7 Things I've Been Loving This Week!

1: Hanging out with some of my friends at the park.

2: Ramen noodles.

3: Watching Sumo of the Opera with my brother.

4: Canning.

5: Biology and art.

6: Learning new guitar songs.

7: This

 
 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Way back when (the Hodgepodge bicentennial to be precise) several of you submitted questions as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I went back to that list for inspiration today and found a question submitted by Marla, who blogs over at Marla's Musings. Thanks Marla!

She asks-At what age did you feel like a 'grown-up'? What keeps you young now? 

   I'm not a grown up yet, but I do feel grown up when people mistake me being older. I remember when I turned 10, I felt very grown up. I probably won't feel grown completely until I move out. It's hard to feel grown up when mom doesn't believe I can do anything on my own. She still gives me instructions on how to boil a pot of water.


 2. When did you last buy a vehicle? Was this by design or because you had no other option? Was the car/truck purchased for your own personal use or was it bought for someone else to drive? On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being delightful and 1 being 'pass the Excedrin') how would you rate the experience?

   I've never bought a car, so don't have any experience with that.


 3. Corn bread, corn chips, corn pudding, corn on the cob, cornflakes, corn chowder-your favorite of the corn-y foods listed? What needs to be served alongside your selection?

   I like corn bread, corn chips, corn on the cob (sometimes), cornflakes, and corn chowder occasionally. Popcorn is the only corn food I would want to add to my list. Corn isn't my favorite food, but I really like popcorn.


 4. What's something in your life that regularly requires you to 'put your thinking cap on'?

   School, currently. While I enjoy school, it's a challenge. More and more challenges arise in my everyday work. But the fun subjects, like Art and Biology, make it tolerable.


 5. Share a favorite movie set in a school or classroom, or whose theme relates to school days in some way.

   Sky High. One of the best Disney movies ever filmed. If you haven't seen it, (which you probably haven't) it's a not-so-true story about a superhero high school. While their school day is nothing like actual school, it's an awesome movie.


 6. Reading, writing, and 'rithmatic' are commonly referred to as the three R's. What are the three R's in your life right now?

   Rearranging and organizing, reaping the benefits of work and canning and retrieving information from the back of my brain to put on a test.


 7. What's something you've learned or tried recently you can say was as 'easy as ABC'?

   Learning the seven taxa, most recently. Kingdom, Phylum or Division, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. Those were really easy to memorize.


 8. Insert your own random thought here.

   Old people talk of the good old days. What exactly are the 'good old days'? What makes them so good? Are they good just because they're old, like an antique? When I grow up, will this time of my life somehow become the 'good old days'? What's going to make these days preferable to the future? What about right now am I taking for granted?
   Unfortunately, I don't have answers for these questions, just ideas on how they might be answered. First off, were the good old days actually as good as they claim to be? Or did people just forget the old problems they used to have in order to make room for new ones? Because something I do know, is that problems are everywhere, in every timeline and every country.
   As for my 'good old days', what will follow up my, "Back in my day,"? Selfie sticks? Instagram? Pop music? What about skinny jeans, booty shorts, crop tops and straightening the life out of your hair being considered fashionable? Will I look back on all the trends I didn't follow and be glad? I think I will be.
   The future is unwritten, and I have no idea what is going to change. What or whom I'm taking for granted. I guess that old saying is true, "You never know what you got until it's gone." Even though it should be 'have', instead of 'got', the principle remains the same. So until I lose something, I'll never know what I had.
   As of today, I'm going to try and start appreciating what I have, before I lose it, because nothing lasts forever.  I'm blessed in many ways, and I'm glad to have as many opportunities as I do.

7 Things I've Been Loving This Week!

1: Cleaning off our canning shelves, gearing up for canning season.

2: Canning peach jam. It's delicious.

3: This reality



4: Getting a new pair of dark gray jeans that actually fit.

5: Inheriting 4 pairs of hiking boots from my aunt.

6: This

 

7: Doing art and biology in school. Art is my very favorite subject, but biology is a close second. My favorite subject use to be Language Arts, now, we're studying word etymologies, and it's the worst.

 

 



Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. When was the last time you relocated? Did you move yourself or leave it to the professionals? Are you happy staying put or is there a move in your future? Best thing about moving to a new city or town? Least favorite and/or hardest thing about moving house?

   We moved last when I was a little girl. I don't remember everything from the move, but I remember bits and pieces. Our family moved everything ourselves, with some help from our family. We don't plan on moving and I'm glad. The best thing about moving to a new city or town? I don't know, not having moved a large distance before, but if I could imagine it would be fun to explore, like going on a new adventure. Hardest part? Leaving home. All my friends, family, the places, stores and restaurants. That would be treacherous.


 2. When were you last 'moved to tears'? Explain.

   Hmm... I don't know. I'm not frequently moved to tears. It probably was some book.


 3. Do you have rules about eating in the car...any forbidden foods? What's the last thing you consumed in your car? Your go-to car snack when traveling long distance?

   Rules about eating in the car...we don't have any. Anything is fair game. I ate random food out of our lunch bag yesterday afternoon in the car. Our go-to snack when travelling long distance would probably be junk food we bought to eat specifically then.

 4. Share a favorite song relating to cars and/or driving.

   Getaway Car by TobyMac.

 5. What's your most frequently visited drive-thru...Starbucks? the bank? the pharmacy? some other window?

   The bank, probably. I've never been to Starbucks, and we go through the drive through occasionally, but we try to avoid them.


 6. "He who hesitates is lost"...would you agree? When it comes to making decisions do you generally act quickly or do you more often than not fall into the 'lost' category?

   I make my decisions quickly. I don't agree with the saying, though. Some decisions need to be thought over, and some can be made quickly.


 7. When was the last time you got lost? Was it stressful or an unexpected happy adventure?

   I don't remember the last time I was lost. I do remember one time, though, when I was little, several of my friends and I got lost in a corn maze. It was kind of scary, but a fun adventure the same.


 8.  Insert your own random thought here.

   Yesterday morning I went to the trail to hang with my friends. My one friends and I had a lot of fun talking about writing and resolving plot and characters with the books we are writing. I adore writing, and I have been so busy reading for the summer reading program at our library that I haven't had the time to write. The program ends on Friday, so I'm gearing up to get back into the swing of things. Happy Hodgepodge!

7 Things I've Been Loving This Week!

1: Practicing guitar and learning new chords.

2: Marshmallow fluff, the food of angels.

3: Volcanic lightening. It's beautiful. Here is a link to some gorgeous pictures.

4: Reading the comics in the newspaper and laughing at the ridiculous problems in the advice column.

5: Reading, reading and more reading. I'm participating in the summer reading program our library offers, and every hour you read counts towards it.

6: Hanging out with my little cousin.

7: Watching American Ninja Warrior with my brother.

50 Questions

   While surfing the internet today, I found a list of suggestions for questions. They sounded like fun, so I choose some and made up some of my own. Here's my answers to 50 questions;


1: Were you named after anyone?
No, my name is original.

2: When was the last time you cried?
I can't remember, I don't cry often.

3: Do you like your handwriting?
I do. It's kind of sloppy because I write fast, but I like my handwriting.

4: What's your favorite lunch meat?
Turkey or roast beef, depending on my mood.

5: Do you prefer to read or write?
I love both. I couldn't choose just one.

6: If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
No, I wouldn't. I probably couldn't stand myself.

7: Do you use sarcasm a lot?
I do. I'm very sarcastic.

8: Do you still have your tonsils?
Yes, fortunately.

9: Would you bungee jump?
I would. I think it would be fun.

10: What's your favorite cereal?
I don't have a favorite. I like a lot of them, but I hate Fruity Pebbles. They're nasty.

11: Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
I do. I'm very particular about how I put on my shoes and take them off.

12: Do you think you are strong?
Not partially.

13: What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Vanilla, definitely.

14: What's the first thing you notice about people?
Their hair or clothes, especially if it's something unusual.

15: Red or pink?
Red.

16: What's your least favorite thing about yourself?
I'm have terrible balance and I'm an utter klutz.

17: Who do you miss the most?
Hmm. I don't think I strongly miss anyone.

18: What nutrition or fitness strategy do you need to work on the most?
I think I would need to have one to have something to work on.

19: What color shoes are you wearing right now?
I'm not wearing shoes.

20: What was the last thing you ate?
French fries.

21: What are you listening to right now?
The air conditioner running, the radio in the background and the occasion flip of the newspaper my mother is reading.

22: If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Probably a dark red-purple.

23: What are some of your favorite smells?
The smell of coffee, new books/paper, the way my cat smells, (it's a really sweet, delicate scent that's she's had since she was born,) the smell of the ocean, (not the dead fish one, the salty 'ah, vacation' one,) and the scent of autumn.

24: Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My best friend.

25: Mountain hideaway or a beach house?
Beach house, definitely.

26: What's your favorite sport to watch?
Ice hockey.

27: Do you play any instruments?
I play violin, guitar, ukulele and piano.

28: What's your favorite animal?
Cats. I also favor chickens and various aquatic life, especially sharks.

29: Do you wear contacts/glasses?
I wear a pair of brown rimmed glasses. I don't need to wear them all the time, but I prefer to.

30: What's your favorite food?
I don't know if I've mentioned it on my blog before, but I love macaroni and cheese with a passion.

31: Scary movies or happy endings?
Both? Some movies are good with happy endings, but scary movies are fun, too.

32: What was the last movie you watched?
Open Season 2.

33: What color shirt are you wearing?
Royal blue.

34: Summer or winter?
I like summer and winter. Winter lasts too long, and summer isn't long enough.

35: Hugs or kisses?
Hugs, from people I like.

36: What's your favorite dessert?
I couldn't pick just one.

37: Would you rather strength train or do cardio?
Neither? But I guess if I had to choose, I would do strength training.

38: Do you prefer to be on a computer or watch television?
Computer, most of the time, unless I have a new episode of one of my favorite shows to watch.

39: What book did you read last?
A murder mystery, entitled Ten. It's was really good.

40: What's a few of your favorite sounds?
A wave crashing on a beach, the pages of a book being turned, my kitty meowing, and a solid rock-and-roll scream.

41: Do you like your mattress?
I do. It's pillow top.

42: Rolling Stones or Beatles?
Rolling Stones.

43: What's the farthest you've ever been away from home?
A twenty three hour drive.

44: What's on your mouse pad?
I'm not using a mouse pad, thanks to my laptop.

45: Do you have any special talents?
I don't think I have anything special, just normal talents, except this really cool trick where I can trip and fall over just from standing in a normal position.

46: Do you have any special things about or around your house?
Other than some antique furniture, we have Christmas lights strung around our living room. Does that count?

47: What color is your house?
Red, with a blue roof and white accents.

48: If you had to get a tattoo, what would you want the tattoo to look like or say, and where would you want it?
Hmm, I would want something music or fire related done above my right ankle.

49: What was the last song stuck in your head?
Strutter, by Kiss. I woke up with it in my head, for some reason. Crazy, cause I haven't heard that song in months.

50: Did you enjoy answering the previous 49 questions?
I did.


So there we go. I hope you enjoyed the answers and feel free to answer some or all of them on your blog. If you would happen to, please comment, because I would love to read someone else's answers. Thanks for reading!

7 Things I've Been Loving This Week!

1: Going to the library after the trail. One of my friends picked out several books for me, and some of them turned out to be really good.

2: Hanging out with my cousin.

3: Reading like a crazy person, trying to fill up my summer reading program chart.

4: Picking blackberries and huckleberries with my mom and brother.

5: Meeting my uncle's girlfriend's parents. We went out on the lake and I went tubing. My arms are still sore.

6: Bagels. Many bagels.

7: Helping with childcare at my church. The kids were super sweet and I built countless block towers for them to destroy.

BONUS!