Maple in our backyard
Aloe, back indoors for the winter
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From This Side of the Pond
She writes the questions.
We supply the answers.
Our early morning
1. What's your favorite time of day? Why?
I love early morning. With the sunrise comes a fresh start, a day of possibilities ahead of me, my only coffee of the day, and lots of energy. (That coffee might have something to do with it.)
2. Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender...which small appliance would you say most needs replacing in your house?
None. I got rid of my waffle iron because I rarely used it, our toaster is ancient but works fine, and most of my other appliances are KitchenAid (including, I might add, our dishwasher, which is now 25 years old) so they're working great. I should make commercials for KitchenAid.
3. It's National Grouch Day (October 15)...what's something that makes you feel grouchy?
The fact that true journalism seems to have died. We don't get reporters exposing the facts. Instead, we get several incompetent people repeating prescribed talking points.
4. Ever been to Canada? Is that a country you'd like to visit? According to Trip Advisor, the top ten best destinations in Canada are-Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Whistler, and Halifax. Which city would you most like to see?
Yes, I've been to Quebec, as in Old Quebec City. It was quite the experience. English-speaking people were definitely not on the to-receive-hospitality list. Once was enough.
Edmonton, Alberta is someplace I'd like to visit, if I didn't have to drive or fly to get there. So if I could be teleported, Edmonton appeals to me the most. Beautiful mountains and a big used book store, along with a Bible Presbyterian Church, make it my first choice. Second would be Montreal. I think there are many beautiful old churches I'd like to see. And of course, Suzan. Must stop in and listen to a Suzan vs. John conversation - in person! (and see her gorgeous kitchen!)
Maybe Montreal first and Edmonton second.
5. What was your favorite food (or one of your favorites) when you were a child? Is that still a favorite?
Back in my Leave it to Beaver days, my favorite food was mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and roast beef. We lived on a farm. We had lots of potatoes, beef, and corn, peas, green beans, or carrots. I liked stirring my corn into the mashed potatoes and gravy. My mom frowned upon that, and now I understand why. It did make a perfectly nice looking meal into something pretty gross and disgusting looking. BUT, it was delicious.
Do I eat it now? Are you kidding? No.
I almost never eat potatoes.
I don't eat gravy.
I don't eat corn, the non food, used to fatten cattle and hogs. That was my first clue that it might be something I should give up.
I could eat those things and get away with it when I was a kid, but it's been a long time since I ran around outdoors with the neighbor kids after a meal, playing cowboys and indigenous peoples.
I could eat those things and get away with it when I was a kid, but it's been a long time since I ran around outdoors with the neighbor kids after a meal, playing cowboys and indigenous peoples.
6. Do you cry easily?
No. I cry when someone loses a loved one and sometimes when pondering God's amazing grace. Other than that, mostly no. Oh, and I cried when Lionel and Bridger (see sidebar pics) died. I think I've cried at only a handful of movies. The two most memorable were:
Downton Abbey, Season 1, Episode 2:
Lord Grantham and Matthew Crawley are walking over the grounds of the estate.
- Lord Grantham: You do not love the place yet.
- Matthew Crawley: Well, obviously, it's...
- Lord Grantham: No, you don't love it. You see a million bricks that may crumble, a thousand gutters and pipes that may block and leak, and stone that will crack in the frost.
- Matthew Crawley: But you don't?
- Lord Grantham: I see my life's work. (Lord Grantham is my favorite character. Mary is a close second, although she is starting to wear on me.)
A scene from Emma (a Jane Austen movie) with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam
After the picnic on Box Hill, during which Emma was incredibly rude to Miss Bates.This was an excellent movie scene!
7. Have you started your (gasp!) Christmas shopping? If so when, and how much? If not, when will you even begin thinking about it?
I don't know. I always dread it. It seems so pointless to buy gifts for people who already have everything they need. This year, as last year, we will buy small gifts for the grandkids and give needed money to Samaritan's Purse or the needy in our own community.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
It's time for Seasonal Affective Disorder to kick in. Dwindling daylight hours, cold temps, too much time indoors, etc.
S.A.D. has to do with neurotransmitters, inactivity, and carbohydrates. Karen Hurd has a short article that explains it all and gives advice on how to beat the winter doldrums. Check it out. (And then make reservations to someplace warm and sunny for February! :-)
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
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37 comments:
Mashed potatoes are still one of my favorite foods, but like you I don't eat white potatoes at all anymore. Or at least its a rare day when I have a potato. I still like corn though, but on the cob : ) Love your fall colors...it's gorgeous on the East Coast right now too!
Happy Wednesday Fellow Morning Lover
What a beautiful tree.
I so love the Fall foliage.
That is amazing to me that you rarely cry.
I'm a big bawl baby. Lol
Love learning more about you.
I can't wait for the new Downton to start.
Woolie Blessings
A great post with interesting questions and answers. I've been to all of those Canadian cities except Niagara-on-the-Lake and Montreal, although we've driven through Montreal on the way to Ontario. I personally think you'd enjoy Calgary better than Edmonton as it's only an hour or so away from the Rockies and you can visit Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise in the same day. Calgary is a beautiful city with lots to see and do. Just my personal opinion. :) Have a great day.
I love your Hodgepodge, Judy. I feel I am really getting to know you through them! I am feeling a bit down today so I decided to get OUT and try to cheer myself up. I suffer from SAD as well. Here in the South it is probably not as bad as up north but we do have weeks of gray and dreary days in January. Downton Abbey is a favorite of mine as well.
Enjoyed reading your answers! Ah, I didn't realize there was a name for S.A.D., but I think I suffer from it! Early morning is beautiful, and I really enjoyed your fog photo!
Your remarks on the death of journalism are on the spot. To me at least, a lot of the so-called news we read and hear is extremely biased propaganda. Last year I was writing an article about the conflict in Syria and decided to research Russian, Israeli, Arabic, and European news sources as well as American. Russian sources would report all the crimes of the rebels, and American sources would report all the crimes of the government. Ha! A person pretty much *needed* to read both to get the whole story.
Oh love my mornings too!!! Beautiful tree, love those colours. Enjoyed the hodge podge, Francine.
Judy, great thoughts on this! I do miss the old food from the farm...the corn, mashed potatoes, fried foods, etc. And roast beef was also one of my favorites, along with fried chicken. So glad to not experience SAD anymore living in the south. Long winters are not me.
I learned lots of things from this post! We both love Kitchen aid. I gave my first mixer to my son when he married...it still works great and I got a new one...the works great. I'll check the SAD link. I suffer from this and it's one reason I love living in FL in Feb! lol (we like the same movies, too) Enjoy your day! Hugs!
We had potatoes and meat nearly every day when I was growing up and I especially disliked the potatoes--ha-ha! My dad loved it all and Mom cooked it plus dessert (which I also disliked!) for him. Now, of course, I don't mind those things at all though I seldom fix them.
Have a great week!
raised on meat, potatoes and veggies, myself. potatoes are my favorite food but i almost never eat them anymore.
Oh my, your fall foliage colors are gorgeous! As much as I do enjoy living at the beach, I do miss having 4 distinct seasons. Loved the movie clip selection, and your DA reference - can't wait for the new season to finally show in the US!
i agree on number 1, favorite time of day is sunrise.. i have been a cry baby my whole life until 10 years ago, age 60 my tears went away and now the only time i cry is in sad movies, happy movies, hallmark movies and when bloggers pets die...even the ones i don't know well. i sobbed all day when our dog Max died... and if i cry because I am mad, do not get in my way...
burgers have been my favorite food from birth to 70 and still are, not things made from burger, reall burgers.i never liked potatoes and they were our staple because daddy grew our food...
A lot of interesting answers, Judy. That plate of food made my mouth water. When I was little mashed potatoes made me gag...literally. I do really like them now but potatoes in general are something I do not eat on a regular basis. I've never been to Canada...Michigan is the most northern I've been and I need a new coffee maker :) Have a lovely day!
Canadians were definitely not the friendliest bunch. I blame it on the cold. Too cold to smile and say hello. In fact, even a Canadian man I met at Rehoboth Beach , Delaware, while paying the meters, said to me how much friendlier Americans are--and the farther south he goes, the warmer the greetings. So I do chalk it up to climate because I hate to think that people are just that way. And yes, that is a total stereotype of Canadians; I have met a few very warm ones, just not strangers there.
Love that first photo - the colors are so brilliant. I agree with you about the news - i tend to look for world news on other channels because our national news talks about the same thing on every channel - I get rather annoyed.
I did not know this was National Grouch day - I know a couple!
And that is my favorite time a day too - a real fresh start.
Hope you have a nice day!
Funny how many of us LOVE the early morning, and don't eat our old childhood favorites anymore. I gave up potatoes recently along with corn...sigh. Though I DID eat one a small half piece of sweet corn on the cob recently. Just couldn't resist. How beautiful your color is there! Enjoy your day...
Your answers are always interesting. That is one of my favorite movie scenes ever, the one from Emma. I have to admit that corn chowder is a tradition of ours on the first snow day of the year (if they come here at all.) Your tree is beautiful!
I love the outside pictures and the aloe looks huge...nice & healthy. I love aloe, but since I have a brown thumb I kill all plants. Yes, even cacti. Aloe is so handy to have around for medicinal purposes. Plus I think it's a nice looking plant.
Ok, your making me hungry...LOL
I love mashed potatoes with gravy & corn. It's been a while since I've had them. But when I do I like to eat them all together.
I tried cooking with a waffle iron many years ago.
The waffle batter didn't cook through and stuck to the iron. So I guess I got rid of the iron. I really don't know what happened to it. These days I get `homemade` waffles when we stay in a hotel and they have a waffle iron. I love Belgian waffles.
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Have a great day!
I love mashed potatoes with meatloaf. And since meatloaf is one meal that does not get huge objections, I like making it. But there has to be mashed potatoes. Gravy I can take or leave, but hubby loves gravy,so I make it when I think about it.
Once again you have posted interesting comments to the Hodgepodge questions, and cleverly, too! I, too, suffer from SAD, although it's not nearly so bad here in Colorado where the sun shines at least 325days a year.
That dinner plate with the roast beef, mashed potatoes, etc looked wonderful but also like you, I can't eat that stuff anymore.
You had good suggestions for Christmas giving.
Have a blessed day!
Love your bit about the favorite foods. =) I can just picture you playing cowboys and indians. We used to do that too. Made me smile.
Blessings,
Valerie
Love reading this post. Now I am Irish so love potatoes!
Another great Hodgepodge! I agree with you #3!! I happen to love corn on the cob and mashed potatoes. Not sure I could give them up for long. Sigh. Your beautiful maple tree reminds me of the one in my childhood backyard, where my reading platform was, putting me up in the sky with Nancy Drew! I loved that tree.
I hate to see winter come because I think I suffer from SAD, too. It usually doesn't kick in until January or February though.
We don't eat them often, but we still love our potatoes and corn. Guess it comes from farm living :)
Well gee. Am I the only one who still loves my mashed potatoes with gravy and corn?! And still eats them? My husband has told me that gravy is not something you drink!!!
When I finally have to replace my blender, I will remember your Kitchen Aid recommendations.
And the journalism? You are so correct!
Oh, I use to stir my corn up in my potatoes too, all the time. Completely forgot about that. How funny!
I think Hubby is sort of like Lord Grantham as he walks around the 2 1/2 acres our present house sits on. He has sweat blood and tears here to make it such a beautiful place and we will be leaving it behind in the Spring to move into our new home. It will have a much, much smaller yard and it is time for that, but it is hard for him to think of leaving this house.
Happy rest of the week!
We love Kitchenaid too and even have one of their coffeepots. We had a delightful trip to Quebec City about 10 years ago, and have longed to go back at Christmas time. We were going to go last year, but it got cancelled like everything else did. Perhaps I will be brave enough to go back on my own sometime later. Hope so.
We love Downton Abbey! I am waiting for season five to come out, and might buy it on eBay if I can get it before it starts on PBS. I love the contrasting colors of the bright blue sky and the maple. And also the aloe with the blinds shadows on it! I enjoyed the S.A.D. article very much. My husband had it for many years until it finally became full time depression. I am showing this article to him. I am so glad new that I don't eat corn! I do love it, but doctors orders. The way you put it makes me feel better then ever about abstaining from corn products. I don't even eat cereal made from it!
Gravy is most definitely the best when it is all mixed up in the potatoes, meat and veggies . . . Not in my diet very often but it sure sounds yummy right now!
I need more daylight hours-I hate it when it gets dark so early.
Lovely, healthy looking aloe plant!!
I've brought in my orchids, but will probably also bring in my fern and wax plant this weekend!!
Love awesome good farm food! But not able to eat it now. I'll take mash potatoes with butter and gravy anyday :-}}
I did the same thing with my mashed potatoes and gravy and corn! Even for a while as an adult, since my mom wasn't there to scold me. ;-)
Judy, I laughed when I read about you mooshing the corn and mashed potatoes and gravy together! When I was little I liked to moosh together applesauce, creamed corn and mashed potatoes. And, no, I don't do that anymore!
Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment. SWMBO and I do so appreciate the prayers on her behalf. Thank you! I too mixed my corn with my mashed potatoes, I still do. I also mix peas with my mashed taters. I don't think they look gross at all.
Your Aloe looks great. Our get to stay outside all year. I know I wish I could eat the way I did as a kid. I'm not sure if many people suffer from SAD here in California but I know my brother in Milwaukee feels it each Winter.
Always love reading your answers :-)
Off to tell the boys who your favorite character is on DA. First I will see if they can guess. :-)
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