Deep Hodgepodge

Here we are at Wednesday. Last week I posted my Hodgepodge on Tuesday wondering why Joyce was so slow in getting hers up. This week I forgot it was already Wednesday. Gee, if only they would invent something that would tell you the days of the week in order so you could keep up. 

As always, take a peek at my answers to her questions and then head on over there (click the picture or her name) to read hers and others. 

1. What's surprised you most about your life, or about life in general?

Wow, OK, let's start off with a deep one full of introspection. Um, let's see. Life ... it is NEVER what you expect. I thought I had it all figured out. I knew where I was going, what life would look like, and this wasn't that hard. Then God laughed lovingly at me and said, "oh yeah, wait until you turn the next corner". That corner was a doozy and I have had a lot of them in my life. It seems there is a never ending numbers of corners that can shock you. The life I have now is not at all what I would have pictured for myself. It's 100% the opposite. I was going to live in a nice brick house on a nice tree lined block. My kids would play out in the front yard with the neighbors. I would sit on the front porch with my coffee reading a book or laughing at something they did. School would be in a cute school room in our home with desks and fresh paint on the walls. Sunday dinner would be hot and on the table not long after church. That was going to be my life. 

Instead I live on 400 acres in a tiny town of 200 people. We live in a mobile home because we had to get here in a matter of weeks to help my mother-in-law take care of my father-in-law because he had Parkinson's and they wanted him home instead of in a facility. So building or finding something else wasn't even a possibility. We have school in the living room, drive 20 minutes to the closest friend, and Sunday dinner is often sandwiches made with all allergy free foods as not to make anyone sick. I spend my days doing medical stuff and educational stuff and my nights researching both of those. 

But, while I would never want my children to be sick and would heal them tomorrow if I could, this life is so much better than I had planned. 

2. Among others, these ten words were added to the Oxford English Dictionary this year ... awesomesauce, beer o'clock, brain fart, buttdial, cat cafe (apparently this is a real thing), fatberg (gross - read the definition), fat shame, hangry, Mx (gender neutral) and skippable. 

Your thoughts? In looking over the list, which word do you find the most ridiculous? Which word would you never in a million years say outloud? Which word would you be most likely to use in a conversation?

My thoughts? We are really dumbing down the English language in a big way. Language used to be beautiful, full of depth. Now it's becoming not much more than text speak and slang. 

Which word(s) would I never use? That's easy - beer o'clock, brain fart, buttdial, fatberg, hangry, and Mx. I don't have any reason to use beer o'clock. I don't use the word fart or butt. Hangry? Seriously? Do I need to explain why I don't use it? Mx - gender neutral should be saved for for baby clothes that are given when you don't know what the baby is going to be. I am sick of it being pushed on society. 

I would use awesomesauce. I wouldn't use it much. But I have said it a few times to my kids in our silliest moments. 

3. Do you like gravy? Is there a food you would rather not eat unless it comes with gravy? Do you make your own or buy the canned or store-made variety? Turkey and gravy, sausage gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy, country ham and red eye gravy, bisquits and chocolate gravy, pot roast and gravy ... which one on the list is your favorite?

I am from the south. I have never lived anywhere but the south. You ask if I like gravy? That's like asking if I like to breathe. It's a food group down here. We can put gravy on anything and, just a side note, we can fry anything as well. 

I don't see the point in having chicken fried steak with no gravy. It's just useless without it in my book. Good, warm, peppered cream gravy on top of chicken fried steak (especially if that steak is venison), yum. 

I make my own. It's so easy to do and takes such a little bit of time, that I make it after I make whatever we are having with it. Good gravy starts with good drippings and you can't get that in a bottle. 

From the list of gravies, my favorite is mashed potatoes and gravy. The one I am most curious about is biquits and chocolate gravy. Me thinks that's an English bisquit vs. what we call a bisquit here in the U.S. (or at least the southern portion). 

4. Do you have a plan? Do you need a plan? Have you ever had a plan fall into a trillion pieces? Explain.

I have a lot of plans. I have school plans, medical plans, med plans, daily plans, weekly plans, holiday plans, life plans, and the list goes on. 

I have a little secret. I hate plans. I want to live life by the seat of my pants with only the basic guidelines like deadlines and so on. Making plans is not a natural for me. But, it's a necessity with our life. 

I have had plans fall into a trillion pieces probably a trillion times. Sometimes I am glad they do (like our plans for Christmas this year before we started to have a change of heart towards celebrating Hanukkah). It just fell in our laps and I had to sweep up the mess and figure out how to change direction. Sometimes I am not so glad. We had planned to go to my cousin's wedding a few years back. That came to a screeching halt when our GI said the word g-tube to us. But, that plan fell into a trillion pieces hours before the surgery and we not only didn't get the tube but we missed the wedding, a once in a lifetime event. 

5. November 19 is National Play Monopoly Day. Do you own the original or same version of the game? Do you enjoy playing Monopoly? How likely is it you'll play a game of Monopoly on November 19th? Ever been to Atlantic City? Even taken a ride on a railroad? Is parking in your town free? Last thing you took a change on?

We own Monopoly. I loved playing it as a kid. I still like playing it, especially with our kids. Now that I know it's National Play Monopoly Day, we will play it without a doubt. I like to do things like that for fun with the kids. We played a few days ago and I owned the board. I won't tell you why when I can show you. 

I have never been to Atlantic City, taken a ride on a railroad, and yes parking is very free in our town. The last thing I took a chance on was buying some supplements that I felt would really help our son based on information from a few very well respected doctors in a medical field related to one of his issues. I went with my gut feeling and it 100% paid off.

6. A song you like that has the word (or some of the word) thanks in the title, lyrics, or meaning?

The first song that comes to mind is "Thank You" by Ray Boltz. It makes me cry thinking about something like that happening.

7. In keeping with this month's theme of gratitude ... what is something you're taking for granted that when you stop and think about it, you're grateful for?

With all that has happened lately in other countries, I am thankful for my safety. I don't know how long it will last, this peace we have so much of, but I am becoming more and more thankful for it each day. I can't imagine the terror in the hearts of those being affected right now, and I am grateful we don't live with that yet.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Remember the question from a bit ago about Monopoly and I said I owned the board. I felt a little guilty beating my kids so much ... but probably not as guilty as I should considering they usually beat me.