wedding. Love those sweet kitty pics. Have a great week, Judy. Good luck on those drawers!

Marcia said...

You Got Mail was a great movie and a remake of The Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart. Love those dancing cats. And the total house clean with the furniture on the lawn every spring was a hoot. Maybe with lightweight furniture (teak) that could be done easily back then.

MadSnapper said...

love the kitten in the potted plant. to funny. our march madness is Achoo Achoo for man, woman and dog... March is POLLEN month for pine and oak trees.
I could not think of movies over on Debs blog but the two you picked I LOVE BOTH..
I used to move all my furniture when I was younger, now it is sitting where it sat forever. glad there is no snow on the ground for you

Cranberry Morning said...

Most likely the furniture was maple or oak. :-)

Arlene G said...

Maybe if I moved my furniture and junk outside to clean I would toss some of it rather than carry it back in Judy!!lol I get so tired of hearing about children's social development. It seems most public schools hinder their development rather than teaching them to be responsible. I was fortunate that we were able to send ours to a Christian school but it was small and basic and they really did well there. We listen to much to the opinion of others.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, I love your kitty photos and the dancing kitty shots. I love the scent of lavender too and honeysuckle is nice. Pretty sky shot, we have some snow on the ground here in Maryland.
Happy Wednesday, enjoy your day!

Mrs.T said...

Honeysuckle is one of my favorite floral scents also. I was thinking about the practice of taking all of the furnishings outside to spring clean. If I did that, we would be sure to have rain or snow before everything got moved back in again! I was also thinking that maybe that would force me to get rid of unnecessary items rather than move them back in.

My kids went to small Christian schools also (a boarding school for high school) and they did very, very well. There were no issues regarding social development. Both of my daughters now home school their children and of course they hear the tired old concerns about social development. They have plenty of interaction with others and really, it is just not the problem "they" say it is.

April said...

I completely forgot about honeysuckle...takes me right back to my childhood! What a neat photo of the school bus, Judy! I admire you for homeschooling your children. I often wish I'd given it a try. Public schools have a lot of issues now that I never had to deal with when I was in school, sadly.

Theresa said...

I love what you said about homeschooling! It is so true. I would think the furniture would get dirty from being outside if I did what your Norwegian neighbor did ;)

Empty Nester said...

I was never allergic to the fragrances of flowers until around 15 years ago. Now, I just can't. Those kitties. I can't stand how adorable they are. I am so tempted even though I'm allergic to them, too. I need to live in a bubble for sure. It's a good thing I'm not allergic to grandchildren. LOL I homeschooled the two youngest ones, Reni and Molly for 6 years and loved it. I also loved teaching in the elementary school so, call me crazy! I didn't love dealing with parents but I did love the kiddos. I'm still in touch with some of them and am able to watch them grow up via their parents' FB pages. :)

Joyce said...

I love the dancing cats! So cute! A couple of people have mentioned honeysuckle which takes me back to childhood too. There was a whole hedge of it growing along the fence at our neighborhood pool and during Adult Swims you'd see the kids over there tasting : )

Elizabeth "Libby" Day said...

We both listed the same movies. I could watch Meg Ryan any day and "Sleepless in Seattle" is my absolute favorite of hers. I always look forward to reading your Wednesday Hodgepodge as your sweet humor makes my day. Please post pictures of the furniture on the lawn, won't you?

Carla from The River said...

Ha! Maybe I should suggest to Jeremy that is the way we should clean house. How funny to see that sight each spring.

I listed You've Got Mail too. I love Kathleen Kelly's apartment.

Carla

Cathy said...

I'm so glad you have the kitties to help you through the loss of Tuppence. They are so adorable in your pictures. I love getting to see them here and on Instagram.

I too am going through stuff and trying to de-clutter. We've got a fair start, but still have a way to go.

Hope you have a great day!

Heide at ApronHistory said...

Love the idea of moving all the furniture out to spring clean! Sure would make it easier!

Debbie said...

Oh I forgot honeysuckle is one of my very favorites as well! And as for dragging all the furniture to the front yard, wouldn't that be wonderful? lol Honestly it would make things soo much easier, lol. You've got mail is one of my all time favorites. And the way her little corner shop there was I just LOVED. Especially when she had it decked out for Christmas!

karen said...

Have you seen Brooklyn , the movie. Sweet

Nonnie said...

The honeysuckle soap sounds heavenly. I'm sorry about the loss of your sweet cat. We lost our Trudy last week, too. I cannot imagine moving all the furniture out to clean. Wow! So impressed, but it doesn't move me to try it!

Jill said...

I enjoyed all the pictures of your cats and the book picture just makes me smile... I love bookshelves full of great stories! I hope you have a wonderful afternoon!

Blessings,
Jill

Terri D said...

The kittens are so cute!! I think putting all the furniture out on the lawn so cleaning can get done is an excellent way to do it! I know the move-out and move-in cleaning went fast because the houses were empty. Not sure when it will ever happen again!!

carrie@northwoods scrapbook said...

Hello Dearest! I'm still so sad for you over Tuppence - but I'm so happy you have the new little Loves there to help cuddle and ease the pain. (I love your last quote!- Lol)

I love both of those movies so much too! Breakfast at Tiffanys always makes me think of my MIL as it was one of her all time favorites. ;)

That is crazy about the lady with the furniture on the lawn to clean! Whatever gets the job done I guess...plus all the furniture got an airing out. Hahaha!

It's so cool that you home schooled your kiddos. I just don't know if I'd have the patience to do that. With other folks' kiddos maybe, but not my own! :P

Blessings to you. xoxo

Wendy said...

Pull all the furniture out? No way! I'll move it around the room to be able to clean and vacuum all the nooks and crannies but that's as far as I go. So sorry to hear about your Tuppence. It's always hard losing pets but I'm sure the kittens are keeping you distracted. I hope it warms up soon so that you can carry out the burial.

Deb said...

No snow! I am so jealous. We still have more than our share. And kittens! Oh, I'm so jealous. haha! I'm happy to hear they are keeping you amused at this time, Judy. I'm sure you miss your dear old cat very much. Enjoyed your post, as always.

podso said...

I had a Norwegian friend my age who would hang her bed pillows out the window weekly to air them. I would love to have someone come and scrub my house top to bottom…just not me! Ditto to the homeschooling experience. Wish I had a quarter every time I gave the socialization explanation. I saw a sitcom once--can't remember the name but the girl was a bit like Lucille Ball with the humor. She went to buy a used car and came home with a school bus because she had been home schooled and always dreamed of riding on a school bus. Her parallel parking was especially funny to watch.

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Moving the furniture outside to clean! Boy that puts a whole new meaning to spring cleaning--wow. I can not imagine. Of course your kitties like you, Judy. So glad to hear you are teaching Tommy to read. He has a wonderful library of lovely books for his choosing. Oh and jamp just cracked me up! Have a great evening. ♥

maddie/cadesmimi said...

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about Tuppence.
Wow, that's inspiring to hear of someone moving the furniture out of their house to spring clean! No way that's happening here, though.
I loved your thoughts on homeschooling, and totally agree.

Kathy (Reflections)

Cheryl said...

I cannot count the times that I have watched You've Got Mail. (My husband is a very good sport about such things.) And the group hug at the end is totally adorable! I am not at all surprised that you love it.

I loved your answer to #6. (Of course I did!)

Please take some photos when you get Mr. C to take all of your furniture out to the lawn!

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

I would be afraid to look under some of my furniture.....:) I really do need someone to do some furniture moving for me! I was a teacher's assistant for a few years and also PTA vice Pres. and I can honestly say, I would not want to be a teacher. That is a hard job and I have so much respect for teachers, especially the ones that the kids love. When the kids don't love you, life is not pretty :) Teaching your own children is also so admirable. I didn't home-school, but I remember those long nights helping with homework and projects and reports. It all pays off in the end, but it sometimes takes the patience of job. You deserve a medal! Or a fabulous vacation.....Love your beautiful sunsets. x Karen

Vee said...

Well now, that Norwegian lady really knew how to get her family involved in spring cleaning. Sometimes, such action might be tempting.

Yes, the kittens do love you and probably have a sense that you are in need of extra kitty attention these days.

Lynne said...

Oh my . . . they REALLY, REALLY like you . . .
Adorable cuddle pic . . .

Back to the first hodgepodge question, (I think it was Number #1)
Not a word, but a "jingle."
It reminded me of little three year old great grand and her recent "what's this and that" for everything.
I was a WHAT child . . . or so the stories go . . .
I questioned, wondered, was inquisitive,
And this little jingle, made up by my dad I think, was often a frequent answer to my WHAT . . .

"A hootenanny for a dinger on a kanutenvalve."

Great grand and her daddy and I were painting pictures the other day . . .
and Oakland was into the WHAT, is THIS and THAT . . .
I responded with the jingle and her daddy, my grandson laughed right out loud . . .
Saying, "you used to always say that to me gramma . . ., so funny and now saying it to Oakland."

Thank you for the Hodgepodge memory bank stirring . . .

Debby Ray said...

I started to post to hodgepodge but just couldn't get it published in time...not too used to post more than once a week, although I sometimes do. Oh well...everyone lived with out my hodgepodge this week :D I had to laugh when I read about your Norwegian neighbor because I think she must have been at my office where I work on Tuesday. We have been getting a major facelift and on Tuesday, they were finishing installing new floors. When I went to lunch, I realized where they stashed all of the furniture...it was all sitting outside of our front entryway and side yard! LOL

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