Wednesday, January 04, 2017

A New Year's Hodgepodge


 I am really liking this hodgepodging.  It's really nice, once a week or so, to have someone (in this case,  Joyce) asking questions that get me thinking.  Wouldn't you like to join in?  If so, or just to catch up with what others have shared, head on over to From This Side of the Pond and check it out. In case you are thinking of putting it off until next week, there will be no Hodgepodge next Wednesday.  So here we go with the questions and answers:

1. Share one favorite moment/memory from your Christmas holiday. 

That is really a tough call.  One of my favorites was two days before Christmas when our tree was up, but not the lighted village we usually put under it.  The buildings were stacked in boxes in the living room.  I asked my grandsons (8 and 12) who were spending a few hours at my house if they thought they could set it up.  My hubby has a complicated system whereby he joins some of the cords together and uses a power strip so the village can be turned on and off with the flip of a switch.  Of course you just know the boys figured it out, even though they had never seen it done.   And of course you probably also know that I didn't get a picture of the process or the result.  The pics below are older.
The village in a long-ago Christmas
Some of the houses as they will appear after the tree comes down
2. What was the best thing you ate over the holidays?

You know, that is a really good question.  It may have been a Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookie.


Was it homemade or store bought? Homemade.  If it was homemade did you make it?  Yes.

3. What was one of the most beautiful things you saw over the holidays?

I saw many pretty sights, but I would say one of the most beautiful was in photos my daughter sent me of her 10-year-old helping her 2-year-old (just up from a nap) to decorate Christmas cookies.



4. What does fresh start mean to you?

It means a chance to start every day anew by God's grace and with His help.  As Anne of Green Gables once said (or something like it), "tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet."  I'll make some -- I nearly always do -- but I can have a fresh start with a new day if I choose.

5. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very positive and 1 being not so great) how would you rate 2016 in terms of personal achievement and well being? Explain. 

Hmmm.  I'm not sure about the personal achievement part, so I'll go with well-being.  For the first 2/3 of the year I felt good and stayed with a program that kept me feeling more energetic.   Say, a 6.  The last third of the year, maybe a 3 or 4.

6. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse, or just general uselessness. Go here to read more about how the words were chosen or, if you're like me, to find out what in the world the word or phrase even means or the context in which it's used. There were quite a few on this year's list I'd never heard before.

Here's the 2017 list of banished words-

You, Sir-focus-Bete Noire-Town Hall Meeting-Post Truth-guesstimate-831-historic-manicured-echo chamber-on fleek-bigly-ghost-Dadbod-listicle-get your dander up-selfie drone-frankenfruit-disruption

Which word on the list would you most like to see banished in 2017? 

 I guess I would say "selfie drone" because I would like to see "selfie" banished from the lexicon due to overuse.

I would hate to see "you, sir" go because of one of my favorite lines from the Disney read-along book my kids used to have, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.  When Pooh visits Rabbit, eats too much, and gets stuck in Rabbit's front door.  Owl, in an effort to cheer Pooh up, says, "You, sir, are stuck.  A wedged bear in a great tightness.  In a word, irremovable, ha, ha, ha!"

What word or phrase would you add to the list?

"Crack" or "cracked out" as a description for some supposedly addictive recipe.  Drug addiction is no joke.

7. Large or small, light or deep, share with us one goal you have for the new year. 

Do something creative every day.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'll be glad when the Christmas cookies are gone.  I haven't had one since Sunday, but Mr. T is doing his part and then some.  Says he can hear them calling his name out of the freezer.
Happy Hodgepodge Day, everyone!

14 comments:

  1. I love reading Hodge Podges..so fun!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are fun to take part in too, Arlene! Why not join in on the one for the 18th?

      Delete
  2. Those cookies look amazing. It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We did! It was a very different Christmas, but very nice. I have links to the cookie recipes (some here and some on my Christmas blog) if you are interested.

      Delete
  3. That is a wonderful way to display the village around the Christmas tree...must remember that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I hope you try it, Vee! We just enjoy the way it looks.

      Delete
  4. Hats off to your grandsons for setting up the village. The photos of your granddaughters are priceless. So sweet. Good point about using crack or cracked out in such flippant ways. Happy New Year to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy New Year to you too, Ellen! Yes, aren't those photos of the girls just the sweetest? It was such a blessing that Julia was so willing to help her little sister with the sprinkles.

      Delete
  5. Soo glad you stopped by my blog today which encouraged me to visit yours! I loved your answers, and feel we have much in common. Such a great verse you put on my blog comment, and oh soo true. Your grandkids are adorable, and good job on the village scene. It always amazes me too how electronical my grands are too. But it is a good place to put one up too...never thought of that. Hope you have a good week. I'll be back!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think we have much in common too, Debbie! Yes, there are so many verses (especially in Proverbs and James) about our speech. I have pages in my prayer journal where I pray about my character flaws and of course I have one for speaking before thinking. Lots of verses from Proverbs on that page!

      Yes, those are some of my local grands. They are delightful kids.

      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  6. Hodgepodge is one of my favorites, I always look forward to it! Thanks for the link on the cookies. Those photos of the girls are precious. I sent cookies to our daughter and I put the rest in the freezer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Debby!

      Yes, my cookies are frozen, too. I've been able to stay away from them this week, thankfully. Knowing one has to purposely get them out of the freezer, put them on a plate, and thaw them is a deterrent to me. Doesn't seem to bother my hubby, though!

      Delete
  7. Hello Mrs. T,
    What a wonderful post and so much fun to read! I love the village beneath your tree. That is something I have never done and I must try it next year with my own. This year I didn't get my village out due to poor health and I miss it when it's not displayed. Those cookies look lovely.
    Sorry, I don't have the recipe for the Almond cake. My son's girlfriend brought it and I believe her mother made it for me. I have no idea how it's made only that it is a nice treat with a cup of tea. Happy New Year, my friend!

    Blessings,
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sandi! I am glad you enjoyed the post. I'm new to the Hodgepodge bandwagon, but enjoying it so much!

      I'm glad you liked the village beneath the tree. It was my hubby's idea, some years ago, and now we always do it. The grands enjoy it and so do we. I hope that next year you will feel well and have more energy and will be able to display your village.

      I'll have to see if I can find a recipe similar to that almond cake. It looks delightful!

      Happy New Year to you too, dear friend, and I pray it is also a healthy one!

      Delete

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit my kitchen table! I love company here in my kitchen, so be sure to leave a comment so I'll know you've visited! I'll answer your questions and comments here on the blog unless you request otherwise.