WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE #636

Thank you Joyce.

To join in click HERE

1. What kind of winter person are you-snow lover, fireplace snuggler, winter adventurer, or indoor hibernator? Elaborate. 

I do love snow but we mainly see it on the mountain tops. We don't use our fireplace. I'm not really a snuggler, or at least Mark isn't at all. I wouldn't mind a winter adventure but I'm more likely an indoor hibernator. 

2. The Pantone color of the year is cloud dancer, described as a gentle, billowy off white shade. The color symbolizes 'peace, clarity, quiet reflection, renewal, and a soft reset'. Of the terms just listed which do you need most in your life this winter? 

I'm going with renewal. One discription of renewal is "The act or procedure of extending or restoring validity or vigor to something" which is what I want to happen to my body this year. I want me back. 

Actually as I am typing this I am having a better day and pray that it continues into this new year. My lungs are feeling clear and my legs are not hurting. Pray that this continues for me. 

3. Every cloud has a silver lining, on cloud nine, head in the clouds, storm clouds gathering, or cloud of suspicion...which 'cloud' idiom do you most relate to currently? Explain. 

I'm going to go with "silver lining" which I'm hopeful is coming into my body from my answer to the last question.

4. coconut, cauliflower, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, onions, ranch dressing...of the white foods listed, which would be the hardest for you to give up? Do you like all or any of the foods on the list? 

Cottage Cheese and ranch dressing. Yes, I do like all of the foods listed

5. Thomas Wentworth Higginson is credited with this quote-

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year." 

Agree or disagree? Tell us why. 

I'm not sure how to answer this one. However, I do like the season changes. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This year, because I've been rather board with not being able to do too much, I've been watching football with Mark. 

I have been enjoying it and I especially loved the Bears game on Saturday. We are originally from Chicago, born and raised. What a game that was!!!

This coming weekend we will be celebrating Adam's 47th birthday which is on Tuesday the 20th. Also on Monday the 19th is Mark's mother's birthday, my mother in law, who turns 98! We celebrated with her last year in Texas. 

As I am typing this I just remembered that my Mother's birthday would have been today. She passed away at 56 years old. 

Mom and Dad in their younger days.

Mom, Dad, Debby, Darcy, Raymond

Here she is with Amber at maybe 10 months old.

She died shortly after that. Adam would have 

been around 2 1/2 years old.

FYI: I have been working on getting Christmas down. Finally!!! Most of the boxes are packed up and then I just have the tree to accomplish. Actually it's been nice having the tree up and Mark is enjoying it too. It brings a real charm into our family room. It seems like during the holidays you are so busy that you don't get the time to admire it. 

WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE #635

Thank you Joyce.

To join in click HERE

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2025? 

 

 Family - Health - Depression 

I did have a lot of wonderful times with Amber, Dylan, Adam, Gabby and James which made me very happy. 

2. I ask this question every January, and I always get comments about how we shouldn't be banning words. This is fun and games so just play along : ) 

Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse, or just general uselessness (go here to read about how the words are chosen). Here's the list for 2026- 

67 • demure • cooked • massive • incentivize • full stop • perfect • gift/gifted  • my bad • reach out 

Which one (if any) do you use most often? Which one of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word you think should have made the list? 

I believe the only one I use is cooked. Like you said, I see no point in banishing any words.

3. What are your nightly rituals? Is that different from your 'ideal' nightly ritual? If so what's your ideal? 

After we eat dinner we take showers. Marks works in the yard a lot and gets sweaty. It's nice going to bed clean. We will often watch a series on TV. 

Then I go to my office and watch some of the movies I taped and then it's off to bed. I go to bed around 9 pm and Mark stays up until about 10:30. We have never had a TV in our bedroom which is really nice. 

This is pretty normal but ideal is when we shower in the afternoon, even though we showered the night before, and we head over to Adam, Gabby and James house for the evening. We just did that last Friday night. 

4. January 6th is/was National Bean Day. Do you like beans? Which one is your favorite? Last thing you ate made with beans? 

I like black beans. I can't think of anything I ate recently with beans.

5. Are you easily embarrassed? Elaborate. 

I believe I am when it comes to someone helping me up Adam's front steps. I can do the steps but he doesn't have a railing so I take his arm or Mark's and walk up the 3 brick stairs. I fell there once so I want to be careful. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm really struggling with my health and sometimes I just can't get over to read your posts. I do try. 

Right now I am trying to take Christmas down and I've made good progress but still have the tree to do. I also need to go through my bins and see what I can get rid of. I already filled a few bags for the Salvation Army. 

Thank you for understanding because right now I have some extreme pain going on. I hope to see my doctor soon. I do however have an ankle shot on Tuesday and I really need it. 

Love you guys,

Debby