Hodge Podge V. 66

Time for my weekly blog session of Hodge Podge.  Someday I will get back to blogging on days other than Wednesday but I love this so it can't be missed :)  Hop on over to Joyce's blog:

 From This Side of the Pond to join in.  In completely unrelated news my blog is alllll messed up and no matter how many times I change my text size, adjust etc it keep coming up looking all crazy.  I am about to throw in the towel and start from scratch.  Hmmm.... now I will be thinking of new blog names all night.  Anywho on to the questions & answers which you came for :)

1. George Washington-Abraham Lincoln-Thomas Jefferson...who would you most like to meet and why?

I think it would be fascinating to meet any of them but I have always been very interested in Abraham Lincoln and his Presidency & of course Thomas Jefferson would also be amazing to talk to.


2. What's your favorite chain restaurant?

It is very hard to pick one.  I really like a Chicken Pasta dish at Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden Salad and Bread Sticks of course and I really liked Ruby River Steakhouse.  Oh and Baja Fresh.  Oh and Panda Express.  Oh how I miss them.  I figure this is a great time to hone my chef skills over the next few years though :)

3. I spied this question on the Bears at Home last week and she gave me permission to 
steal 
borrow it.

When you look back on your life do you imagine you'll think about the goals you failed to meet with regret? Or will you look at what you accomplished and say it was good?

I think if I am not able to go back and finish school I will regret that but other than that I think for the most part  I will say it was good.  There is no sense in looking longingly in the past when there is so much good to be had in the future.

4. Grapefruit-take 'em or leave 'em? Given the choice between an orange and a grapefruit which would you choose? Would you prefer it served as is or squeezed into juice?

I can do without Grapefruits.  I do love orange juice and I really like the small oranges that are much easier to peel.  I eat tons of those in the summer.

5. When was the last time you cleaned out a closet? Is there a closet in your home that currently needs cleaning? What are you waiting for?

I actually cleaned out our coat closet this week because I went to put something away and it was a mess and I could not take it a second longer.  All of our closests could probably use with a good going through and reducing the amount of stuff in them.  

I am waiting for uninterrupted time which probably won't happen any too soon :)

6. You get to have lunch with three famous people...who would you like to see round your table?

Sandra Bullock - I think she would be very nice, real and hilarious.  Princess Kate I think she is fascinating and then Oprah because she has talked to a million people & probably has amazing stories.  

7. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your ability to parallel park?

I would say it is about a 2 or 3 but since we are in England I need to get much much better at it which is hard to do when you drive a giant van in the land of tiny tiny cars, and tiny streets.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have joined a book club recently and soon have to pick the book I want the group to read.  Talk about pressure!  I have no idea what all they have read and it is a very eclectic group.  So far I have narrowed it down to Mrs. Mike, The Spellman Files or Saving CeeCee HoneyCutt.  Are any of these familiar to you and if not what is a book you would recommend?  Thanks and have a fab week!

Lovely Hodge Podge Vol. 65

Welcome to Lovely Hodge Podge provided to us by the fab Joyce at 

From This Side of The Pond.  Head over to her page and join in the fun!  

Thanks again for supplying the questions Joyce, because between
 my busy schedule, sick kids and mommy brain this is the only blogging I get done these days :)

1. What is something you are loving right now?

Right now I am loving the time I get to spend with my kids, even when they are being monsters (which is rare)  because I know it will pass all too quickly.  Plus, they are hilarious.

2. Paris, Venice, New York, and Rome are considered four of the most romantic cities in the world. Which one would you most like to visit?

Well I would like to visit them all but I think I would start with Venice.

3. Are you a romantic?

I like Romance but I don't know that I am especially romantic.  I don't think of great romantic things to do for my husband and I forget our anniversary all the time.  Yes I know how horrible that is.  I think I am working on being more of a romantic.

4. What's your favorite love story made for the Big Screen?

I think it it is a three way tie between The Notebook,  The Proposal and You've Got Mail.  I love all three of those and none are really super traditional.

5. Everyone loves Pooh bear and friends...which character are you most like and why? Click here for help in answering this question.

I took the quiz and I am happy to report that I am Kanga like :)

6. What's the best chocolate something you've ever eaten?

Well currently my favorite is a delicious chocolate cake sold at the Co-Op store here that is soooooo yummy!  It is chocolate cake with chocolate mousse between the layers and has chocolate frosting and chocolate shavings on top.  Hmmm.... so good.  I might just have to go get one right after I post this which would not be good for my diet but good for my soul :)

7. Share a favorite quote about love.  I couldn't pick just one :)

Life is a flower of which love is the honey - Victor Hugo

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars, 1939, translated from French by Lewis Galantière


Love one another and you will be happy.  It's as simple and as difficult as that.  ~Michael Leunig

You know you're in love when you don't want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.  ~Dr. Seuss

Before you love, learn to run through the snow leaving no footprint.  ~Turkish Proverb

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I completed my first Boom Boom workout yesterday courtesy of Team BeachBody.  My legs hurt so bad this morning I wanted to weep like a newborn but, I am excited to be on this path to being healthy again.  I am four days soda free and sleeping more so I already feel better.   Hope your week finds you healthy and happy!

Hodge Podge V 64

1. It's that most wonderful time of the year...tax season! Do you complete your own returns or farm that job out to the professionals?


I farm that job out to my husband who is in charge of a tax center here.  I think I have completed my own taxes only once.  Math is not my thing in any form and I avoid it if it can be helped.  

2. This next question comes from Kansas Bob...he posed it in his response to something I asked in an earlier Wednesday post and I asked him if I could add it to the Hodgepodge some day. Today's the day....

Which do you think has changed you more-love or pain?

Love.  I think love makes us grow and while you learn from pain I don't know that you grown as a person.  I am a better person all around because of the love of  my family.  

3. Tangerine Tango has been named color of the year for 2012. Your thoughts? Would I find this color anywhere in your house? How about in your closet? If not, will you be adding this color to your life in some way in 2012? If you're not sure what tangerine tango looks like click here.

I LOVE  Tangerine Tango.  Ihave some kitchen tongs in that color but I would love to add more and add it to my bedroom.  It is such a bright cheery color and it seems warm to me.  Especially appealing when it is really cold out :)

4. Are you a collector? What do you collect and does it get admired, used, and/or dusted regularly?

My husband will tell you I collect scrapbooking supplies that I never use..lol.   I disagree.  I don't collect them I am just to busy to use all my supplies currently.  I collect pitchers and serving dishes.  I LOVE dishes.  Not wise when you move every 4 years.

5. February is National Heart Month...besides a green salad what is one tasty heart healthy dish you like to prepare?

Aren't cheerios heart healthy?  If  pouring cereal into a bowl does not count than I would say fruit salad?

6. When was the last time you had car trouble?

When we moved here about 8 months ago.  

7. Have you been more demanding on yourself lately or less? Is that a good trend?

I think I have expected more from myself lately which is good but I have felt a lot less pressure and guilt if I don't accomplish everything on my list for that day or week.  So I think it is a good trend.  I am expecting myself to work out more and eat better, get more sleep and take better care of myself.  When I am doing a better job of taking care of me I do a better job with everything else.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Random thought.  Well here is a really random thought :)  Today I went to a little village with a friend to check out a kitchen store and I found a fabulous honey spoon that has a bent handle so it will rest on the rim of the jar and drip off.   My wonderful husband of course thought it was dumb which I just don't get.  Men are so different in what they think is cool compared to us women folk at times that it just cracks me up.  I think we will never completely understand one another and that is okay :)  Have an amazing rest of the week!

Wednesday Hodge Podge V. 63

Welcome to Wednesday Hodge Podge brought to us by Joyce at

 From This Side of the Pond.  Hop on over and join in after reading my answers if you are new to this.  Hoping to return to more blogging soon but hey I am a busy, lazy procrastinator so this might be it for the next few weeks :)

Thanks for stopping by!

1. The NFL playoffs were held this past weekend and this year's Superbowl will feature the New York Giants versus The New England Patriots. How do you define 'patriot'?

I would define a patriot as someone who has strong feelings or is passionate about their beliefs and defending and promoting freedom of rights and their country.

2. What's something in your life right now that feels like a 'giant'?

Life feels kinda giant right now.  One of my son's is having a medical issue and it just feels like we are working so hard to resolve it and no progress is being made.  We are trying to determine if we should move,  and the logistics of all of us getting home this summer to visit.  There just seems to be a lot happening and a lot of it big things.

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think back to being 18?

I remember thinking that I was so smart and that no one else understand me at all.  I was so sure of what I wanted and the direction I was headed and I couldn't have been more wrong.  I do miss the fearlessness I had then though.

4. Coconut-mashed potatoes-vanilla ice cream-mayonnaise...which white food would be the hardest to give up?

While I do really like mashed potatoes I can't live in a world without ice cream so that one is easy :)

5. Describe an incident or a day you remember as being the coldest you've ever experienced.


I think it would be one time when I was in college and there was sooo much snow on the ground and where I had to park was quite the hike to my first class.  It was freezing and as I was walking down the sidewalk I slipped on ice and fell into the snow and was even colder.  It was not great.  Had to be hilarious to see though :)

6. You're hosting a brunch....what's your favorite dish to prepare and serve?


People who know me well realize I am NOT a morning person and would never host a brunch, having said that if I had to host I would serve fruit salad, muffins and quiche.

7. How do you combat negative thinking?


I like to put on some music,  dance with my kids or clean.  I also have started this new thing when a thought pops into my head that is negative I think "delete" and start thinking of something else immediately to get those thoughts out of my head.  Mostly though just getting involved in something else so I don't have time to dwell on the negative works best for me.


8. Insert your own random thought here.


I worked out for the first time in a looooong time this morning and it was on an exercise ball and in this one portion I kept falling off and my son said, "why don't you just quit?"  What a great teaching moment!  I told him that life is full of things that are had and you can't just give in and quit.  I said I would keep going and I will do that DVD every day until I am not falling off the stability ball because you have to keep trucking.  I was happy to work out and happy to have that moment with him.  I think determination and resolve are so important to instill in youth.   Have a great rest of the week & thanks for stopping by!