High fiving the Wednesday Hodgepodge

Wednesday again, and time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, in which Joyce asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers.  It's always a lot of fun (and sometimes challenging).   If you'd like to join in,  just head over to From This Side of the Pond and get the questions from Joyce, then answer them on your own blog.  Here are this week's questions, many of which have to do with the number 5:

1. Five years ago this month hubs and I relocated from New Jersey to the Palmetto State. What were you doing five years ago this month?

One August day five years ago, we had an unexpected beach day with some of our grandkids when Mr. T ended up with an unplanned (and very unusual) day off.  Read about it here: A gift of a day.  
Sprinkled throughout the post are some pictures from that day:

It was so much fun to look back on a special, unexpected blessing God had given us.  I'd forgotten all about how it happened.

2. What was the last 9-5 job you worked? Tell us about it.

Well, it wasn't 9-5 but more like 8-3.  My last regular job was working as a teachers' aide in a small Christian school.  I also taught art and creative writing.

3. Plead the fifth, high five, take five, it's five o'clock somewhere, or the big 5-0...which number five phrase relates to your life in some way currently? Tell us how.

Mr. T and I are high-fiving one another these days as the homestead clean-out is nearly complete.  We're also planning to "take five" when it's all done and have planned a couple of autumn getaways.

4. During this season of spending so much time at home, what distractions get in the way of being your most productive? Or have you been extra productive since this whole thing started?

I felt somewhat of out of sorts with the new routine during lockdown and am thankful that's over.  When we returned from our Western vacation, I found myself with new energy and increased productivity.  Even though a number of things about travel were not "normal", I still feel that getting a huge change of scene energized me.  Trying to get the homestead cleaned out, though, has definitely distracted me from being productive here at home. 

Ari was just a baby five years ago.  She will be 6 in November!

 

5. Give us a list here of your top five anything.

Oh, how about beverages?  1) Water; 2) Coffee; 3) Iced tea; 4) Hot tea; 5) Iced coffee.

That day at the lake, we also took a hike with three of the grandkids.  These boys are 16 and 12  now!

A water view from the hiking trail

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Today we visited my cousin at the extended family's cottage on a quiet pond.  As always, this sign reminded us we need to visit this lovely place more often and even book some time here for ourselves.
 
And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!  Happy Wednesday, all!