Hodgepodging With A Smile

 Sunrise, January 24
View from our front porch


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1. Speaking of endings....at your wit's end, at loose ends, a dead end, burn the candle at both ends, all's well that end's well, or no end in sight...which 'end' phrase might best be applied to your life lately? Explain.  

'No end in sight' is what I'm tempted to choose, mostly because the others don't fit, and also because about this time of the year it seems that there's no end in sight when it comes to winter. It was -12F yesterday morning and we still have March and April to endure before spring has actually arrived. And yes I know I've complained about that before. But really. You know it would seem unnatural if you came here, asked that question, and didn't find that particular answer. I didn't want to disappoint you.

Haugen's Village Grocery

2. What was a must have accessory when you were growing up? Did you own one? If so tell us what you remember about it.

Shoes. Well seriously, I was a kid during a time when no one was into name brand anything. Or if they were, our family and friends were oblivious to it. We had shoes, book bag, bought school clothes once a year, and everyone else was in the same boat. And no, I wasn't alive during the Great Depression. But my parents were, and I think that had a lasting impact.

There's a reason why I don't blog as often as I used to.

#tommyandsmokey

3. Something that made you smile yesterday?

There are many times a day that I smile over many different things. Yesterday's smile got lost in the crowd. I smile over some particular blessing that I've observed, some stupid joke someone has told me, hearing of the antics of the grandkids, watching the kitties snuggle together (is that redundant??), a particularly good point in a book I'm reading, something funny that I think of at an inappropriate moment, a comment on an Instagram post, etc. etc.

 Maybe those horses should look for a different shelter.

Photo taken at a nearby Amish farm

This photo is for Carla

(From the River Flowing blog) 

Do you see a theme here?

And BTW, the above photo was not taken in January.

I'm pretty sure you've seen this one before,

but this is what January looks like. :-((

4. January 30th is National Croissant Day. Do you like croissants? Sweet or savory? We're having chicken salad for lunch...would you rather have yours served on a croissant, a wrap, a bagel, bread, or a roll of some sort?

I rarely eat croissants but love them. My favorite are strawberry/cream cheese. And I've not eaten one for years. I'd always rather have my chicken salad on a croissant than any of the other choices - and with almonds or pecans and berries mixed in.

But I did eat a blueberry/lavender/lemon scone yesterday morning and it was worth every single moist, delicious, carb-filled morsel.

 Beef stirfry, lots of peppers and onions, salad.

My favorite food.

5. Sum up your January in fifteen words or less.

Cold, colder, coldest. January can't leave soon enough for me.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

 An interested audience provides incentive to eat one's lunch.

Visiting grandson and ratty. 

This little guy makes me smile (the grandson, not the rat)

***

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Wrapping Up 2017

 

 Blowing out the Advent candles
on the First Day of Christmas

This little grandson is almost as angelic as he looks.

Joyce, our dear Hodgepodge anchor, the one who weekly gives us something to write about, is taking a wee, much-deserved break. I, on the other hand, who only seems to be able to write a blog post for Wednesdays these days anyway, decided to go ahead and put something in the Hodgepodge spot. How I'll come up with something without her clever prompts, I don't know. Just bear with me.

I've decided to post a few photos of our Christmas. Two of our sons and their sons were with us on Christmas Eve and returned for Christmas Day. We had our usual fare of New England clam chowder and popovers for dinner on Christmas Eve, followed by leftovers (of the same) on Christmas Day - along with some treats I'd made.

This is why we have a photo archives.

It has looked exactly like this, every Christmas Eve, for years!

I don't have a good photo of the popovers, but they were delicious, if I do say so myself. Actually, credit goes to Betty Crocker and her 1969 cookbook. They're incredibly easy to make, puff up nice and high in the hot oven, and everyone loves them (slathered with lots of heart-healthy butter, of course). :-) 

This is how Tommy & Smokey spent Christmas

Lazy, good-for-nothing, much-loved members of the family

Most of the family will be gathering here next weekend for New Year's, so I'll be sure to take some photos of 'the boys' playing board games at that time. I was so engrossed in watching 'The Muppets' Christmas Carol' (LOVE Rizzo the Rat - did you know he has 1,274 brothers and sisters?) and 'White Christmas' (LOVE Bing Crosby - did you notice that he has the bluest eyes!) with Oliver, that I completely forgot to take a photo of two of our sons at the kitchen table with board games surrounding them. I know, I'm a bad mom. But I do feed them pretty well.

He was a VERY good boy this year and a real charmer!

And in case I forget to mention it, the video last week and this are all the fault of Sandra (MadSnapper) who got me thinking about posting videos. Okay, I promise I won't post too many (very subjective, that). And I'm sure I'll catch one of the other grandkids or even the kittens next weekend. For now, here's the pre-reader, totally engrossed in ancient Egypt, or whatever it is he's telling Grandpa about from those pages!

It was -15 F this morning. Good thing we have a fire in the stove and are blessed with Cuddl Duds, polar fleece, and Christmas cookies.

 From the archives.

There's nothing sitting on the stove this morning

because I built a fire in it!

I don't know if I mentioned in an earlier post (probably not) that Mr. C. and I celebrated our...Forty Eighth wedding anniversary this month. I know. I know. It makes a shiver run up my spine. When I was younger, I couldn't even imagine people living as long as my parents had when they celebrated their twenty-fifth! 

 It scares me too, to see how young we were.

This was taken in early 1972
Scroll to the end to see Mr. C. today

And we're still married! Incredible, isn't it.

Only by the grace of God...
Really. 

And as it happened, we were on the way to Arizona on the actual date of our anniversary, so when we got back into MSP and had returned sweet Glenn to his home (and the rest of his waiting family) west of the Twin Cities, I suggested to Mr. C. that we make our usual stops to celebrate this momentous occasion:

 Brit's Pub, Minneapolis

for, of course

Fish & Chips

Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis

Basilica, interior

 Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul, Minnesota

Cathedral, interior

Coffee and dessert at Cafe Latte, St. Paul

This photo was taken last year, but the only change was that Mr. C.'s dessert was some sort of double chocolate flourless cake. Mine was the much healthier option, fruit tart. LOL No kidding, I have to restrain myself not to order two pieces. I've thought about making one of those, but I probably should only eat it once a year anyway...

So that, along with having a nice looong trip to Arizona with our son and his son (last week's Hodgepodge), takes us to this, the THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS. Let me know if your Three French Hens don't arrive. The USPS is notoriously unreliable this time of year.

 by Warren Kimble

via surroundyourself.com

Have a wonderful Wednesday. See you next week with the Hodgepodge, if not before.

***

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Mr. Naughty

Doesn't he just look the picture of trouble??!!

(You'll find Mrs. Nice pictured above - sprouting angelic wings)

I'm sure that humor has been one of the greatest assets God has given this marriage,

besides all those gifts from God that usually come to mind.

Hodgepodging Beauty and Hope

What would you use as a point of reference
to straighten this photo??


Join Joyce and the Gang
for

 She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and join in!

1. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'  What's something you've seen recently that you thought was beautiful?

This little cowgirl,

whose third birthday is today!

2. Our culture and beauty...your thoughts?

I think that a feeling of hopelessness is evident in movies, games, etc. So much is full of ugliness and violence. And as long as people keep paying to see violence and ugliness, we'll get more of it. We need to teach the younger generation about respect, love, and hope.

"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."  There IS joy, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and HOPE, despite what is being portrayed on the big screen. But it's not found deep within our selves. If we're honest, when we dig deep enough, we find fear, emptiness and selfishness. Rather, hope is found in Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God, who gave himself for us.


"But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus^, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—  not the result of works, so that no one may boast."- Ephesians 2:4-9

 A beautiful Wisconsin sunset

3. Age before beauty, beauty queen, beauty mark, beauty sleep...which beauty-ful phrase resonates with you today? Why?

It must be 'beauty sleep.' And every time I look in the mirror, I determine that I am definitely not getting enough of it. 

 I found this collage under 'beauty' in my photo archives.

'For The Beauty of The Earth'

4. I read here a list of the top ten
beasts animals that scare us the most-

alligators, coyotes, black bears, birds (but pigeons in particular), sharks, bats, bed bugs, rats, rattlesnakes, and the black widow spider. 

Which 'beast' on the list scares you the most? What is the liklihood of you having an actual encounter with that particular beast? Did a movie contribute to your fear of this creature? Have you ever had a real life encounter with any of the animals listed?

 In reality, this was a teeny snake in our backyard.

Yes! I've hunted and eaten an alligator, hear coyotes every summer night from our porch, got a photo of a black bear resting in the maple tree in our front yard, and ate a boa burger (not a rattlesnake). On another farm, we had bats in the attic that occasionally got into the house. I HATE bats in the house, although I don't have a problem with them if they're simply flying around outdoors at night, minding their own business, catching bugs. I hate rats more than anything and hope I never have an encounter with one. I'd say that rats probably scare me the most - even the thought of them!  If a rat scene is in a movie, I turn away until the music changes and I know it's over.

And with that in mind, isn't it lovely that Mr. is always hiding fake rats for me to find!! I threaten to throw them away, but he seems quite fond of them.

This one isn't hidden, but Mr. C. put it there to entertain

the postman when he drops off the mail.

Black bear resting in our maple tree

5. Where were you when you last heard a bell ring? Was it alarming or musical?

On a very calm evening, from our house, we can hear the church bells from the nearby village. 

6. What's your favorite carb? How's that for random?

Chicken pasta casserole, pictured above, is my all-time favorite carb. It is the ultimate comfort food. If I want to put on pounds, I know just the thing to eat, and this is it. I'll have to admit, though, that quantity has something to do with it. Gluten-free pasta, chicken, yogurt, sauteed onion and peppers, garlic, cheddar cheese, olives, potato chips crushed on top before baking. I happen to have some in the freezer, but am trying to stick to meat and salad for a while. I make no guarantees about Friday night, however. It seems to be the one day of the week when I get that overwhelming carb craving. And really. What's the worst that can happen? No, I don't want to think about it.

7. Let's wrap up another month of Hodgepodging and life with an acrostic. Recap your month using the word MARCH.

Miserable weather. It's almost

Always windy and cold. At least we got a

Reprieve the past few days, enough so that I

Could get a good walk in, from

Home to the stop sign and back, a nice 2 1/2 mile walk.

Not this stop sign.

I'm hoping to get down to the Westby area in another couple weeks.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

 These little characters

are now 6 months old.
Tommy & Smokey

***


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Mad As A Hatter Hodgepodge

Someone enjoys pulling books from the shelves!

Tommy's first step in learning to read

Join Joyce and the Gang
for

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and join in!

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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