Wednesday Hodgepodge - 14/10/26

Joyce provides the questions each week, we come up with our answers and then we link up here.  Thanks Joyce.

1. Do you think you're driven more by curiosity or comfort? Explain. 

Well I do like my comfort but I am also curious.  I definitely don't like feeling out of the loop but I probably wouldn't stray too far out of my comfort zone to explore things.

2. What non-food item is in your refrigerator or freezer? 

The only non food items are the ice packs that we take with us when we need to keep things cold.

3. 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 favourite place to find silence/be silent? 

I definitely prefer quiet.  I'm happy in my home on my own with no background noise.  I like to sit in the garden when the weather permits with a book or my laptop.  It's never totally silent - our road is quite busy and because of the layout you can hear the traffic and occasionally if the wind is in the right direction you can hear the trains but those are the sort of noises that you tune out because you're so used to them.

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

All of the above please.  Today I would probably start with landscaping.  Our side lawn is looking very sorry for itself after the hot summer we've had.

5. Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent? Which do you find harder to deal with in others? 

I like to think I'm independent.  I was only 22 when my Dad passed away and my Mum was clueless about a lot of things so I had to step in and help her sort out finances and other stuff so that gave me a good grounding.  After I married I took a career break to bring up the children so I took on most of the admin connected to running a home so I think I would be able to cope if my Hubby dies before me. 

I find it harder to deal with someone who is needy than independent, although of course when the children were younger and wanted to exercise their independence that was sometimes a challenge!

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

I am slowly doing the "Spot the Difference" task on the jigsaw I completed recently - there are 100 differences between the jigsaw and the picture supplied with it.  I managed to take a photo of the jigsaw and now I'm marking them on the photo.  So far I have found 85! (It beats watching the news on TV.)

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 7/10/26

Joyce provides the questions each week. We compile our answers then the link up is here. Thanks Joyce.

1. Let's embrace it shall we? What's something you recently forgot to do? Is your memory these days more like a sieve or an elephant?

Well my memory is probably definitely not quite as good as it used to be. One thing that I often forget is to check our HelloFresh subscription. (Meal delivery plan with recipes and ingredients.) We don't tend to have it delivered every week so I have to remember to go in and skip the weeks when we don't want the food and also pick the recipes we'd like. I'm usually ok with skipping weeks but we often get a surprise with regard to the meals as they're the company's choices and not ours. Makes me try different things though so not all bad.

2. Share a trick/strategy you have to help you remember things you need to remember.

I do rely on my phone a lot with reminders, alarms etc although I do have a calendar on the wall and a diary too. We have a small white board on our fridge for noting down things we need to buy and I take a photo of that before going shopping rather than writing out a list.

3. What's your favourite fall vegetable to cook with? Do you prefer your fall veggies roasted, blended into a warm soup, or fresh in a crisp autumn salad?

Hard to pick a favourite vegetable but I do like roasted veg and soups but not so much a salad once it turns colder.

4. October 5th is/was National Do Something Nice Day. Did you? If so tell us about it. Or maybe someone did something nice for you, and if that's the case please share.

Hmm that was Monday and a very ordinary day here. I did get my breakfast made for me but Hubby does that most days so he doesn't need a National Day to do something nice. That day needs to be repeated - daily!

5. Nathaniel Hawthorne is credited with the quote "I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."

Do you tend to spend more time outside this time of year?

I probably don't as it can often be wet. It's raining as I'm writing this and I think that after the long hot summer we've had (often too hot to be outside) we're probably going to get a lot of days like this but I do try and get out and walk when I can especially if it is dry and sunny.

Do you actively pause to soak in fleeting moments of beauty in your daily routine? Elaborate.

I would say no. When I'm out walking I probably do but during the day I'm either busy doing chores or if I'm relaxing it would be reading or another hobby keeping me occupied. Although I do enjoy seeing a colourful sunset through our kitchen window.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Thinking about the "Do something nice day" made me think about something we were often told when growing up - "If you don't have anything nice to say keep quiet!" I don't always remember that lol.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 30/9/26

1. When you think of autumn what sounds come to mind? 

The crunch of leaves underfoot.

2.  Is a trip to the mountains something you enjoy? What's your favorite mountain? 

I probably would but there aren't that many mountains in the UK. 

3. What's something that once felt like a mountain, but is now just a molehill? 

Moving house seemed like a huge thing to do at the time but once I broke it down into to do lists it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

4. Let's play this or that-fall foods edition. Yes you have to choose. 

• pumpkin spice latte or chai latte Neither thank you
• apple cider or hot chocolate  
• stew or chili
• sweet potato casserole or green bean casserole 
• butternut squash soup or creamy mushroom soup 
• cranberry sauce or gravy 

5. Sum up your September in a sentence or two. 

We had a birth (a baby girl for our niece and her partner) and a wedding (our nephew Felix and his wife Alexia) but thankfully no funerals.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I've never been a coffee drinker and none of the special flavours that come around during the year tempt me.  I'm the same with tea.  I just like an ordinary black tea with milk.  None of the fruit flavours or thing like camomile or earl grey thank you.   Talking of tea, it must be time to put the kettle on!

Joyce provides the Hodgepodge questions each week.  Thank you Joyce.  The link up to other bloggers taking part is here.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 19/8/26

Thanks to Joyce for the questions.  The link up is here.

1. August 19th is National Aviation Day...do you like to fly? Last time you were on an airplane? The date is chosen in honor of the history and development of aviation, and celebrated on the birthday of Orville Wright. Have you ever been to the Kitty Hawk area of North Carolina? The city of Dayton in Ohio (their birthplace)

I don't enjoy flying.  I'm not frightened of it but, not being in a position to fly anything but Economy usually, it's not the most comfortable way to travel.  But it's a necessity for us to be able to visit our son and his family who are currently living in the US and the last time we flew was in June when we had a lovely visit with them.  Unfortunately the best timings for us to get to Boston airport and then home from Heathrow means taking an overnight flight and neither of us got much sleep. 

Never been to North Carolina or Ohio.

2. In what area of your life do you tend to 'wing it'? Is this an area you should be winging? 

I don't usually wing it.  I'm a planner and I like to be organised.

3. A favourite book, song, or movie that relates to flight in some way?   

Well the only thing that sprang to mind was the movie "Top Gun".  One of these days I might get around to watching the sequel lol.

4. Soft serve, gelato, sherbet, frozen yogurt, or good old fashioned ice cream...what's your pleasure? Your favourite flavour? How often do you indulge? 

Well we usually just have old fashioned ice cream in our freezer and mostly vanilla because it goes well with a lot of things but my favourite flavour would be chocolate or salted caramel.  We did have some lovely soft serve when we visited our son in Vermont, and of course we visited the Ben and Jerry's factory.  They have way too many flavours to choose from lol.

5. I never get tired of spending time with the Grandkids.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I didn't get around to many blog visits last week so thank you if you left me a comment.  I'm hoping to do better this week - I even had this post done last night and scheduled to post today!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 12/826

It's Wednesday so it's the Hodgepodge.  Questions are provided by Joyce at From this side of the pond.  Thank you Joyce.  We prepare our answers and then the link up is here.  Why not join in the fun?

1. I saw a meme on Instagram that went like this-'The movie Dirty Dancing came out in 1987 and was set in 1963, so if remade in 2026 it would be set in 2002. Now I need a little lie down in a dark room for a while." 

Time is crazy isn't it? So...what were you up to in the year 2002? 

Ha initially I was going to say I was chasing around after a 6 year old, a 4 year old and a 2 year old then I redid the maths and realised the kids would have been 16, 14 and 12 so I was still probably chasing around after then with my Mum cab.  I was also back working full time so life was busy.

2. "Me? I'm scared of everything..." What's something that scares you that you'd like to try anyway? 

If something is scary I'm probably walking away lol.

3. Watermelon-yay or nay? Which melon is your favourite-watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew. Of the watermelon food/beverages listed which would you say yes to...

watermelon salsa~watermelon feta salad~watermelon sorbet~

a watermelon Jolly Rancher~a watermelon margarita 

My favourite would be cantaloupe.  I'm not a great fan of watermelon but it is refreshing, especially in this hot summer we're having.  We tend not to do anything fancy with it other than work out the best way to cut and serve it.

4. August 12th is National Middle Child Day. Are you a middle child? If not, where do you fall in the birth order in your family of origin? Do you think this has influenced your personality? Elaborate. 

I am the youngest of 3 (2 older brothers) but there are big age gaps between us so I grew up feeling more like an only child.  I think this left me quiet and introverted.

5. Would you rather talk to everyone at a crowded party for a short time, or have a significant conversation with two people? Explain. 

Do I have to do either lol.  (See above.)  Crowded parties are often not the best place for conversations so probably I'd just chat to people for a short time and then move on.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The heat wave continues.  I feel like I'm melting most of the time.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 5/8/26

Joyce provides the questions and we share our answers here.   Why not join in the fun?

1. What's something on your August calendar you're looking forward to? Or dreading if that's easier to answer. 

Our annual family get together at the end of the month.  Definitely something to look forward to but I do dread organising the shopping lists!

2. August 5th is National Oyster Day...do you partake? How do you feel about pearls? 

I do not partake of oysters.   Never have.  I'm not sure about a pearl necklace - something I associate with an older generation, even though I'm probably that generation now lol.  I do like pearl earrings though.

3. Tell us about a time when you felt like 'the world was your oyster'. 

Probably since we've both been retired, although we're not exactly world travellers.  Prior to that there was always some sort of commitment, e.g. work, kids, elderly parents etc that meant we couldn't be totally carefree.

4. Trip Advisor lists seven islands in the US that require no passport (for US citizens). If you're answering today from outside the US you'll still need to produce yours. An-y-way, have you been to any of the seven? Let's pretend you get an all expense paid trip to one this month...which one do you choose and why? 

Catalina Island California~Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts~Mackinac Island Michigan~Key West Florida~South Padre Island Texas~or Kauai Hawaii

I have no idea which of these I'd prefer.  I've never been to any of them.

5. Sylvia Plath is credited with the following- 

"August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time."

Agree or disagree? In other words, how do you feel about this month? 

I think I disagree.  August still feels very much like summer, especially here in the UK where the kids do not go back to school until September.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The temperature has been a comfortable 24-25 C today.  So much nicer than the high temps we've had.  No sign of any rain though. We're now subject to a hose pipe ban.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 29/7/26

Joyce provides the questions, we think of some answers and then we join up here.  Thank you Joyce.

1. What was the last thing you celebrated? 

My birthday back in June.  We had brunch with our US grandkids and family before heading home after a lovely visit.

2 July 29th is International Day of the Tiger. Besides the wild animal itself, when you hear the word tiger what's the first  person-place-thing-whatever that comes to mind? 

Probably the "Eye of the Tiger" song or "The Tiger who came to Tea".  (Yes I'm a grandparent lol,)

3. The expression 'eye of the tiger' describes someone with intense focus, determination, and the drive to succeed. What area of your life are you currently bringing that kind of energy to?  

Well being retired and happy in our home, I don't have the same drive I had when I was younger.  I do put a lot of time and focus into the two book clubs I'm a member of - I'm usually the one to send out reminders/polls etc on our WhatsApp groups.

4. What was the last meal you cooked? 

I cooked today - pasta with a ham and leek sauce.  I don't do much of the cooking but Hubby was eating out with friends tonight and our son and his family were here for the night so I cooked for me and them.

5. Describe your July using exactly five words. 

Busy, chaotic and uncomfortably hot!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I've never been a great one for drinking water but during the hot spells we've had over the last month or so I have been drinking lots of it - and making sure there's always ice in the freezer!

Dehydrated is not a good thing to be.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 22/7/26

Joyce provides the questions each week and then we link up our answers here.  Why not join in the fun?

1. Do your goals and dreams energize or exhaust you? Elaborate. 

I think they can do both.  Trying to meet goals or make a dream happen can be hard work and therefore exhausting sometimes.  But when a plan falls in place or a goal is met it the feeling of success can be energising.

2. July 23rd is national lemon day. Are you a fan of this flavour? What's a favourite dish or beverage you enjoy that calls for lemons? 

Not my favourite flavour but I don't dislike it.  I enjoy a lemon meringue pie or a lemon tart.  I'll drink lemonade (unless it's homemade and really tart!) but don't bother serving me lemon tea thank you.

3. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"...is this something you're pretty good at managing? Have you had to do this recently? If so tell us about it. 

I haven't had to do this recently and probably not quite the same thing but when I left my job (not of my own choosing) and was feeling a bit lost I ended up in the right place to help a relative going through cancer treatment.

4. Something you love that is lemon yellow in colour? 

Daffodils.

5. How would you describe your attention to detail? 

Absorbing!  I can end up going down rabbit holes with planning things sometimes lol.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our temps have dropped this week to mid 20s (C) so it's much more comfortable and sleeping has been better too.  I'm sure the extreme heat will return at some point but for now I'm enjoyed summertime.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 10/6/26

Joyce provides the questions each week and we prepare our answers and then the link up is here.

Thank you Joyce.

1.  How would you define 'the good life'? 

The good life to me means being happy with my lot and having enough of the things I need.  I have "the good life".

2.  What's the most used app on your phone (and are you proud of that)? 

Well before I checked I would have said WhatsApp and I would be okay with that because that's how I keep in touch with family and friends.

When I checked, the NYT games app was top.  I usually start my day with Wordle (we have a WhatsApp group for those of us that do it daily) and then work through the various games on the app.  So it's probably not that surprising it came out on top.  

WhatsApp was 3rd on my list last week as apparently I used Facebook slightly more.  I didn't think Facebook would be that high as although I do usually browse it to see what people are up to I'm not very active on it.  However it is easy to go down rabbit holes on it.

3. 'Every rose has it's thorn', 'everything's coming up roses', 'looking through rose-colored glasses', 'it's no bed of roses' or 'stop and smell the roses'...which rose idiom best relates to something in your life currently. Explain. 

Probably everything's coming up roses as we just celebrated our 42nd anniversary and next week we're off to visit my son and his family in Vermont.    The rose bush at the front of the house is also in full bloom

4. How do you feel about floral flavourings in food or drink (rose, hibiscus, elderflower, lavender)? 

Not a big fan although I do like an apple and elderflower juice that we buy.

5. Over the course of your life what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else? 

What to cook for dinner!  Even though Hubby now does most of the cooking I still do a lot of the organising of what we're going to eat.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It feels like we're back in April - the weather is much cooler and we've had some heavy downpours today - even thunder and lightening.  Can we have summer back please.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 3/6/26

Joyce provides the questions, we prepare our answers then the link up is here.  Have fun.

1.What's something you find extremely difficult that most people would say is simple?

Making small talk.  I hate going into situations where I don't know anyone and starting up conversations.  Although I think there might be quite a lot of people who agree with me so how about keeping houseplants alive.  I'm not too good at that either.

2.  "And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow fast in movies I  had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." 

~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Does the season of summer make you feel this way? Elaborate. 

I think Spring makes me feel more like that than summer.

3. Pickles. Love 'em or no thank you? What's your favourite type of pickle? What's something you eat that definitely needs a pickle added?

Some I like others no thank you.  I like pickled onions and cheese just has to have pickle with it.

4. Tis the season...do you know any June brides? Are there any weddings on your summer calendar? What's your favourite movie wedding? 

I'm a June bride!  Will be celebrating 42 years next week.  We're invited to a wedding in September so almost the summer.

Four weddings and a funeral.  

5. June 1st is/was National Say Something Nice Day...say something nice here. 

Joyce deserves a medal for turning up every week and keeping this Hodgepodge community together.  Thank you Joyce.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We have rain and much cooler temps!  Last week's heatwave was unbearable so it's lovely being cooler and we needed some rain.  Just wish the weekend forecast was looking a little better.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 20/5/26

It's Hodgepodge time again.  Joyce provides the questions, we give our answers and then we join up here.  Thanks Joyce.

1. What do you make more complicated than it needs to be? 

I'm not sure that I do make things complicated although when planning any journeys I'm always factoring in toilet stops, even if that means on public transport we might not take the most direct route.

2. What impresses you? 

Acts of kindness, people going the extra mile.  Natural beauty - e.g. sunsets.

3. On a scale of 1-10 how picky of an eater are you?  (1=extremely and 10=not at all) If you had to eat a meal made entirely of one colour what colour would you choose? 

I'm not that picky but there are some things I will not eat so probably a 7.  Don't think I'll ever get to 10 lol.

A meal of one colour?  Urgh.  It would probably have to be a chicken and rice dish of some sort but I think I'd be cheating with the sauce!

4. What does balance in life mean to you? Does your life currently feel 'balanced'? 

Well for working people that would mean having balance between your work and home life.  Being retired that's no longer such an issue.  But there still needs to be balance between the things I need to do, the things I want to do and the demands of the family.  I think we're pretty balanced.

5. If you could travel the world for a year what would be your first destination? 

Well my first destination would be Vermont where my son is currently living with his family and I might not travel anywhere else.   Of course his in-laws who are our hosts when we visit might have other ideas lol.  I'd like to visit New Zealand and Japan but I'm not sure I'm up for too much long haul travel any more and I've definitely been put off cruises with the various issues some of those have had.  I could probably spend a year travelling around the UK with its various islands if I put my mind to it.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Some heavy plant vehicles for road resurfacing went past our house this afternoon.  Felt like we were in an earthquake.  Goodness only knows what it's been like in the road they're actually resurfacing!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - on Thursday 14/5/26

Joyce asks the questions, we post our answers and then the link up is here.

1. What's one piece of advice you would you give a recent or soon-to-be graduate? 

It's ok to change your mind about your future plans or just to take a break before rushing in to anything.

2. May 15th marks the birth date of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At this point in time are you more in need of brains, courage, heart, or a trip back home? Explain. 

Courage I think.  There are still a lot of things I put off doing at times.

3.  "There's no place like home" is an oft repeated line from Baum's book. When was the last time you felt the truth of that statement? 

Probably every time we're away or busy babysitting the grandkids and then we come home to a quiet peaceful house.

4. May is National BBQ Month...do you own a grill? Who does the grilling at your house? What's your favourite thing to throw on the grill? What's the last thing you grilled? 

No we do not currently own a grill.  Haven't done for some time.   We'd need a covered outside area to be able to regularly grill here in the UK.  The weather doesn't always co-operate.  Today for example we had a hail storm just as we were picking up grandkids from school.  And the weather forecast mentioned the possibility of frost overnight in some areas.  It's May!

5. What's a memory you replay in your head when you need a little joy? 

Don't have one in particular but it's bound to be something to do with my kids when they were young or the grandkids.  I can usually find something to remind me/bring a smile to my face if I scroll through photos on my phone.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Well I'm a day late to this week's party - we were out celebrating our daughter's 40th birthday yesterday.

The restaurant surprised her with a little cake

And we did proper cake back at my house.

And this was taken at a party she had recently - with more cake!

Daughter Rebecca on left with her wife Vicky.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 6/5/26

Joyce asks the questions, we prepare our answers and then the link up is here.  Thanks Joyce.

1. What's something you may do this month?

I might get a haircut.  Been saying that since February!  That's the problem with a long hairstyle - it doesn't need as much maintenance so it's easy to just leave it growing.

2. Hola! Hodgepodge Day lands just after Cinco de Mayo... how do you feel about Mexican food? What's your favourite dish? Do you make it at home or is it a strictly dine out option? 

I'm not a big fan and it would definitely be dine out as I wouldn't make it at home.

3. When the children of today grow up what do you think they'll say about this time period? What do you most hope they remember? 

Oh goodness, that's a tricky one.  How long have we got?  It's hard to find the positive's with all the unrest around the world.

4. What advice would you give a new mother? 

Trust your instincts but ask for help when you need it.

5. What's a phrase your mother often said to you? If you're a mom do you say it to your own children? 

I can't remember a specific phrase but we were always reminded about good manners if we forgot, which is something I also did when my kids were younger.  They're all grown adults now with kids of their own and I love that they're reinforcing good manners with them.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Going back to question 3, our 3 youngest grandchildren were all lock down babies, born in 2020.  What I hope they'll say when we talk about lockdown is "what are you talking about" because they will have no memory of it as long as it doesn't happen again.

Hmm hope that makes sense!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 29/4/26

Joyce provides the questions, we prepare our answers and then we link up here.

1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why.

Definitely not full speed ahead.  I need to reset.  I've spent a lot of time blogging during April with the A-Z challenge and I've done less walking.  I've also done more eating....I'm sure you're getting the picture.  A return to healthier eating and habits is required lol. 

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favourite form of art? Elaborate.

  

Definitely literature.  I love to read and now that I've joined two book clubs the reading has become more varied and challenging.

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers? 

Dinner time is flexible but most often it will be between 6-7 pm.  As we're both retired we sometimes switch it around and make lunch into a dinner and then have something light later on depending on our plans.

We try not to do leftovers but often meals for 2 will be made as a meal for 4 with the extra 2 going into the freezer.  But we will use up leftovers as and when necessary.

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating? 

I can't remember anything specific but I do know how easy it is to get sucked into social media and end up in rabbit holes.

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...

At what are you 'self-taught?' 

Umm blogging?  My cousin got me hooked and I've used various platforms over the years and muddled myself through the changes.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

So here's my dilemma.  I hate wasting food and currently I have a couple of pain au chocolat in the house.  Plus a bar of chocolate that I started.  Not to mention several packets of biscuits.  All bought for when we had visitors.  (Well mostly.) Now the biscuits will keep. But the pain au chocolat need to be eaten and of course a started bar of chocolate has to be finished.  But I need to eat healthily.  The scales do not lie unfortunately.  Plus there's the looming annual blood test coming up soon and I want to keep myself out of the pre-diabetic range.  But I can't throw good food away, can I?  

Maybe now that the A-Z challenge is finished I should start posting about how good (or badly) I've done each day.  One square of chocolate each day is ok isn't it?  (Only positive answers please!)

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 22/4/26

Joyce provides the questions, we provide the answers and the link up is here.

1. April 22nd is Earth Day...what's the most 'out of this world' place on earth you've ever visited? Tell us something about it. 

I'm not sure I've been anywhere that I would list as out of this world.  I've been up mountains skiing and the Norwegian Fjords were pretty spectacular but that's about it.

2. A favourite quote, verse, or song lyric with the word earth in it? 

Well I had to do some googling for this but I quite like Michael Jackson's Earth song as appropriate for Earth Day.  But for something more cheerful I'd go for Heaven is a place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle.

3. What's the most trivial thing about which you have a strong opinion? 

Putting things back where they belong.  I hate things being out of place so that I can't find them.  I commented on Monday about my dustpan and brush being missing.  It's usually in the cupboard under the kitchen sink but it is missing.  It has to be somewhere but it's proving elusive.

4. What's your most commonly used kitchen utensil or tool? What's the last thing you made using that tool? 

Our air fryer gets used most days.  It was used for bacon this morning.

5. Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me a great book of 3000 questions, and I'm going to try to use one in our Hodgepodge every week. Here is today's - 

What is your greatest extravagance? 

Not sure it was my greatest extravagance but I can remember the first time I bought a brand new car that it was probably not the best move given how much a car goes down in value as soon as you drive it away from the dealer.

I also spent more to get my engagement ring repaired recently than the ring cost when new but I'd managed to lose a diamond from it and the setting needed repairing too.  That was worth every penny though.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our flights are booked.  We're heading to Vermont in June!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 15/4/26

Joyce provides the questions each week, we prepare our answers and then we link up here.

1. Big week in the US of A...do you do your own taxes? What's something you've found 'taxing' lately?

Thankfully we don't have tax returns to do - our life isn't that complicated.  Although we do have to keep an eye on the codes issued by the Tax Office as they're not always correct.

Keeping up with normal blogging while doing the A-Z challenge is taxing.  I've let a few of my regular things go during this month but if Joyce can still find time to prepare the Hodgepodge then I can make time to post my answers.

2. When it comes to travel are you a last minute packer or a lay it all out a week in advance type? Do you struggle to pack light? Share a packing tip that has worked for you.

I'm in between.   I don't pack too far in advance but I do lay it all out before it goes in the suitcase.  My tip - make a list of EVERYTHING you need to take with you.  I can pack light if I have to.

3. April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Hmmm...who knew it got its own month? Do you like a grilled cheese sandwich? What ingredient do you add to take yours to the next level?

I don't tend to grill a sandwich - I'll pop it in a toastie bag and into the toaster.  I often use something like these but the cheese has to be matured cheddar.

4. There's a well known quote that says-

'A ship in the harbour is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." John A. Shedd

Is constant growth necessary or do you think it's more important to prioritize stability and peace in your life?

I don't think growth has to be constant and yes stability and peace are good things to have but sometimes we do need to step outside our comfort zones or we'd never experience anything new or test our capabilities.

5. Let's wrap this up with a fun spring this or that-

daffodils or tulips  Both
lemonade or iced tea  Builder's tea please (English Breakfast)
gardening or hiking  Hiking
ladybugs or butterflies  Butterflies
umbrella or raincoat  Raincoat
floral patterns or polka dots  Either but I tend to wear more stripes than patterns.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Today it's letter M on the A-Z challenge.  Yay, half-way there! 

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 8/4/26

Joyce asks the questions and we provide the answers and then we link up here.  Come join the fun.

1. Egg on your face, putting all your eggs in one basket, a good egg, walk on eggshells, nest egg, or a tough egg to crack...which eggy idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain

I like to think I'm a good egg - I do a lot of volunteering at the local Food bank as well as being the main organiser of 2 book clubs and I like to help people when I can.  I can be a tough egg to crack sometimes - I don't find it easy in new situations.  I also sometimes feel I'm walking on eggshells.

2. April 7th is National Beer Day...are you a beer drinker? If so do you have a favourite? Beer battered fish, beer bread, beer can chicken, beer brats...which one sounds good to you? Have you made any of these? 

Definitely NOT a beer drinker but I do like beer battered fish.  I've not made any of those things listed.

3. Do you have siblings? What's the best thing about being your sibling? If you don't have siblings, what would you say are the pros and cons of being an only child? 

Well I think I have the worst of both worlds.  I have siblings (2 brothers) but there are big age gaps between us so we're not that close and I often feel bad about that and growing up I often felt like an only child.  I'd definitely rather have siblings than not though.

4. How do you feel about floral scents in products? Do you have a favourite?

I don't have a favourite and I'm not bothered one way or another although I do wish they wouldn't keep inventing products that are so unnecessary like fabric conditioner "scent boosters" !

5. What's one thing in your home that begins with the letter G that you would say is a keeper, something you'll hold on to? Tell us why. 

Well that would have to be guitars.  We have at least 4 in the house, all belonging to Hubby and if I tried to get rid of any of them I think he'd be filing for divorce.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We also have grandchildren in the house this week - they're definitely keepers!

They were pleading for something at the time but I can't remember what!

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 1/4/26

Joyce provides the questions, we compile our answers and we link up here.  Come join the fun.

1. March is rolling on out of here. Sum up your March in ten words or less. 

Windy, wet, cold, sunny, warm, sometimes all the same day!

2. Are you afraid of heights? When was the last time you found yourself dealing with a height, and did it make you nervous?

I don't think so.  I've never really tested the theory to any extreme although I did have to lean out of a second storey window once when there wasn't actually a window in place.  I was being shown why the telephone lines weren't working properly - the roof on a school extension building had been put on the telephone line.  I did think I should have been wearing a hard hat but the height didn't bother me.

3. What's a word you struggle to spell on a regular basis, and sometimes need to double check before writing it down? Use the word in a sentence that tells us something about your April calendar. 

Well not wanting to brag here but I don't usually struggle with spelling (although typing is another thing altogether lol)  We're actually taking part in a quiz in April organised by the local wine bar so I might struggle with the names of wines!

4. Love 'em or hate 'em, with Easter comes the sweet treat known as Peeps. So... do you love 'em or hate 'em? Speaking of peeps, what's your favourite way to have chicken? 

I don't hate marshmallow but it's not a treat I would automatically choose - not so common here in the UK either.  When I think of PEEPS I think of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans - I might be retired but Health & Safety is hard to forget when you've been responsible for it at work.

I pretty much enjoy chicken however it's cooked - especially if I haven't done the cooking.

5. This week's Hodgepodge lands on the first day of April, which happens to be National Poetry Month. Do you like poetry?  Share a favourite line or two from one of your favourite poems. What makes this one a favourite? 

I don't dislike poetry but it's not something I usually read so I don't have a favourite to share.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

There were some good April Fool jokes floating around this morning but April signifies the A-Z challenge for me.  I'm hoping to keep up with my regular posts too such as the Hodgepodge but as usual I'm not as prepared as I wanted to be.  I always used to work well under pressure though.  Trouble is when you're retired there is usually very little pressure! But I do love a challenge.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 25/3/26

Joyce provides the questions, we prepare our answers then we link up here. Thanks Joyce.

1. It's officially spring in the northern hemisphere. Does it feel like spring in your part of the world? If you're in the southern hemisphere it's officially autumn where you live. Does the weather say autumn? Which do you prefer-spring or autumn? Why?

Well as I'm typing this looking out into my garden the sun is shining so yes it looks springlike but.....earlier there was a big downpour and the temperatures are lower than they were last week. I'm not sure the weather got the spring memo just yet.

I prefer spring to autumn - I don't like losing an hour of sleep when the clocks change but the lighter longer evenings are worth it and watching things coming into bloom is lovely.

Autumn signals the shorter darker days of winter when you feel like you just want to hibernate, although the changing colours of autumn are lovely to see.

2. What's your favourite thing about spring? 

Longer days.

3. Spring into action, spring in your step, spring to life, spring to one's feet...which spring idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain.

I think spring into action probably - my to do list is growing!

4. Which spring food from this list is your favourite? What's a dish you like that includes your favourite spring ingredient?

asparagus, strawberries, salad greens like mesclun, artichokes, spinach, eggs, peas, spring onions

Eggs would be my favourite on that list - so versatile. We usually have eggs in our breakfast, and my favourite would be a toss up between scrambled or, as we had today, poached with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce. Yummy.

5. What's one task on your spring cleaning list? Do you actually have a list?

Well I should have started a list because yesterday I emptied out and tidied our garden shed. That would definitely have been on there. Maybe I'll start the list with that because then I can cross it off and feel smug lol.

I also managed to string some outdoor lights up along the fence.  Not sure how squirrel proof they will be but they looked pretty last night.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Added to that (hypothetical) list would be disposing of all the old half-used etc containers of plant food, pesticides, weed killers etc. The ones that have been sitting there forever and are probably not effective any more. Today I have boxed them all up and applied for a hazardous waste collection. Thankfully we live in an area where you can get that done for free!

I might be on a roll here.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 18/3/26

Joyce gives us the questions, we provide our answers and we link up here.

1. St. Patrick's Day lands on March 17th. Do you believe in luck? Are there things you do thinking they'll  bring good luck or  things you avoid because they're considered bad luck? 

I think sometimes things feel like they're luck like winning a raffle, and sometimes the odds seem to fall in your favour but generally no I'm not a great believer in luck and I don't usually do things to avoid bad luck.

2. Forest-lime-sage-mint-olive-emerald...what's your favourite shade of green? Emerald.

3. In Ireland the meal on this day is often a hearty beef or lamb stew served with colcannon (mashed potato mixed with cabbage and leeks). In the US corned beef and cabbage is the more typical St. Patty's Day meal. Will you/did you mark the day with one of these dishes? Baked-fried-roasted-mashed...what's your favourite way to eat a potato?

No traditional St Patrick's meal for us but we did have roast potatoes with our chicken dinner.  I like potatoes however they are cooked but my favourite would be mashed.

4. What colour of the rainbow best represents your personality/mood today? Tell us why. 

I think yellow - it's warm and sunny here today so I'm happy.

5. Which 'lucky' quote resonates with you. Elaborate. 

 'Luck is not something you can mention in the presence of self-made men.' E.B. White 

'Diligence is the mother of good luck." Benjamin Franklin 

'Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.' Seneca 

'Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.' Ralph Waldo Emerson 

I think they're all good quotes.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My husband has Irish roots on his Mother's side but none for me so St. Patrick's Day is not a big thing for us.  However at my keep fit class there are a few Irish women so yesterday we were doing some movements to Irish music.  It was a bit bizarre to be honest.  We had a good time though.