Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Hodgepodging the Hottest Collectible


The house is on fire!!
HUGE paper wasp nest in our apple tree.


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 She writes the questions;
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1. They say you learn something new every day. What did you learn yesterday?

I learned that tar is a collectible.
(It is, at least, for our grandson. He loves the stuff.)
And it reminded me of being a kid and collecting all kinds of junk
 that I'd take home and treasure:
Old keys
Rusty hinges
Broken glass
Rusty nails
Rocks
Etc.
 So fun!

2. Have you ever had a now or never moment? Elaborate.

I'm pretty sure that I've had several now or never moments, and they usually end up in never. And that's probably a good thing. In most cases. Except when I purchased my KitchenAid mixer. I had carted it around the store, put it back, carted it around the store some more, put it back, carted it around the store... and finally realized that I would kick myself later if I didn't purchase it while on sale. I actually did buy it and have never regretted it!


3.  April 25th is National Telephone Day. Do you still have a land line or have you gone mobile only? When you receive a text message do you respond immediately? Last time you turned your phone off?  In two or three sentences share with us a story/memory/incident from your childhood (or something current if that's too hard) where the telephone is featured.

I don't know why we still have a land line. I absolutely never answer it. I respond to text messages pretty soon after receiving them. I turn off my phone whenever an app gives me problems. I will turn the ringer off and ignore my phone. I also keep my phone downstairs at night. My Kindle is what accompanies me to the bedroom. 

I think I've mentioned this before, but when I was a kid, the neighborhood phones were on a party line. And that meant that everyone on the line would hear everyone else's phone ringing. You had to listen for your particular ring. I think we were supposed to be on some sort of honor system and not listen in to other people's phone calls. However, we had a neighbor lady who would listen in on everyone's conversations to get the inside scoop on the neighborhood business. She always knew everything about everyone. I know that's more than two or three sentences, but you just try telling that story in fewer words.

My parents used this particular phone and its twin (an antique even at the time, I think) 
 to call between the house and barn. I hope I'm not making that up. At least that's how I remember it.


4. Close call, at someone's beck and call, call the shots, call a meeting, call it quits, call in sick, call on the carpet, wake up call...which call have you 'heard' recently? Explain.

Maybe 'wake up call,' for I have two grandsons with me for the next two weeks and yesterday morning they both appeared at my bedside at 5:30 AM. That was a tad early for me to get up. And they probably wouldn't have padded quietly into my dark bedroom if they hadn't seen the faint glow from my Kindle, which was a dead giveaway. 

Anyway, the youngest, who just turned eight on Saturday, had a question in his geography yesterday, 'What is the difference between a plain and a mountain?' He wrote, 'A plain can fly, a mountain cannot.'  This kid keeps me in stitches!

This photo is from last September, but since we'll be baking cookies this week too...

5. What subject do you wish you'd paid more attention to in school?

I would say history, but our history wasn't nearly as interesting as heads on pikes on Tower Bridge. It was mostly names and dates, with precious little historical fiction and biography. So maybe I wish I'd paid more attention in study hall while reading on my own.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Just in case you're not on Instagram, what's kept me from my blog was a wonderful visit to our son in Arizona, then an incredibly long road trip back to Wisconsin because Sun Country had to cancel all flights into and out of Minneapolis due to a fierce April blizzard that dropped about 18 inches of snow. After getting no help from Sun Country (who never answered our 500 phone calls - presumably because they were inundated with calls and had absolutely no way of helping everyone), we decided to rent a car at the Phoenix airport and drive home. (Yes, we got a refund for that portion of our flight.) Mr. C. and son drove north while I collected blood clots in my legs. (not really). :-)

That's 27 hours of road time. I will never do that again. It's a ridiculous road trip when driving straight through and only stopping for food and fuel.

So I asked a blogging (now Instagram) friend (@j_on_tour) from northern England where he would be if he drove for 27 hours from his home town. This is the map he sent me.

He wrote back, 'Pompeii!!'  I doubt he'll be driving straight through to Pompeii any time soon.
And do visit his blog, ' www.jayzspaze.blogspot.com' and his Instagram account. He has fantastic photos there. You'll enjoy them, I promise. The most recent has been a series from St. Andrews, Scotland.


Boothill Cemetery,
Tombstone, Arizona
***

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Judy

Smokey


22 comments:

Preppy Empty Nester said...

Wow... such a long trip back!!! At least you had a wonderful visit with your son. It sounds like a lot of lovely memories were made. Note to self: Never fly that airline. Have a wonderful week, dear Judy.

Arlene G said...

How aggravating to have flights cancelled. Glad you are home safe and sound. I also waffled about a kitten aid mixer and finally got a pretty apple green one and I wish I had done it years ago when I made cookies on a regular basis. Ours would look pretty together Judy!

Lynne said...

I ALWAYS enjoy your Hodgepodge answers . . .
This one was my “love” of the day . . .

Grandson . . .
just turned eight on Saturday, had a question in his geography yesterday,
'What is the difference between a plain and a mountain?'
He wrote, 'A plain can fly, a mountain cannot.'
This kid keeps me in stitches!

I am still smiling . . .

(Hug those kitty/cats for me!)

Empty Nester said...

They would have had to leave me in Arizona as there is NO WAY I would get in a car for that long. I complain when just traveling an hour. LOL Seriously, the fibromyalgia makes travel uncomfortable to say the least. Those grandsons tho. How cute are they? I love the collecting asphalt. I remember collecting things and it was such fun. Enjoy your time with those adorable boys!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I've always loved to travel...but not as much now as when I was younger. I still yearn to see places I've never been though! And yes, I remember the party line...interesting! lol Enjoy your day. I'm still a little concerned with that first photo! Hugs!

Cathy Kennedy said...

CM,

The longest trip straight we took was from Knoxville, TN to Bar Harbor, ME which is about 18.5 hours but factor in fuel/food stops as well as doing some stuff along the way and it took as nearly 24 hours to reach our destiny. It was an exhausting trip but oh, so fun! I don't know if I can do that today but I'm willing to try it again. :)

Oh, I remember the old party lines and while we weren't supposed to ease drop, we kids often did because it was fun. However, there was one lady in our neighborhood who did it because she was a nosey body and everyone knew it. It paid to keep real private topics saved for a face to face conversation or they could join Facebook. Isn't that like old technology in disguise? lol

Have a good day and thanks for dropping by!

~Curious as a Cathy
A2Z iPad Art Sketch 'V' Victorian Lady

MadSnapper said...

I don't think i could ride that far.. even the 6 hours from here to Savannah would be hard. sitting for extended periods of time, kills my back and tail bone and legs/hips. even an hour and i can feel it. we often talk about all of UK is about the size of Texas.. and in Europe the miles across our country would hit almost every country there. thanks for the laugh at the expense of your grandson. to cute. we love the show little big shots.

my favorite thing on your post is the flaming hornets nest. i have watched my daddy do that so many times way back in the early fifties. the only thing i ever collected was comic books, paper dolls and books... my brother brought home all the things you mention. my sons used to keep things in their pockets and once i washed a red crayon in shorts pocket, dried in dryer and had to throw all the clothes in the trash

Debby Ray said...

So that's where you've been...I have missed you! What a trip that must have been. I love road trips but my feet and ankles swell by just going to Nashville for 8 hours...I can only imagine going 27 hours in a car unless I was able to keep my feet up. I just don't know what's wrong with me and Instagram. I started out using and it kept up with it for a while but I just haven't been on for ages. I guess it must be because I have such a big mouth and need to write it in my blog! I really should try to get back on IG regularly because I feel that's where most of my blogging friends hang out anymore...kinda a little bit sad about that. That answer from your grand about the plains and the mountains cracked me up!

Michelle said...

My son bought the red KitchenAid and a friend gave him a green one.
He enjoys cooking so I guess that's a plus.

Wow!! That sure is a huge paper wasp nest.
I would be afraid they'd coming buzzing around once I caught their house on fire.

I used to collect all sorts of stuff, too.
I also remember my mom had her washer drain out into our yard making a stream.
I would pretend the stream was my barbie dolls swimming hole and they would go swimming in it :)
That's also about the time I got a shovel and began shoveling my way to China...LOL

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

I agree about the Kitchen Aid purchase, Judy! I love mine even though it hurt the pocketbook at the time. You are going to be busy with your cute grands. They are just the best and can come up with the funniest quips. Sorry about the long trip home. The tombstone is something else! Hopefully the tar collector will find a way to sell on Ebay. People buy the darndest things. ♥

Joyce said...

I feel like there's always aggravation with air travel now, but am glad you had a nice visit with your son. Just used my Kitchen Aid this morning. I've had it for years and still love it. Have a great Wednesday!

Anonymous said...

This past Christmas, we were supposed to drive from North Florida to Tucson but that never ended up panning out. I am sort of glad about it because that would have been a looong trip!

Cathy said...

Totally loved your grandson's answer to the difference between a plain and a mountain. Made me laugh out loud and that is always a good thing.

Hope you have a great day.

Linda said...

Wow! What a drive! Your post today was chock full of all kinds of good things! From grandsons to a house on fire to Arizona to old telephones and party lines! Loved it all!

Terri D said...

Oh my gosh! 27 hours?! It's always interesting to talk distances with folks from other countries who really have no idea just how vast the USA is.

Chatty Crone said...

You are full of wonderful things here. And photos too - your cat and grands are adorable.
I think we do learn every day and that is a good thing.
I have the hardest time ever waking my grandson up for school - I have an atomic clock and that still doesn't get him up!

Love, sandie

Vee said...

Hope that your grandson comes up with a few more...that wisdom was great! Pompeii...now that is fascinating. Perspective...makes everything so interesting. If you could have stopped somewhere along the way to take a closer look around, where would it have been. Cheekily, I’ll guess a Catholic church (because of the architecture). ☺️

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Judy, could you not have gotten a flight to somewhere a bit closer to home and then rented a car there for a shorter ride home? Just asking. They would've had to peel me out of the backseat and carry me in after that long in the car!

Ann said...

Haha, yes it's an awfully long drive, one of which I no longer make unless I give myself much more time, of which I don't have. Welcome to AZ, but I'm sure you're glad you're back home in WI.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I would love to own a KitchenAid. I like my landline. I just don't like talking on a cell phone. I hope to always have one. Enjoy your time with your grandson's. Wow, sorry about the change of plans. That's a long drive, I've done it a few times.

podso said...

Gracious that's a long trip. We did it when we were young--three in a VW Bug. But that was young. Glad you made it safely home and are enjoying your young cooking-making houseguests! Among my earliest memories was a party line, but it wasn't long before we got our own line. No land line at our house any more, we mostly don't miss it.

Cheryl said...

Your grandson's answer made me laugh! But then, so did you! ". . . wasn't nearly as interesting as heads on pikes on Tower Bridge . . . Lol

The thoughts of a 27-hour car ride makes me cringe.

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