Hodgepodge: Books, Bread, and Being a Redhead

This Hodgepodge was right in my wheelhouse. Took me zero time to complete. To join in, answer the questions yourself and link up at Joyce's blog!

1. Besides Thanksgiving, something you're looking forward to on your November calendar?

Girls weekend with two college buddies! We're meeting at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland...one friend has a place there.

We don't see each other often, but when we do, it's like we were never apart. No one makes me laugh like they do, or knows me better. We've been through everything from our first fraternity party, to our first jobs, to weddings, to dealing with babies and now teenagers.

It's hard to believe that our kids are almost the same age we were when we met! And two of them are applying to the college we went to! Boy, would Parents' Weekend be fun....

2. If I gave you a thank you card right now who would you send it to and why?

Dear Son,
Thank you.
Thank you for putting up with all of my college application nagging. Thank you for working so hard on your essays, which I know were not easy for you to write.
Thank you for being the kind of son any parent would be proud of—honest, trustworthy, a loyal friend, and a hard worker, whether you're in class or on the field/court/track.
Thank you for making me laugh every day.
I'll miss you next year—so much—but I can't wait to see you take the next step in your life! And to see you grow into the man you are fast becoming.
Love you always,
Mom

3. Of the breads listed, which one's your favorite...bagel, cinnamon, sourdough, garlic, banana, biscuit, pita, Naan, or plain old fashioned white bread?

I don't eat gluten now, so all of these sound delicious. I guess that I miss sourdough the most...although I love biscuits, too.

4. What's something you have in abundance? Is that a good thing?

I'm trying to think of something we have more of than other people...maybe books? We have lots of books. And it's really, really hard to let go of them. I'm good at decluttering other things, but books? I just can't.

5. November 5th is National Love Your Red Hair Day. Are there any redheads in your family? Who's your favorite redhead?

Ha! Easy one. Many, many redheads on both sides of my family...I actually wrote about this once.

And here's my favorite redhead:

Kidding! My favorite redhead is my little sister:

Hard to tell here, but yes, the hair is red.

And, please, don't call us gingers.

6. The travel website Busbud recently calculated the most Instagrammed spot in every state. Go here to see what made the list where you live. Are you happy with your state's #1? If not what do you think should be the most photographed spot in your state? Have you snapped a photo there? If you live outside the USA answer as it relates to your state, city or province.

Wow, I never would have thought that the Pittsburgh Zoo would have been the most Instagrammed place in my state! I've never been there, and I lived in Pittsburgh for two years!

Maybe I'm showing my eastern Pennsylvania bias, but I would have chosen this spot (which I'm sure I've never photographed, since I'm really, really bad at remembering to take pictures):

7. I'm going to try to have something related to gratitude in this spot each week during the month of November. Here's this week's question—

What's something you've learned about yourself this year that you're grateful for?

I learned that I can run! I've always been horrible at it, and hated it. I did gymnastics and played softball as a kid, so running was not something I had to do often. I always struggled with the mile run in gym class (and came up with the most creative of excuses for why I couldn't participate).

Last January I resolved to walk 10,000 steps every day (thank you, Fitbit!), and then one day last spring I decided to try jogging a bit of my walk. Now I'm comfortably running 2 miles at a time (and I was up to 3 before I sprained my ankle last summer). I know this doesn't sound like much. But to me it's huge.

I'm so grateful that I've been able to achieve something I never, ever thought I could do. And so grateful to be healthy enough to even try.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Good times at our house. The chimney had a leak, so we had all the stucco pulled off. It's clear now that the plywood underneath is completely rotted. The whole length of the chimney needs to be rebuilt.

I can think of so many other, more satisfying ways we could have spent the money this will cost.

Hodgepodging Halloween

A slightly scary, somewhat Halloween-themed Hodgepodge this week. To join in, and you know you want to, visit Joyce and link up with your answers!

1. Are you comfortable with silence? If you're home alone, do you like silence or do you need regular background noise? Do you seek out times and places to be silent? What's your favorite place to find silence/be silent?

I'm perfectly happy to have it quiet when I'm at home alone. After a while, the TV or radio on as background noise gets on my nerves. I remember when I was a stay-at-home mom with my babies, I tried hard not to have the TV on during the day. (Only exception: Regis and Kathie Lee. I love Reeg!)

I don't seek out silence, but I do enjoy being in quiet places—like church on a weekday or at night. I was going to say at the library, but I don't think they are quiet places anymore? At least ours isn't.

2. October 28th is National Chocolate Day. Can't let that go by without a mention now, can we? Will you celebrate? How? Let's say you can have one of the following right this very minute... a cup of hot chocolate, a strawberry dipped in chocolate, a bowl of plain chocolate ice cream, or a slice of chocolate pie...what's your pleasure?

I've already had way too much chocolate this week, thanks to my lack of willpower and the Halloween candy in the cupboard. I'll pass for now.

3. How do you feel about blue jeans? Favorite thing in the world to wear or nope, don't own a single pair? How often do you wear blue jeans in a typical week? Do you own a blue jean jacket?

I basically wear jeans any time I can. Dark wash jeans = dressed up in my book!

I wore a Levi's jean jacket in college constantly. (I never wear it now, but I just can't part with it.)

4. Are you superstitious? If so, in what way?

I don't consider myself superstitious. I do always knock on wood when I'm talking about something good about to happen. I also throw salt over my left shoulder if I spill any.

A black cat has crossed my path twice this week. That's good, right? It cancels out?

Like I said—I'm not superstitious. ;)

5. If you had to come up with a costume using only things you have on hand right now, what could you come up with? 

I have used this in a pinch (here demonstrated by my son, years ago):

It's a conversation starter.

6. What scares you a little? What do you do when you feel scared?

What scares me just a little? Like a good kind of scared?  Umm. We are watching the new season of Fargo. That's a little scary! But not the kind of scary that would keep me up at night.

7. Perhaps today will be the day I...

Order my son's senior pictures. I can't decide which pose I like best! And he (being a boy and all) couldn't care less what his yearbook picture looks like. (Maybe I'll just use the picture above!)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Daylight savings time starts (or ends?) this weekend! I'm looking forward to a little more light in the mornings, as it is very hard to haul myself out of bed at 6:00 lately.

I don't mind the dark in the evening. (It means that the holidays are just around the corner!)

Also: Go Temple! Beat Notre Dame!

Hodgepodge: Patience, Flying, and the Chairman of the Board

I can't imagine anyone is looking at this who isn't already part of the Hodgepodge. But just in case: head over to From This Side of the Pond to see this week's questions, and link up! It's so much fun! (Thank you, Joyce!)

1. What's something that has recently 'tried your patience'?

I have so much spam in my Verizon email, and yet I'm not doing anything about it. I know I should figure out how to forward my emails to my gmail account. Which I think would filter out the spam? For some reason I am paralyzed at the thought of accomplishing this.

So Verizon is trying my patience, and I am trying my own patience.

2. Do you think patience comes to us naturally or is it something you have to learn as you grow? On a scale of 1-10 generally how patient are you? (1=I blow up at the drop of a hat and 10=I've got all the time in the world).

Definitely something that you learn. Remember how impatient you were for Christmas as a kid? For summer to finally come? For dinnertime?

I don't get impatient much anymore—on the scale, I put myself at about a 7. When I was younger, I used to get annoyed with slow drivers...slow lines at the grocery store...slow meetings at work...you get the picture. Now, I just wait. I'm generally not in a rush anymore.

This may mean that I am now the slow driver you are all stuck behind.

3. Share about a time when you felt like you could fly. Or a time you wished you could fly. Or a time you felt like you were flying.

A time I felt I was flying: This is easy. Skiing. The wind is in my face and I am gliding. Pine trees rush past. My heart is beating hard and I'm a little out of breath.

(I'm actually a really slow skier, but all the above is still true!)

4. Your favorite song with the word fly in the title or lyrics, or your favorite song that relates to flying in some way?

As a resident of southeastern Pennsylvania, I should be choosing either "Fly Eagles Fly" or "Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)." But here are my real favorites:

"Come Fly With Me," Frank Sinatra

"Learning to Fly," Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

5. What's in your fall picnic basket and where are we picnicking in your neck of the woods this time of year?

Yum! I love food questions! We'll head over to the local state park. I brought blankets to wrap up in if we get chilly. And to eat...let's see, we have some hot cocoa in one thermos, vegetable soup in another, bread and butter, cheese, fruit, and homemade oatmeal cookies. And apple cider.

When we get home, we'll put our feet up and have some mulled wine by the fire.

6. Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, landscaping...which skill would you most like to possess and how would you put that skill to use today?

Plumbing. I have found that when most times I have needed a plumber, I've needed a plumber right this minute. Like when our kitchen faucet started spraying water under the sink on Thanksgiving morning, with 16 expected for dinner.

I don't have any plumbing projects right now, but with my new skills I'd be ready for anything!

(I can't think of any landscaping/carpentry emergencies—unless a tree fell on the house?)

7. What's something you think is too expensive to justify buying lately?

There is a big scratch down the side of my car (new driver + narrow garage). It's been there for months, and I really don't like driving a car that looks junky.

However, I just got the estimate for the repair and it looks like I'll be driving with the scratch for the foreseeable future.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We had such a great fall weekend! Daughter was home from college for four days. My favorite times are when all four of us are together on the weekends, after breakfast and before heading out for the day, doing nothing but talking and drinking coffee and relaxing. It's just not the same with only three.

Plus, on Saturday we saw The Martian (oh Matt Damon, how I love you) and on Sunday we went to some open houses. Time to start our search for a smaller place!

If It's Wednesday...

Yes! (Picture me in Usain Bolt pose.) Got the Hodgepodge picture and figured out how to link it!

1. It's October so let's get this out there first thing...have you jumped on the all-things-pumpkin bandwagon? How so? 

I have not tasted pumpkin yet this year (although do I love it). Honestly...I'll probably just wait for the pie at Thanksgiving. And I don't really like flavored coffee. In any case, my daughter informs me that drinking pumpkin spice lattes is so basic.

And in case you don't know what that means (I certainly didn't):

Per Urban Dictionary, a basic [um, girl] is "unflinchingly upholding of the status quo and stereotypes of her gender without even realizing it. She engages in typical, unoriginal behaviors, modes of dress, speech, and likes: I've gotta get to Hollister and Bath and Body Works for the third time this week, they just announced a new sale! I just don't know how I'll ever fit in that mani-pedi with Amanda and Brittney today....I need a pumpkin spice latte or a cosmo right now, I can't handle this pressure."

2. "We have more power than will; and it is often by way of excuse to ourselves that we fancy things are impossible." Francois Duc De la Rochefoucauld

What's something you once thought impossible, but in hindsight see as more a matter of lack of will?

Hmm. Well, I once thought it would be impossible for my (math loving, English hating) son to write his college application essays, but through force of (my) will, he is getting there (slowly). Ditto with my packrat husband: last weekend, for the first time in years he cleaned out the closet where he keeps old hard drives, CDs, printers, etc. Again through force of (my) will.

Does that count?

3. The rose is America's National Flower, but every state also has its own flower. Are you happy with yours? If you were in charge what would declare your state's flower? If you're outside the U.S. what bloom would you like to see labeled as your country's national flower?

Hey, what do you know? Pennsylvania's flower is the mountain laurel! I never knew that!

Source

Pretty!

We have lots of laurel (not mountain) in the yard (hence blog name). It doesn't bloom like that. (Can you tell I'm not much of a flower person? Lol.) I'm happy to stick with the mountain laurel as the state flower.

4. What have you lost interest in recently?

Wearing makeup. I've never worn much, but I didn't used to leave the house without putting on mascara at least. Now, after six months of not working in an office...let's just say it's all natural, almost all of the time. (And if I'm always wearing workout clothes, maybe I'll actually get to the gym!)

5. In your opinion, who's the best living musician?

Wow, another tough one. I'll go with the obvious and say Paul McCartney. The Beatles...Wings...he even made me like a Rihanna song!

6. S'mores—love 'em or no? Ever make them indoors? Last time you sat around an outdoor fire? Are making s'mores and sitting round a fire pit on your autumn bucket list? Do you have an autumn bucket list?

I do love a s'more. One thing I do not understand, however, is eating burned marshmallows. What is with you people?! Don't stick it right in the flames...toast it!

Bucket list? Well...I'd like to "decorate" my house for the fall. This generally involves a pot of mums on the front porch and a few gourds in a bowl on the dining room table.

7. Your favorite small town? Why?

Stockbridge or Lenox, Massachusetts—quintessential New England small towns. I may be slightly biased, but with the Berkshires, Boston, and the Cape/Vineyard/Nantucket, isn't Massachusetts the best state of all? ;)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We just got invited to a friend's house for a Halloween get-together and the text said, "Costumes optional." Ugh! I never know what to do for this kind of thing! I don't really want to dress up...but I also don't want to seem like a spoil sport.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Um, hello?

I feel a little bit like I'm crashing a party, but I'm going to jump right in. I'm Catherine, and it's very nice to meet you all!

1. Something on your October calendar that makes you smile? 

Daughter's fall break starts in a week! She will be home from college for five days and I can't wait to see her. I've even DVR'd Say Anything for us to watch together...and I am hoping she shares my appreciation for John Cusack. (Or is that just a Generation X thing?)

2. Food for the soul or music for the soul...which camp are you in? Tell us why. 

When I was younger, I might have answered music, but now, it's definitely food: Food brings people together, and with every meal I make for my family I am showing my love for them. Plus, what could feed the soul more than the taste of homemade chocolate ice cream on a hot summer night?

3. What are two or three things you've learned recently as the result of an online search? 

That I might be developing rosacea (thank you, Dr. Google), that it might be caused by microscopic skin mites (ew!), and that tea tree oil might treat it effectively.

That in Michigan's UP some speak a Yooper dialect. (When we were in Michigan I thought I should educate myself a little.) I am fascinated by regional accents and dialects, having grown up pahking the cah and drinking "tonic" (soda). Yooper incorporates Finnish words and even shares grammatical constructions from Finnish--like dropping "to the" ("I'm going store"), because Finnish lacks articles and drops prepositions.

4. Share your favorite game day recipe.

Guacamole. Lots of tomatoes, no sour cream! (And although Williams Sonoma may want you to purchase the molcajete, I have always found that it comes out just fine with a regular old fork and bowl.)

Beef and black bean crockpot chili. So easy and so good! Martha knows what she's doing. Plus, bonus points for starting with dried beans...I feel like Ma Ingalls!

5. What are your five essential steps for creating the perfect morning routine? 

Breakfast for my son. My kids have been making their own lunches since about fourth grade (when they started complaining about what I was packing for them), but I still get up every weekday to make breakfast.
Breakfast for me. It's the same every day: granola with sliced almonds and dried cranberries. I make my own because gluten-free granola costs a fortune.
Coffee. Essential.
New York Times crossword puzzle (and then I read this blog; it is entertaining, mostly because Rex is such a curmudgeon).
To-do list. I can't function without one. Nothing gets done unless it is written down, and next thing you know, it's 11:30 and I'm still in my PJs.

6. What small thing have you taken note of today?

At Bed Bath & Beyond, once again I was the only person in the checkout line without any coupons. Drat!

7. Sum up your September in seven words or less. 

The Pope came and Philadelphia shut down.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."

Julian of Norwich's words express my joy in times of happiness, and hold me up in times of sadness.