Wednesday Hodgepodge - 22/1/25

The Hodgepodge is hosted by Joyce here. She comes up with the questions, we write the answers and share them. Pop over to see who else is joining in the fun.

1. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)?

2017 springs to mind as that was the year we travelled to Australia with my daughter, her wife and our then 8 month old Grandson Nathan. Of course it wasn't winter there it was leading into summer but we had a wonderful time.

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

It seems that any time you try and deal with a government department red tape is involved. The worst case I had was when trying to register for a Government Gateway ID - something you have to have in the UK to do anything online with the Government. I had great problems with this and the root of the problem was that they had my date of birth recorded incorrectly. I then had to send them a notarised copy of my birth certificate. Fortunately my best friend's daughter is a solicitor and she did it for me free of charge but the whole process was very annoying.

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favourite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing?

Yes I eat fish. Hubby usually cooks it at home and often it's salmon. Never been ice fishing or any sort of fishing.

4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics?

We saw snippets of the coverage on our news programme here in the UK. I guess I'm a 3 on the scale - I try to keep some sort of interest going but I'm definitely not hands on.

5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so?

Hmm I have some cozy pyjamas that are actually too hot to wear in bed but I also have a long dressing gown that's warm but also very soft that's good for snuggling under a blanket and watching TV before I get dressed.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I tend to steer clear of discussing politics - it's such a divisive subject.

#JusJoJan 2025 - 21/1/25 - Content

Our prompt today is courtesy of the lovely J-Dub. Thank you, J-Dub! Her blog can be found here J-Dub’s blog .

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 21st, 2025 is “content.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Well it's late evening again so there's not going to be much content here.  Just a jot.

Goodnight!

Book Review - Drive your Plow over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of Poland's most imaginative and lyrical writers, Olga Tokarczuk presents us with a detective story with a twist in DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD. 

After her two dogs go missing and members of the local hunting club are found murdered, teacher and animal rights activist Janina Duszejko becomes involved in the ensuing investigation. 

Part magic realism, part detective story, DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD is suspenseful and entertaining reimagining of the genre interwoven with poignant and insightful commentaries on our perceptions of madness, marginalised people and animal rights.

I didn't find this book an easy read - it took me quite a few days and it's not actually that long. The blurb on the cover sums up the book quite well and it is about the mystery surrounding several deaths in a community in Poland with an ending I hadn't predicted.

Why 5 stars? Because it is beautifully written. It's clever. It doesn't just tell the story. I wouldn't say I loved it but I can appreciate why the author is a Nobel prize winner.

View all my reviews

#JusJoJan 2025 - 20/1/25 - Antipodean

Hi! It’s time for our twentieth prompt for Just Jot it January 2025. Today, we have a prompt gifted to us by the incomparable Kim. Thank you, Kim! You can visit her here Kim’s blog and say hello.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 20th, 2025 is “antipodean.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

Well a quick post is called for as it's really bedtime here.  Of course antipodeans from here in London will be up and about and already on day 21 of 2025!  

We British tend to lump Australia and New Zealand together as the Antipodes from here although the actual antipodean point would be in the Pacific Ocean with Waitangi in New Zealand being the closest city.

We made it to Australia in 2017 with my daughter, her wife and our then 8 month old Grandson Nathan.  I blogged about it here. We had a great time.  I'd quite like to visit New Zealand but now that one of our sons     and his family are in the US I don't think we'll be making that trip anytime soon.