Wintertime Hodgepodge

It's Hodgepodge time again. Visit with me a bit and then head on over to Joyce's blog to see what she's up to today. 

1. Share a winter memory from your childhood. 

Winter was the time of year where cold happened, but not bitter cold most years. We lived in the south, so we wore coats and gloves, but didn't get a lot of snow experience. When it did snow, it was like Christmas all over again. School was ALWAYS canceled since no one was equipped to drive in it. Many businesses shut down as well. I remember it would take us FOREVER to get ready to go outside. Again, being from the south, we bundled up if anything flake like came floating down from the sky. Since we didn't buy snow shoes, we covered our shoes in plastic bags after putting on two pairs of sock, our shoes, etc. We didn't want wet feet. Some years we didn't even buy gloves, so if the craziness of snow hit, we weren't prepared. Enter socks. My Mom or Dad would be the donor of our "gloves" and we would run outdoors. It probably took us longer to get ready than we spent outside. But, we knew hot cocoa was waiting inside for us, so we weren't disappointed. 

When I got a bit older we lived in married student housing while my Mom went to college. We lived "down the hill" (in those days that meant the 6 apartments every child wanted to move into because they were bigger and, well, there were only 6). A friend of ours lived "up the hill". Since college classes were canceled, his parents were home. We all got cardboard boxes, flattened them, and spent the afternoon sliding down the hill. Getting back up was a huge chore. We would walk 5 steps and then fall and slide back down. We laughed harder than we had in a long time. We would hold hands hoping a group effort would help. It rarely did but often lead to us falling back down the hill on top of each other. 

2. What was on your blog this time last year? (Besides the Hodgepodge of course!) If you weren't blogging, what in the world were you doing with all that free time? 

Nothing. This blog wasn't around this time last year. What was I doing? Thinking about writing! I like to write. I started a children's book but am not sure where to go from this point (it's finished, needs a bit of editing, but fairly finished). So, I was doing that. Other than that, I was taking care of my kids. I don't know when our big ice storm was last year, but it was close to this time. So, I was sitting at home, stuck inside, knowing my husband wouldn't be coming home for a few days because he was stuck at work. I even have a picture of 1/2" of ice on our door knob that I put on Facebook and said, "the reason hubby can't make it home". 

3. Ellen Goodman is quoted as saying, 'We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.' 


Do you see more flaws or more potential in your life at the start of a new year? Have you done anything specific this month to address either one? Does the new year truly begin for you on January 1, or is there some other month of the year that feels like a fresh start and new beginning?

Wow, good question. I see a lot of work that needs to be done, honestly. But, I don't really make resolutions for the new year. My list is ongoing as God leads me to see things that need to be tweaked, removed, or changed. 

4. Who's an athlete you admire or respect and why?

Athlete? I don't really follow sports at all and don't hold athletes up as any type of example. If I had to choose one, I would say Tim Tebow. Agree or disagree with him, he's true to his beliefs, stands for what he feels is right, and seems like a pretty nice guy. 

5. Do you like cream in your coffee? Whipped cream on your pumpkin pie? Cream cheese on a bagel? Sour cream on a baked potato? Cream of wheat for breakfast? Have you ever had a scone with clotted cream? Of all the creamy foods mentioned, which one sounds most appealing to you right this very minute?

I like coffee. Cream, no cream, flavored cream, I like coffee. Sour cream on potatoes is yummo! Right now, if I had to choose, I would say cream in my coffee because my hands are cold and that would mean I could wrap my fingers around a warm cup. 

6. Where were you last kept waiting for 'hours on end'? Or for what felt like hours on end? How well did you cope?

Let's see. I wait often for medical people to get in gear. I have waited 2 hours for a pediatrician before (every single visit, we left). I wait hours for call backs from doctors, DMEs, and more. My life seems to be about waiting for others. Sometimes I handle it just fine. Our DME rep didn't answer me yesterday like logic would say she should. I just chilled out and figured she would answer today. If not, I would email her and ask what was up. But, when I am having a serious situation with the kids and call their doctor, only to be told "we will call you right back" and 4 hours later I have heard nothing ... no. I get upset and crank.


7. Believe it or not, when next week's Hodgepodge rolls around it will be February.Huh?!? Bid adieu here to January in seven words or less.

Goodnight! Goodnight! Parting is such sweet sorrow!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

This has been a really good week. I mean, it's one of those weeks where you just find yourself smiling because life is good. I pray it's that good for you!