Category: Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your sense of direction? 1=can’t find my way out of a paper bag and 10=if I’ve been somewhere once I can find it blindfolded ten years later.

When was the last time you looked at/used a map you could hold in your hand? (phones don’t count!)

9! First, I do own a GPS and a Cell phone and find these very handy. However, Jack taught me to read a map when we married and I love maps! Real, big, paper maps! I love to see the big picture and a real paper map affords this.

Now, I used to have a very poor sense of direction, but since learning to read a map and learning about the sun and moon, etc I have gotten very good at finding my way through life.

Back east, down south, out west, up north

Choose one of these directional expressions and tell us why you chose it.

Up north. And I chose it because that’s where I live, quite happily, Up North

2. Did you do more talking or listening yesterday? Is that typical? Describe your yesterday in one word.

Yesterday was Monday. Normal, and somewhat Quiet. I would say I did more listening.

3. Time, money, water-power-resources, opportunity…which one on the list are you most guilty of wasting? What might you do to change that?

Lately I don’t think I am wasting any of them. I feel I have been living life pretty fully and pretty reasonably!

4. Did your family take regular vacations when you were a kid? Tell us something you remember about a family roadtrip from your own childhood.

No we didn’t. Our family didn’t have the money. I remember only one trip we took and that was to Washington, DC when I was about 7 years old. I remember seeing the White House, and the other monuments. I remember it being very hot and I remember that I loved riding the tour buses and playing in the elevator at the Mayflower Hotel.

Me, Melodie and our brother, Dickie.

Melodie, Me, and our brother, Dickie.

5. If you could grow anything you wanted, what would you grow? Why?

A money tree? LOL!  I have been lucky enough to grow many things in my life. I think if I could do one thing now it would be to plan and grow a beautiful floral garden. And just because I love beautiful flowers!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Not too much is happening here. Just a long week of doctor’s appointments. Both for Jack and myself. Nothing terrible, just the usual.

1. What’s something you’d rate a 10/10? Tell us why.

Oh definitely my grandchildren, Savannah and Quinn. They put a smile on my face each and every day. When I am able to actually be with them it is even better! Love being an Oma!

 

2. What job would you be terrible at? What makes you think so?

Principal at a high school. There is no way I could handle difficult situations with hostile kids. I’m just not tough. I wish I was, but I am just not.

3. When did you last take a fall? What’s something you’re falling for (in a good way) these days?

Last fall? Well, I actually fell in the shower about 6 weeks ago. Thankfully I got nothing more than a small bruise.

What am I falling for in a big way? Aside from my grandchildren, I am falling for The Pioneer Woman. Now I am not like many of her fans, who have purchased every bit of kitsch that she has in the stores, but I do enjoy her shows and the cooking. I have tried a few of her recipes and all I can say is, the girl can cook!

4. According to the Travel Channel here are some of America’s best fall festivals-

National Apple Harvest Festival (near Arendtsville PA, close to Gettysburg), Harvest on the Harbor (Portland Maine), German Village Festival (Columbus Ohio), Wellfleet Oyster Fest (Cape Cod), and Wine and Chile Fiesta (Santa Fe NM)

Have you ever been to any of the festivals listed? Which one appeals to you most? Does your hometown have any sort of fall celebration, and if so will you make it a point to attend?

We have a chowder festival in the Autumn and many Farm Festivals, as I live in Farm Country, here in New Hampshire. Although I have not been to the festivals mentioned I have been to Apple Festivals, and German/American Festivals,  in this country and in Germany, as well as Lobster and Strawberry Festivals on my native Cape Cod.

5. What is your goodbye message to summer?

Let’s do it better next year! This was a rather challenging summer, and next year I really want to get to the beach and spend more time with my grandchildren!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I came across a video on the Internet made by a nurse on Facebook. (I have included the link for anyone who is on Facebook, so you can view it) The Nurse had just come off of a long shift at the hospital, where she comforted a man as he passed from this life to the next.

She talked about the beauty of this experience, but also encouraged people to live our lives to the best of our abilities! Enjoy life, find happiness, do what you love! Life is so short! Don’t waste time!

1. Do you try to set rules for yourself about how you use your time? Explain.

I should. Unfortunately, I am sort of a go with the flow kind of girl.

2. Monday was National Lighthouse Day. Have you ever visited a lighthouse? If not, do you have any desire to see one up close? Of the 10 Most Beautiful that made this list which would you most like to see in person-

I grew up in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. We had beautiful Nobska Lighthouse in our town. I love lighthouses and everything about them!

Our Nobska Lighthouse. Photo courtesy of my sister Melodie.

OLindau Lighthouse (Germany), Fanad Lighthouse (Ireland), Portland Head Light (Maine), Yaquina Bay Light (Oregon)

The St. Augustine Light (Florida), Yes, I have been there also.

Peggys Point Lighthouse (Canada), I have been to Peggy’s Cove, as many of my family come from Nova Scotia.

Start Point Lighthouse (England), Tower of Hercules (Spain), Bass Harbor Head Station (Maine), and White Shoal Light (Michigan)

Not these, however.

When you’ve been away, what’s your ‘lighthouse’ telling you you’re on the right road home?

The smell of the ocean, (when I go home to Cape Cod) or the sight of the mountains, when I am on my way to my current home in New Hampshire!

3. What have you unintentionally stopped doing? Is this something you need to pick back up and begin again, or is it something you need to let go of for now (or even permanently)?

I need to start thinning out my junk. You know all the clutter one gathers in 58 years of life!

4. We’ve had a full week of August. Share a GRAND moment from your month so far.

Jack is healing well, and even getting back to some of the things that make him happy. That makes me happy! Also I have seen two rainbows on two separate occasions. Thus reminding me, that even though a little rain must fall, there is a rainbow full of happiness to follow!

5. Tell us one song you love with the word ‘baby’ in the title.

Baby-Baby by Amy Grant.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

I seem to be spending a lot of time in my car this summer. Bu there is an up side. I have been enjoying the lush trees, the beautiful gardens, and the sunny skies (when it has not been raining! 😉 ).

Yesterday I had to drive to Portsmouth, NH and what a gorgeous ride that is, plus Portsmouth is a beautiful little city. Love it!

1. We’ve reached edition number 315 here in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. So tell us, what were you doing at 3:15 yesterday? Is that typical? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being low and 10 being high) what’s your energy level usually like at 3:15 PM?

My energy level is terrible at that time of day. I really have a sinking spell. I try to sit down with a cup of hot tea (even in the summer) and either some fruit of a cookie, and catch my breath. Occasionally I kick back and take a short nap. Today at 3:15 I was catching my breath after a long day of appointments and grocery shopping.

2. A Frisbee, a tantrum, a towel, a party, a punch, or a curve-ball…which have you most recently thrown or had thrown at/for you? Elaborate.

I think the Curve-ball. It seems that 2017 has been one giant Curve-ball. Between my surgery, infection and recovery, and Jack’s amputation, I think it is safe to say that nothing has gone the way I thought it would in 2017!

3. What are three things that would help you right now. Tell us how or why.

You know, I have been blessed to have people around me that love me. And these same people also remind me to stay positive. As long as I can do that, that is all I need! I know I am supposed to write three things, but seriously, remaining positive is all I need!

4. Do you think you’re strong? Why or why not? What makes you strong?

I never thought I was strong at all. In fact, I have always thought I was sort of an emotional mess. But when I look back over my life, I realize that I am one strong woman. I have faced tremendous adversity, and yet I am here. I have a good life and I am happy. I believe what has given me strength, is my belief in God. I truly believe in prayer, in God’s grace and my ability to handle almost everything with love and prayer.

5. Do you enjoy reading historical fiction? What’s your favorite book set sometime in the past?

I really enjoyed the books I have read about the Civil War. There were so many very strong men and women during that time. Abraham Lincoln, General Ulysses Grant, Joshua Chamberlain, Clara Barton, William Sherman, and Florence Nightingale. There are many more, but these are the ones that I have actually read their biographies.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I went grocery shopping on Tuesday and they had Lobster for $5.99 a pound! Guess what we had for dinner! I love Lobster, but refuse to pay $10.00 a pound!

1. Growing up, were you close to your grandparents? Tell us one or two specific things you remember about them.

Yes. I was a lot more close to my mother’s parent’s and actually lived with them in my teen years. My grandmother, Mary, was from an English background. What I remember most about her was our tea parties every afternoon. We would talk, over tea and cookies, and there was no problem that couldn’t be solved over tea! I loved talking to her, and missed her so much when I married and moved away. And then, of course, when she died. I still think about her often.

My grandfather, Frederick (Mary’s husband) was all German. He arrived here in 1906 at the age of nine years old. That’s when he met my grandmother, who was friends with his sister, Kätchen. Mary was teaching Kätchen to speak English, and Frederick learned too. Papa said he decided early on, that he loved Mary and someday he would marry her. And they did, and remained married until Mary died at the age of 86. Papa followed Grandma 8 months later. He had no will to live without his beloved Mary.

2. What’s an item you were attached to as a child? What happened to it?

When I was very small, I would spend time at my grandparent’s home in Brighton, Massachusetts. Grandma would leave out the wooden Noah’s Ark that Papa brought with him from Germany. It was all hand carved and I loved the little animals, as well as Noah and his family. I played with it for hours and hours. When Grandma and Papa died, I was given the Noah’s Ark. I have it to this day and it remains something very special to me!

  3. When you look out your window, do you see the forest or the trees (literally and figuratively)? Explain.   I see the lake and the trees. I live in the lakes region of New Hampshire. I’m on a hill above the lake, and so I have that lovely view. But around the lake, and around my yard we have beautiful trees.   4. Do you like sour candies? Which of the ‘sour’ foods listed below would you say is your favorite?   I do not like sour candies. My favorite are butterscotch hard candies.   grapefruit, Yes Greek yogurt, Yes tart cherries, Yes lemons, Yes limes, Yes  sauerkraut, Yes buttermilk, Only for cooking or kumquats No   Have you ever eaten a kumquat? Yes What’s your favorite dish containing one of the sour foods on the list?   I guess Sauerkraut is a favorite because I love  hot Pastrami Reuben Sandwiches with Sauerkraut. YUM!  

5. July 1st marked the mid point of 2017. In fifteen words or less, tell us how it’s going so far.

Hahahahaha! Let’s see. It certainly has been challenging. After simple surgery I got an infection and that was a three month event, with the added thrill of home treatment with IV therapy. Then Jack got the infection in his toe, which did not respond to antibiotics, and after a month of treatment his toe was amputated. We’re both still recuperating, but both of us are doing so much better.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Right now we are in a holding pattern for Jack and his foot. We did get the bone pathology report, which showed  clear margins with the infected bone, and this is all good. He still has stitches in, and will for another week and a half, but the drain is out. The strangest thing, Jack reports, is that he still feels his missing toe. I call it his phantom toe. It’s gone, but his brain has not forgotten it.

1. The first day of summer rolls in later this week. What are ten things you’d put on your list of quintessential summer activities? Will you try to manage all ten this summer?

• 1. Beach. 2. Street Fairs. 3. Farmer’s Markets. 4. County Fairs. 5. A few visits down to my daughter’s. 6. go swimming. 7. Cookouts. 8. Watch sunsets. 9. Eat some lobster and fried clams. 10. Relax.
• I would love to go to the beach. Hubby is not a beach fan, so maybe my daughter will invite me to go with her and the grands! It would be fun to go to the beach and play with Savannah and Quinn in the sand and sun!

2. Do you collect seashells when you’re at the beach? What do you do with them once you get them home? What’s your favorite place to comb for seashells?

I do collect seashells, and have several jars of them. I haven’t done much of anything with them except fill Apothicary jars. The best beaches I ever combed on was Surf drive Beach in Falmouth, Massachusetts  and Sanibel in Florida.

3. At a snail’s pace, shell out money, come out of your shell, go back into your shell, drop a bombshell, happy as a clam, clam up…which ‘shell’ phrase could most recently be applied to some event or circumstance in your life? Explain.

I hope to be Happy As A Clam! I go to the Infectious Disease doctor today and I hope she will say I am ready to discontinue to antibiotics. Then I really would be “Happy As A Clam”!

4. What summer activity do you dislike? Why?

Mowing the lawn. But then, most of the time, Hubby does that.

5. What’s something you see as quickly becoming obsolete? Does that bother you?

Going to the Mall. Most of my shopping is done online now. And from what I hear on the business channels, this is the case Nationwide! I don’t think it bothers me too much because I really dislike crowds.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I wonder how many of you have started watching cable or satellite TV shows instead of the news. I have. I find the International news and the local news is getting increasingly distressing. No, I do not blame any one political figure. I blame the hatred that is being fed out there, terrorism and the real lack of moral values. It saddens me. I hope that one day, people will once again care about each other and that terrorism will be defeated.

1. May 17th is National Pack Rat Day. Sidebar-should we be celebrating this? Hmmm…

No, no, no!

Are you a pack rat? Even if you’re not a full fledged pack rat, most people have one thing or another they struggle to part with. Tell us what’s yours.

Hubby is a pack rat. His motto is, “I might use this before I die!” I am more of a thrower. But gave up long ago.

2. What are two things you know you should know how to do, but you don’t?

Change a tire and bake a sponge cake.

3. Do you crave sugar? Do you add sugar to your coffee and/or tea? Do you use artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes? When dining out is dessert a given? Are you someone who has slain the sugar dragon, and if so tell us how you did it.

I use Splenda. I try not to give in to sweets, but it is hard. I do have a sweet tooth. When I go out, usually I am too full for dessert.

4. What’s a trend it took a while for you to come round to, but now you can’t imagine living without?

Prescription sunglasses. I knew I needed them, as clip on and sunglasses that fit over my glasses were uncomfortable. Finally I splurged and when I got my last glasses I picked out a funky frame (deep purple!) and had them made into “el cheapo” sunglasses. I love them!!!

5. What’s a song that reminds you of a specific incident in your life? Please elaborate.

This song makes me think of my older brother and sister. My brother had many handicaps and challenges and he was born on the date mentioned. My sister was born next on the dates mentioned and the whole song just reminds me of his battles in life.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Today it is supposed to be like the middle of the summer. Our temperatures are due to soar into the upper 80’s and the sun will shine brightly! I am so ready for this!!!

1. Share a favorite memory of your mother or share a favorite something from your own life as a mother. If you’re a mother (or stepmom) tell us how your experience as a mom differs from your own mother’s experience.

My mother, Rosamond, was a sweet, kind and loving, woman, who lacked self confidence. This was too bad because there were so many things she was really good at. Cooking, acting, in her youth, dancing, and taking care of her parents in their last years. Here I am with her at the age of 12 when my kitty had babies!

My daughters. Katie and Amanda. Katie was almost 5 here and Amanda almost 7. Amanda has gone on to do many wonderful things in her life. She is bright, funny, hardworking, and an amazing mother to her two children. I am so proud of her. Katie, passed away at the age of 6 and a half after we were hit by an impaired driver. I miss her every day of my life.

These two are the smiles and bright spots in each and every day of my life! I am so blessed!

2. In May we celebrate teachers (May 9) and nurses (May 6) both. Most every family has at least one in their midst, so tell us something (or a few things) you appreciate about the teacher or nurse on your family tree.

My Dad was a teacher. He taught music in the school system, and gave piano lessons for as long as I can remember. At school he also helped many of the junior high and senior high kids find their way in life.

I have two friends who are registered nurses. They are hard working, caring, ladies, who have stuck by me all of my life.

3. Chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad…which would you go for if all three were on the menu? On bread or a bed of lettuce? If you answered bread, what kind of bread would make it the perfect sandwich?

Here in New England we have what is called a tuna melt sandwich. Usually I get white bread, and the cheese is a mild cheddar. It is grilled so it comes to you toasty and warm! It goes especially good with some fresh french fries!

4. Do you have a desk? Is it organized? If so, share your secret to keeping it that way. If you don’t have a desk, where in your home do you take care of family paperwork and business? Where do you normally sit to blog?

I have two desks, but do not use them. I sit at the kitchen table to write out the checks for bills I do not pay online. When I work on my blog I sit in my chair and put up my feet and laptop in my lap and type away.

5. When I was nine years old….

I rode my bicycle all over Falmouth. I tied a jump rope on the handlebars and pretended that my blue Schwinn bike was a wild horse. I would sit on the jetties on the beach, climb the trees in my yard and pull up the inner window in my bedroom (remember when we had exterior “storm windows”) and play Barbie Dolls on the window sill. In the summer I would swim all day and sleep gently at night. And in the summer I was one very brown bean due to my tan from being outside all of the time.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I made Hubby a nice big pot of Lentil soup. Good thing! I woke this morning to 30 degrees with a stiff wind. Lunch for him today was a big bowl of this soup, and a heart roast beef sandwich. Poor Hubby has a lot of yard work to do on the fruit trees, so he will be going out in the 50 degree weather to work on them this afternoon.

1. Can you tell I’m embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Do you like Mexican food?

I love Mexican food. I especially love a good Taco Salad! Or nice spicy salsa with warmed nacho chips!

How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, rice?

If I have to have a side it would be rice. Not crazy about the beans.

What about heat-mild, medium, hot?

Medium. I cannot take it too hot, as my stomach just will not handle it.

Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo?

YUP! I have all the makings for Tacos!

2. Ever been to Mexico? For work or holiday? Love it or no? If you haven’t been is this a place you’d like to visit? Can you speak Spanish?

I have been to Mexico several times. I am always so careful about water, etc. But all the times I have gone I have gotten sick. So, I’ve decided never to return. I can enjoy the wonderful food on this side of the border, without getting seriously ill.

3. What’s one thing you may accomplish this month?

Physical Therapy. I need to get it for the cervical spine and on my body in general.

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what’s one thing you’d like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished? Is serving in public office something you’ve ever seriously considered?

I was a Library Trustee and it was a tough job. I tried very hard to protect my town’s citizens, but in the end I left public office after several years because I became very frustrated by people who wanted to spend, spend, spend!

I love my town, and there is very little I would change.

5. What’s something that may be popular, but that you just don’t get?

Meals that come in a box. I guess I do not get it because I cook. But I read about these people who order meals that they get all the ingredients in a box and then they still have to cook it. It’s so expensive! But I guess if everyone is working, it is easier for them.

6. Can’t let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in ‘May the 4th be with you’ ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being ‘I’ve seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year’, and 1 being, ‘what’s a Vader?’ -where do you land?

I loved the original Star Wars, but not the gazillion sequels. Sadly, the last one will never be the same without Carrie Fisher.

7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post. Does it still ring true today? Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time?

May 13, 2005. The post was about my love of coffee, especially that first cup of the day. Yes, it is still true! I love coffee, especially that first cup of the day. I think the thing that blows my mind is that I have been blogging since, May 11, 2005. Twelve years! Wow! My cousin, Janet suggested it as a way to tell my story in life. I still enjoy it after all these years.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I read that Erin Moran died from Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma. I stopped and my breath caught in my throat when I read that. This is the type of cancer I had in my nose. If it weren’t for my Mom bugging me about my red pimple that wasn’t going away, I would have ignored it until….

Squamous Cell Carcinoma can kill. It does have the ability to spread and before you know it, you are gone.

So, I am feeling very lucky, and I want to remind you all, a tan is great, but use tons of sunscreen! If you notice any changes on your body, skin color or a new bump or pimple, get it checked out. If you are concerned, ask for a punch biopsy. The sooner treatment begins, the better your chances are.