I like my Hodgepodge a little on the salty side

Happy Wednesday to ya!

I trust everyone enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day weekend...

...our weather here on Sunday was outstanding and it was a great day!

~

So....who's ready for some Hodgepodge?

Join me and a bunch of other folks over at Joyce's to find out their answers to her questions.

1. May 17th is National Pack Rat Day. Sidebar-should we be celebrating this? Hmmm... Are you a pack rat? Even if you're not a full fledged pack rat, most people have one thing or another they struggle to part with. Tell us what's yours.

What I think is this...the person or people that come up with these crazy "national" days have w-a-a-y too much time on their hands. I think every year they come up with more of them. With 365 days in a year, I wonder if they are all taken? I guess I should check that out. I don't consider myself a pack rat but I will admit to liking and collecting some things. I don't care much for bare walls or a lot of big empty spaces...I like cozy. Old mirrors are among those things that take my eye. This was my Goodwill find ($7.99) from over the weekend. It was absolutely covered with dust and spider webs...I guess they really wanted to get across the point that it was truly an antique. It is super heavy and looks like it could be 100 years old. A little Liquid Gold and some Windex later and well, here she is...

The mirror itself is somewhat cloudy and a bit distressed but that's okay...it adds to her charm if you ask me and after doing a little research into re-silvering old mirrors, I found out that sometimes people actually distress the old silver backing on purpose! I felt much better after knowing that...I didn't have to do anything to mine to make it look authentic! And of course you know I had to have a little fun with it.

The older I get though, the more sentimental I am about things that are connected with the past and the memories they conjure up. I have never been one to keep all my boys' school papers or things like that but I cannot part with a few items from when they were babies and some little clay and/or ceramic things they made in grade school. I'd say my biggest problem is getting rid of clothes that I plan to wear...right after I lose "that 20 pounds". I'm still waiting.

2. What are two things you know you should know how to do, but you don't?

After I read this question, a few things came to mind right away...one would be using a pressure cooker and another is canning. I grew up with a mom who regularly did both of these things but after the pressure cooker exploded one day when I was a little girl, it kinda did me in on that one...and back in the day, I just didn't realize the goodness contained in those glass jars. More and more, I find myself  thinking about the old days and the old ways. But an old dog can learn a few new tricks, right? I haven't given up the idea just yet. Now...if I could only learn to keep my mouth shut....help me, Jesus....

3. Do you crave sugar? Do you add sugar to your coffee and/or tea Do you use artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes?? When dining out is dessert a given?Are you someone who has slain the sugar dragon, and if so tell us how you did it.

Whoa...that's a doozie! Joyce, you could have just asked this five-part question and been done with the whole thing! So...yes, sometimes I do crave sweets and when I do, it's usually right after a meal but I only want a little bite. My usual cravings though are for a salty sumpin'-sumpin'...or better yet...a sweet/salty combo. When it comes to coffee and tea, I'll take sweetener in mine, and make that Splenda, please (it hasn't killed me yet) but if it happens be iced tea, then I'll take it unsweetened, no lemon. I don't use much sugar in most things unless I am baking something yummy, which is not something I do a lot of. This is what I mostly use for baking...unless I'm out of it, then sugar, it shall be.

Very seldom do we ever eat dessert out at a restaurant...where do you put it after the size of those meals? When we do, it is something that everyone can share. We will indulge on special occasions but most of everything we eat of a sweet nature is actually sugar-free....I said most. 😉

4. What's a trend it took a while for you to come round to, but now you can't imagine living without?

This one's easy, although I would consider it a bit more than just a trend. It would be me finally getting a smart phone. I've had my iPhone now for just under a year. I remember when I first got it, I thought I'd never figure out how to use it. Of all the things it is capable of, my favorite is probably having a cool little camera always with me and being able to share a photo on facebook or more recently, Instagram is fun as well. It's a little hard to utter the words, "I'd be lost without it"...so I won't. It might take a little while but I think I could find myself again.

5. What's a song that reminds you of a specific incident in your life? Please elaborate.

It's funny how immediately after I read this question, a really random memory (and song) popped right in to my head and I may even actually said out loud, "What in the world...?" It's funny how my crazy, silly the mind works at times. Who remembers this old song by Lou Christie from the mid sixties? Click and listen...it just may remind you of something.



 


The memory connected to it? You wouldn't believe me if I told you but I will anyway. It was a good thing for my mom that I had lots of big sisters growing up. Mom wasn't very comfortable discussing sensitive issues with us when we were young and so the older girls were given the responsibility of schooling us younger ones about "life" and what to "expect" as we started maturing...yeah, the ol' birds and the bees conversation. The day that I was becoming enlightened, I remember this song playing on the radio up in our room. Did it strike me like lightening? Naahhh...I had guessed most of it already. 😉

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I think that last answer is enough randomness for one post.

Enjoy the rest of your week, friends!