Hodge Podging December Style - Volume 154

Ho-Ho-Hodgepodge questions are here. Nobody has anything else they should be doing, right? We all need a little breather from the holiday prep, so why not join in this fun meme? Answer the questions on your own blog, then hop back here and post your link. The more the merrier!

1. Are you doing anything special to mark this season of Advent? If so please share.  I am a pastor and we have a story, scripture, and light a candle each Sunday at church.  I am also doing an Advent devotional for myself at school every day.

2. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen...and of course you recall, the most famous reindeer of all...so, which reindeer name best describes you this week?   Dasher because I have been dashing around making up time from the days I missed at school last week.  I was out Monday and Tuesday because I fell on Thanksgiving Day and then half day Thursday and all day Friday because I attended a conference.  I scheduled that conference before I knew I was going to take a spill and miss two days. 

3. What's worse-too quiet or too loud? Which have you had more of lately?  Too loud for me.  I have a hearing issue in one ear and pep rallies at school kill me.  I have been pretty well balanced with noise and silence lately.

4. This question comes to you from Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens-thanks Zo!
When you are administratively gifted, how often do you find yourself not trusting less gifted people to do what they've committed to do?  If you are not so gifted that way, but are reliable, how do you feel when the stronger person (in that area) goes ahead and covers it before giving you a chance to come through? I am not administratively gifted and I am a good direction follower.  I do my job when you give it to me.  I get frustrated when the administrator does it before I have a chance to do what I am assigned. 

5. What is your most dreaded task relating to the holidays? Your most looked forward to holiday task?  Most dreaded task....hum....none.  I love Christmas and all that goes with it.  The baking, the decorating, the wrapping...everything.  My most looked forward to task would be the wrapping.  I love wrapping presents.

6. Facebook has released its list of the 'most talked about' topics of 2013. Pope Francis took the number one spot.  Does that surprise you? He was followed by election, royal baby, typhoon, and Harlem Shake. Your thoughts? What was your most talked about topic in 2013? (Facebook, around the kitchen table, or wherever it is you talk)  I have to say....Obamacare and the government right now.  They are shamefully slack.  I am beginning to believe that they too should be allowed to only serve two terms and when they leave the position....go back to their other jobs.  State....and national!  There have been some Senators and Representatives that have been an embarrassment due to fact that they have been there too long.  I also feel that way about College professors who teach teachers after having been out of the classroom reality for too long.

7. What's something you consider a necessity that others might view as a luxury?  A vacation each year!

8.  Insert your own random thought here. I am doing Capture December with my daughter this year.  She found it on Pinterest and I loved the whole concept.  What is something about the month of December that you might think is something you would want to capture in your memory for the month of December? 

Hodge Podge - Volume 153

It's the first Wednesday in December! There are just a few more shopping/preparation days until Christmas.  I don't know about you but my December calendar is so full that I have actually double booked myself a few times.  Has it snuck up on anyone else besides me?   I still have so much to do and the fall over Thanksgiving put me way behind....have I got lots of stuff left to do! One on the top of my priorities list is to answer the Hodgepodge questions for this week! Don't forget to hop over to Joyce's  blog, link up, read everyones responses, and share your own.

1. According to Oxford Dictionaries, the 2013 word of the year is 'selfie'. Your thoughts? When did you last take a selfie? Do you post them online somewhere? Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind the lens?  The word selfie is a strange word to me and hits to close to selfish.  I am a behind the lens kind of girl.  I hate having my photo made.  I am not one of those who takes random shots of myself with my camera phone thinking I am all that.  I would rather photograph something else...like nature...or small children....or others. 

2. Will you send out Christmas cards this year? If so, are they ready to go? If not, are you glad or sad about leaving that tradition behind? I am not sure about the cards this year.  I took a fall Thanksgiving Day and am now running about a week behind.  I may send a few to special people.

3. Do you trust easily?  I trust to easy sometimes.  I tend to trust until you do something untrustworthy and then trusting you again is something that does not come again easily.

4. Pine-cinnamon-peppermint-vanilla (as in sugar cookie)...of those listed, which one is your favorite December scent?  All of the above.  In order of importance...cinnamon is my favorite, peppermint second, vanilla, third and pine fourth.  In combination they make up the smells of December for me.

5. Did you do more talking or more listening yesterday? Was that by choice or necessity?  I slept most of the day....on Lortab.  Last night at the First Dept Dinner I think I over did the talking.  I had to make up for my day I guess. 

6. What's the last song that got stuck in your head? Sorry if it's back there now : )  This morning coming to work I heard O Holy Night and it is still running through my mind.  I love that song.

7. Which world explorer (in the whole history of the world) would you most like to have traveled with, and why?  Probably all of them.....but if I have to make a choice it would be....Marco Polo, because he went to Italy and Ponce De Leon because he covered the Carribbean. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. What is your favorite Christmas movie?????  Musicalwise mine is "White Christmas" and as for all time favorites the original Miracle on 34th Street and It's A Wonderful Life rank right up there.  Let me know your all time favorite(s).

A Fright-ful Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you're new here, I'm glad you've joined the party. Joyce is our hostess with the mostess.  Everyone is welcome to play along-answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of Joyce's post. Hop around and say hi to the neighbors too. Here we go-

1. What's something you're dealing with that might be described as tricky?  Right now...it is teaching full time, being the preacher at one church....and the preacher's wife at another.  Both churches are special to me and it is very tricky dividing up my time where I spend time being with them as a preacher's wife.
2. What's your treat of choice?  Butterfingers, plain old candy corn, and York Peppermint patties.  The Peppermint Patties I can get sugar free which makes them a special treat.  Being a diabetic cuts out a lot of sweet things. 

3. Did you/will you carve a jack-o-lantern this month? Which real (living or dead) or fictional 'Jack' would you most like to meet in person? Why?  We are not going to carve a jack-o-lantern this month. We don't have time, I don't really like Halloween, I am a Halloween Scrooge of sorts.  Jack Sparrow would be my choice.  I would love to meet Johnny Depp and have a picture made with him.

4. In your opinion, what's the grossest sounding word in the English language?

Sorry about the crusty word Joyce....I make crusty bread and it is to die for.  My word(s) are masticate and pustule.  I don't like any word that relates to sores and oozing things.  Yuck!5. When did your heart last skip a beat?

When Frank and I walked into the NICU to see Kash and Kruze for the first time.  They are so tiny.  I have left a link so you can go to their facebook page and give some encouragement.  You need to see them in their little(and I mean very tiny) Halloween costumes.

 

6. Monster Mash by Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon or Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters...your favorite 'scary' tune?
I am product of The Monster Mash era and love the song.  I also raised children during the Michael Jackson era and like Thriller too.  Phantom of the Opera is out there too.7. It was a dark and stormy night when__________________________
 I flew for the first time.  My trip was from West Palm Beach to Atlanta.  Lightening actually hit the wing of the plane....right outside my window.  As we flew over the Atlantic I just knew we were going to be sucked into the vortex called The Bermuda Triangle.  I don't think I took a breath until we landed.  I cannot remember being so terrified.  I was nine years old.
8. Insert your own random thought here.  Did you know that today is National Candy Corn Day?  I am delighted.  I wish they made it in the sugar free form....but I may just have to cheat a bit today and have a few pieces....or a handful.  I got a picture from Magen for a safe candy corn.  It is a little toboggan that one of the nurses made for the girls.  Is this not precious?

 

Fall Hodge Podge

It is that time of week again and Joyce has some really good questions out there.  Want to play along with all of us?  If you do then hop over to Joyce's blog and grab the questions, answer them, then hop back and post your answers. 

1. What was your biggest worry five years ago? Is it still a worry? My parent's dying.  It is not still a worry.  My dad died in 2009 and my mom in 2011.  2. Yesterday (October 15th) was National Grouch Day...what makes you grouchy? What cheers you up when you're feeling grouchy?  Being sick makes me grouchy and reading or watching a really good movie makes me cheer up.  Frank and Kat also can cheer me up by doing the funny things they do.3. In one word, how does it feel to be photographed?  Embarassing

4. Besides your parents, who would you say had the greatest influence on you in choosing your life path? Explain. Dr. Watson B. Duncan III - he taught me English at PBJC.  I wanted to grow up and be just like him.  Funny thing....I teach high school English today....Thanks Dr. Duncan.5. The crisp days of autumn are here ...what's something you like to eat, but only if it's crisp?  Apples.  I love McIntosh, Cameo, Granny Smith, and Braeburn.  They are all crisp...and sweetly tart.
6. What's the most useless object you own?  A bundt pan.  I have a rectangular pan now and love making pound cakes in it.  The bundt pan has not been used in over 4 years.  Pretty useless huh?7. Share a favorite fall memory. As an adult when fall gets here Amanda usually has us all over to her house to pick and sing out by the campfire.  The kids roast weiners and marshmallows.  There is something about the smell of wood, the feel of the heat from the fire, and the sounds of good music.  Another one...is being in the Smokey Mtns. when the leaves are changing.  I have made this trekk many times with friends and families and I never get tired of going through the Mtns. and Cades Cove.  I was sad that we didn't get to this year....Thanks to our wonderful government.  When I was a child some people in our neighborhood would make snow cones for all the kids trick or treating.  We all wanted to go there first to make sure we got one. 
8. Insert your own random thought here. October 16^th is Dictionary Day - Vocabulary mavens and wordsmiths unite! October 16^th is Dictionary Day.This word-worthy occasion marks the birthday of American lexicographer Noah Webster, father of the modern dictionary.  How well do you know your words? Dictionary Day is a wonderful occasion for brushing up those verbal skills by playing word games like Scrabble, Password, Boggle or Balderdash. Or just pick up a word search or crossword puzzle.  It's also Learn a Word Day on October 16^th. What is your new word of the day?   Instead of sharing my new favorite word of the day I thought I would share something that makes my blood boil.  Did you know that every year new vocabulary words are added to the dictionary?  Sometimes they are based on necessity and other times they are based entirely on the culture.   There are a few that I really think could have been left out....maybe because I am an English teacher....or maybe because my parents taught me to speak correctly.  I will say this....smart phones are killing our speech. "Feature phone" is one of the new words that I deam totally unnecessary.  All cell phones have features....so what is the point here?  Onliner is another one that refers to someone on the internet....duh!  Scareware is yet another word to be used with, or in place of, spyware, malware and adware mean the same thing.   Why do we need so many words for this?  We have even added abbreviations like tbh which  means "to be honest". How hard is it to just say to be honest?  More and more the English language is being dumbed down.  I also found "tmi" and to be honest why do texting languages need to be there.  I also found woot, "prolly"(short for probably), sammich , and my final word is "bromance".  If we continue down this path we may someday live in a world where writing and speaking properly is the exception instead of the rule.