Hodgepodge Bicentennial

My friend Deb gave me this sweet framed quilt square.

Isn't it pretty!

I thought it would look good with a black bear and a snowman
 standing on a half round of oak. It has a nice, cozy feel to it.

I put it just to the left of our wood-burning stove.

 The snowman's been complaining ever since.

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This week marks the 200th edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Is Joyce amazing, or what!

She's been writing questions for 200 Hodgepodge posts, so...

Let's hear a hearty round of applause for Joyce!

Thank you, Joyce.

She writes the questions,

We write the answers.

Click on the button below,

Copy the questions into your own blog post,

Then link up at 'From This Side of the Pond.'

1. What is something in your life right now that feels a little 'hodgepodge'?

I would have to say, 'Just about everything.'  It's a happy and busy time of year, but things seem less orderly and predictable. There's so much I need to do, but all the little detail stuff takes a lot of time and somehow, before I know it, another day is over.

2. What does 'peace on earth, goodwill to men' mean to you?

Jesus said,  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

That is the order of things. Once we get that right, there will be peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind.

3. Which edible treat you are most looking forward to sampling this December?

Of course, the operative word here is 'sampling.' Right. I would love to 'sample' English Toffee,' but I know it's nearly impossible to only 'sample.'  Of course, it doesn't help that I make it, so there it is.

 English Toffee

Recipe to follow on Friday

4. It's that most wonderful time of the year...do you agree, and if so why is it so wonderful?  If not, what would you say is the most wonderful time of the year?

I'd say that it's a close second. I think Easter is the most wonderful time of year because we celebrate the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. It changed everything. It brought hope to the whole world. 

Christmas is a much busier time, and a wonderful time, but it tends to be so eclipsed by the secular holiday bash. Actually, that's a good reason for us Christians to make an even bigger deal of Christmas, because 'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.' God became a human being to rescue us from our sinful selves and give us hope and a future. So as His people, we should want to celebrate this season HEARTILY and with GREAT JOY.

5. What was the last word you looked up in a dictionary (actual or online) and why?

'Panentheism,' to distinguish it from 'pantheism,' but I'll let you look it up. (Have fun!) I am always looking up words because how could I come across a word in my reading and not look it up if I'm  not certain of its meaning?? Anyway, I feel compelled to look it up, just as I feel compelled to find out how something is pronounced. I remember my mom asking one of us kids to go get the dictionary or encyclopedia and bring it to the dinner table when there was a question of spelling or definition, or maybe even as a means to settle an argument during a discussion. Pffft. Who argues?

 December 2013
Bottom right is Rosemary, who died suddenly last winter.

6. Besides a Christmas tree, what is your favorite thing to decorate this time of year?

I like stringing little white lights on the brick above our stoves and across plants and across the Nativity set and having tea lights and candles everywhere. They just make the rooms feel cozy and cheery (to me.) I also 'decorate' with a good background of soft Christmas music from King's College Cambridge, Trinity College Choir, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers, or Tingstad and Rumbel.

7. Share one thing you've learned (about yourself, people, or anything at all) in the Wednesday Hodgepodge, or through blogging in general.

In every Hodgepodge, I learn things about the other participants, and I like that! The Hodgepodge really helps us get to know one another better. It might even gently pry opinions out of us on topics we might not otherwise address.

What I've learned about myself is that I am probably sillier than I ought to be, but I do get it legitimately, from my father. We share a silly sense of humor, finding the funny side of almost everything. I am grateful that I have that ability, but on the other hand, it does tend to get a bit out of control at times. I'll try to tame it down in the future, but I won't make any guarantees.

 December 2013

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I've always enjoyed grammar and spelling, but it drives me crazy when I get to a word and don't know whether it should have  -ible  or  -able  at the end. Did you know that most words that end in -ible are of Latin origin? HOWEVER, there are many words that are not of Latin origin that also end in -ible. I guess the solution is to memorize the list of 180 words that end in -ible.  Right. An easier, but not airtight, rule is this:

Rule of thumb (copied from EnglishClub.com)

"This rule can help you decide the correct spelling. It works most (but not all!) of the time. Remember, if you are not sure about a word, it is probably best to use a dictionary. Here is the rule:

• If you remove -able from a word, you are left with a complete word (renewable, renew).
• If you remove -ible from a word, you are not left with a complete word (sensible, sens). But note that accessible, contemptible, digestible, flexible and suggestible are among the exceptions to this rule."

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That's what's wonderful about the English language - all the exceptions to the rules. And that's why we need dictionaries.

Thank you for the Hodgepodge, Joyce!

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