Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why?
(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)

   Probably a 3 or 4. This summer hasn't been awful, but it hasn't been great either. Mostly boring and humid. I'm ready for autumn to come. In the ever classy of Rivers Cuomo, "I just want this summer to end. What's the point of trying to pretend?"


 2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who call you Aunt (or Uncle).

   I don't have a lot of actual aunts and uncles. I only have one biological aunt and one married-in aunt. I have three biological uncles. I have more than enough great aunts and great uncles. One of my grandfathers came from a family of 6 boys, and my mom's mom came from a family of 8 boys and 4 girls. I would try and list them, but I don't think anyone has the time.
  I love all my aunts and uncles, and I see most of them frequently. I am not an aunt, considering I only have one sibling, and he's younger than me.


 3. What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate? What's your favorite food dipped in cheese?

   I can't pick a favorite chocolate-dipped food. Strawberries are definitely high on the list. What's my favorite food dipped in cheese? That's even harder. I love cheese. Does macaroni count? I love mac and cheese.


 4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.

   I'm astonished by my forgetfulness sometimes. A local road is replacing its drainage ditches, and it has strips of road cut out, which they proceeded to fill with gravel. This doesn't help the road conditions, but I think it helps the state workers sleep better at night.
   Anyway, every time I drive on that road, I forget about those stupid cut outs. It drives me insane. I try to remember, but I think I may just be a lost cause.


 5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered?

   I've never surfed (though I would love to try it), I've never paddle boarded (I would like to try that too), I don't remember the last thing I ironed, I hardly ever use Pinterest, I don't play anything that has a score board, I have a clip board; but I never use it and I don't have a bulletin board. The last board I encountered was probably my clip board, when I moved it as I was cleaning out my school shelf for this upcoming school year.


 6. What's your favorite story from scripture? Why that story?

   Probably the story of Samson. Why? He's this incredibly strong dude with long hair, and he makes some mistakes, which cause him to lose his strength. He's captured by the enemy, gets his eyes gouged out (which they casually leave out in the children's versions), and he's defeated. His hair grows out again, and he's given back his strength.
   He's tied between two columns and the Philistines are having this party, celebrating without a care in the world. Samson takes this opportunity to literally bring the house down (or crash the party, either works), even though it means sacrificing himself.
   How awesome is that? It's my favorite story because it's about the evolution of a man, and the things I believe he learned. A story about self sacrifice and obedience. It's a fabulous thing.


 7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?

   I have no idea. I suck at geography. One state I know I would like to visit would be Arizona. That's on the west coast. I live on the east coast, so I'm sure we'd stop at some cities along the way.


 8. Insert your own random thought here.

   I'll never understand why people say, "At least she died doing what she loved" at a funeral. I don't want to die while I'm doing something I love. I want to die when I'm doing something I hate. Why can't death take me out of my misery, instead of being a buzzkill?
   I want to die while I'm doing my math, or when I'm at a family reunion (people will always remember me at family reunions, to say the least). Perhaps while I'm on a run? I don't want to die eating a brownie, or petting my cat. I don't want to die even at a birthday party for someone I can't stand.
   Maybe I will die doing something I love. I can't really choose. And maybe if I die at a birthday party, they can have the cake in my honor. :) All joking aside, my death is (probably) a long way off. I can worry about this in fifty-ish years. But what can I really do even then? Stop doing things I like, because I'm worried I'll die? That sounds more like an argument for why you shouldn't go skydiving.
   I'll end this with the inspiring cliché of 'live life to the fullest' or something like that. Honestly, I don't really know where I'm going with this, so let's stop here. Have a great Wednesday!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 1. Pokemon Go...your thoughts? Are you playing? Do you even know what it is?

   I am not playing. I do, in fact, know what it is. Pokémon has never particularly interested me, and my mom has always believed in it's demonic properties, so I never played. I'm also a little concerned with the safety and security of the game. I've heard many bad things about it, so even if I had the opportunity, I don't believe I would play.
   One thing I enjoy about this whole thing is how fired up people are getting. I've read several hate articles about how Pokémon Go is the 'zombie apocalypse' or something like that. People are always depressed in people. I can understand that, because I get depressed in people too, sometimes. Pokémon Go is just another faze among society. Just like planking, twerking, Ebola fear mongering and the cinnamon challenge, it'll be over and another stupid thing will replace it before you even know it was gone.


 2. What was something you collected as a child? Do you still have that collection? If you're a parent what's something your own children collected? Have you ever camped out, stood in a crazy long queue, or paid a ridiculous sum for a 'collectible'?

   I'm still a kid, technically, and I currently collect playing cards. I love cards, and enjoying playing, so it's a fun thing to collect. I still have that collection, and I'm still collecting. Recently, my friends brought me back a pack of cards with 53 different pictures of national parks and landmarks from their vacation. How cool is that?
   I have never camped out, stood in a line (aside from the grocery checkout at Walmart) or paid more than a few dollars for any collectible.


 3. "Collect moments, not things"...tell us about a moment you've added to your collection this summer.

   Swimming with my best friends, twice so far this summer. I've been swimming several hours every day this week, and my hair is not a fan of pool water. Swimming with them is super fun. It's an enjoyable experience and we make a lot of memories together.


 4.  What's something collecting dust in your home right now? Any plans to do something about it?

   My new school books are sitting in the homeschool closet, collecting dust, waiting for them to be used so very soon. I'm quite excited. I do plan on doing something about it; starting school and using them everyday for both my education and my personal enjoyment.


 5. A favorite song relating to time?

   Wake Me Up When September Ends, by Green Day is the only one I could think of that related to time, in any sense.


 6. What's been your most frightening or your most interesting encounter with wildlife?

   I had never seen a bear in person until Monday night. I was driving home from my grandparents (we had been swimming) when a momma bear started across the road with three little fuzz balls for cubs. Another car was coming from the opposite direction with their high beams on, so I couldn't see very well, being blinded by the headlights and everything.
   Even if I couldn't see the bears very well, it was still kind of cool to see what I saw of them. Bears are slightly odd looking animals. I think their legs are a little too long. I don't know. Is this just me?


 7.  On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong set his foot down on the moon. If you could travel to the moon would you go? Why or why not?

   I would go, if I had the opportunity, just because I think it would be the coolest thing ever. Aside from the radical awesomeness of stepping on the moon, I think space travel is an incredible waste of money. Why? Because we know more about the surface of Mars than we know about the ocean floor. Our ocean. The one on earth. The one we can go to at a lesser cost with much less has. This planet already has both water and intelligent (though I sometimes doubt this) life.
   Why do we need to search for somewhere else? If we spent the money we waste on space travel on helping to keep this planet alive and well, we would have a MUCH better planet than a planet with some more data on Mars. Maybe I'm understanding this wrong, but I think that we could be doing many more powerful works with the trillions wasted on space exploration, until we discover everything there is to know about our planet, first.


 8. Insert your own random thought here.

   I recently got a new pair of ear buds on sale for 4 bucks at Walmart. I went home, took them out of the package, and plugged them in. I turned on one of my favorite songs and listened. The sound quality wasn't the best, but I wasn't upset. They were only $4, so I wasn't out much.
   Then more of the song progressed and I realized a very shady fact about those ear buds. The lead vocals were missing! It was the background music and background vocals! I found this hysterical, and I went and showed Mom. She also found this funny. I went to show my brother, but when he used them, the lead vocals came in without a problem.
   While I was glad they worked, I couldn't help but be a little saddened when I realized they were normal ear buds, just like my other pairs. Oh well. It was an experience, to say the least. And with that under my belt, I believe I would buy a pair of ear buds that I knew didn't play the lead vocals. It's actually sort of cool, plus you can sing along with just the band behind you.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or is it more the other way around? 

   It's more the other way around. I am not influenced by the world, and while I'm not influencing the world majorly, I like to think I am setting an example of individuality.

 

2. July 14th is National Tape Measure Day...the device was patented on this date in 1868. When did you last use a tape measure? Do you always know where to find one in your house? Tell us one way in which you feel blessed 'beyond measure'.

 

   I don't remember the last time I used a tape measure. Sometimes we can find a tape measure, and sometimes we can not. In the drawer beside our refrigerator is where we keep some household tools, so if we wanted to find one, that would be the place to start.

   I feel I'm blessed beyond measure with the place where I live. I love our home, and while it's not perfect, I enjoy our farm.

 

3.The Plaza Hotel (Eloise), The Land of Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh), Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), or Never Never Land (Peter Pan)...which storybook land (on this list!) would you most like to visit and why? 

 

   Hmm. This is a hard one. I would probably pick Wonderland out of those choices, just because I think it would be a fun place to visit. I think all of these would be fun to visit, if I could.

 

 

4. Where and when do you get your best ideas? 

 

   I get good (and bad) ideas everywhere. Whether I'm talking with friends or in bed, most of my ideas just come, regardless of location.

 

 

5.  So what have you been watching on TV this summer? Anything good? 

 

   I've mostly been watching the things I typically watch: Jeopardy, The Amazing World of Gumball, Last Man Standing and whatever else I feel like watching. I recently started watching Arthur again. That show is actually pretty good. Now that we have a DVR, I can record it. When we were little, my brother and I would wake up at 6am just so we could watch Arthur and Martha Speaks.

 

 

6. 'Don't swim for an hour after you eat', 'Dog days of summer', 'Knee high by the Fourth of July'...choose a summer saying from the list or share one of your own, then tell us what image or memory comes to mind when you hear it spoken.

   The dog days of summer are here and horrible. I enjoy the summer months, but these are the worst days. When I think of the dog days of summer, all I can think is the squelching heat and humidity. My brothers corn is not knee high yet, thanks to late planting, but it'll get there soon, he hopes. I don't believe I've ever followed the 'don't swim for an hour after you eat' rule, and I've never had anything bad come from not following it.

 

7. In a single sentence, sum up one life lesson you've learned. 

 

   Don't put mayo on a chicken salad sandwich.

 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

   Today, my brother has some of his friends over, and they went to swim. I did not feel like swimming, so I didn't go along. While they're gone, I decided to write a blog post and watch some Arthur. Happy Wednesday to All!

 

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It's officially summer (in the northern hemisphere anyway). Which summer month is best and why?

   All the summer months are good. I like June, because of the beginning of summer and all that, I like July because the days begin to get shorter and I like August, because that's when we typically start school, plus it's the beginning of festival season and it's very close to fall. So I guess if I had to pick a favorite, I'd say August, because it's pretty close to fall, but summer isn't over.

 

2. Can you swim? How did you learn? June 27th is National Sunglasses Day. How many pair do you own?

   I can swim, and I love to do it. My grandparents got a pool when I was two years old, and I've been in the water ever since. I rarely wear sunglasses. When I got my glasses, I easily broke the sunglasses habit. Even when I wear my contacts, I hardly wear sunglasses. I had a pair a while back and I have no idea what happened to them. If I would ever need a pair, my mom has a pair I can borrow.

 3. What characteristic do you judge most harshly in yourself? How about in others?

   I can't think of a specific characteristic, although I can be insensitive at times, without even thinking, so I typically judge myself for some stupid things I say. I think the characteristic I judge most harshly in others is whininess. I can't stand when people complain about things, especially pointless things. I think it's even worse when they can do something about it, but instead sit and complain.

 4. Robert Frost wrote the now well known poem entitled The Road Not Taken. What's a road (literal or figurative) you've always wanted to travel, and where do you hope it takes you? 

   I don't have a road (literal or figurative) that I've absolutely wanted to travel. I do love that poem though.  

 

5. Popsicles-yay or nay? If you answered yay, what's your favorite flavor? 

 

   I don't mind popsicles. My favorite flavor is definitely whatever red is. Red popsicles are the best. (Unless it's watermelon in disguise. Watermelon flavored things are mega disgusting.)

 

 

6. Brexit-on a scale of 1-10 how knowledgeable are you on what's involved here? (1=very knowledgeable and 10=what's Brexit) Is this news you'll follow or is it something you think won't impact your life in any way shape or form?

   I think I'm a 9. I know what Brexit is, but I have no desire to learn anything more about it. I think it's going to impact life in the State's, but I'm not really sure how.


 7. Share a favorite song on your summer play list.

   Probably Ruby, by the Kaiser Chiefs. That song has the bad habit of getting stuck in my head. Click here to listen and watch an interesting music video.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

   I have been reading like crazy these past couple days, filling in every extra spot with words from anywhere. The last book I read was utterly horrendous, so I'm hoping the book I'm currently reading will turn out better. The book I read before these two, was a book of short stories, and most of those were good. A few of them were terrible, but they were mostly decent.
   I really don't like to read books with stupid endings. I mean, you read hours into these characters lives, love with them, hurt with them, breathe with them, and then, all of a sudden, everything comes crashing down and they are left perpetually hanging without any hope, because they are merely a character in a book.
   I guess that's one of the reasons I love to reread books, even ones I didn't like the first time. Just so I can live with the characters again, and experience their story. I often play out the rest of their story in my head, making sure they get a happy ending, especially if the creator of their lives was so cruel to let them go happy-ending-less.

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. I read here a list of 13 things you should do in June. I'm paraphrasing a little but basically...

Go on a road trip with your best friend, pick fresh strawberries, host a garden party, take a morning run, treat yourself to a flower bouquet, spend a whole day hiking, discover a new coffee shop, try a new ice cream flavor, read at least one book, visit a Farmer's Market, make a swing for your home, and visit a new city. 
Which thing on the list do you most want to do? Of the activities mentioned, which one holds the least appeal? How many on the list will you attempt in June? What's one thing you'd add to the list?

   Going on a road trip with my best friend would be fun, but entirely unfeasible and our strawberries gave up on life a little bit ago, so no strawberries for us. I don't like to garden, and I've only hosted one party (it was my birthday party) and it was a semi-disaster. I don't like morning and I hate to run, so that would be torture. I prefer to grow flowers, than buy a bouquet. I do not like to hike either, so hiking all day wouldn't be fun. I wouldn't mind the coffee shop (I love coffee) and I'd try a new ice cream flavor. I will be definitely reading a book, I just got new books at the library today. Farmer's Markets aren't very fruitful in June around here so that wouldn't be worthwhile. We already have swings here at the house and I don't like the city.
   A lot of these are totally impractical. I'm too busy to take time out of my schedule to plan a road trip with my best friend and so is she. Why do you need to take a road trip in June specifically, anyway? What's wrong with May or July? Plus, who takes a day to spend hiking? Or is this just me?

 

2. What's something you could do today to feel more peaceful? 

 

   I don't know. I'm at peace right now, so it's not really a priority.

3. June 7th is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day. Are you a fan? Swiss mocha, rocky road, chocolate chocolate chip, peanut butter and chocolate, or a dish of plain chocolate...what's your pleasure? 

 

   I don't like chocolate ice cream. Phish Food ice cream is the only ice cream I like that contains chocolate ice cream.

4. If you came with a warning what would it say?

   "Very sarcastic, and sometimes things pop out of her mouth that she doesn't mean to say."

 

5.What's the most interesting website you've visited in the last week? 

 

   Probably just the typical blogs I read. It's always fun to read new posts.

6. Spring, summer, autumn, winter...which season are you? Why? 

 

   Probably autumn. Brisk, brightly colored and sometimes cold, autumn is probably most like me.

7. "You lose sight of things...and when you travel, everything balances out." ~Daranna Gidel

Would you agree with that sentiment? Explain why or why not.  

   I don't necessarily agree with that, because traveling isn't a 'fix it' thing. It's a time to relax. Just because you're not there doesn't automatically make all the problems go away. But on the other hand, it can give you a fresh perspective on things. So I guess it depends on where you're traveling and what you're dealing with.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

   I just ordered my first vintage dress! I'll write a post later, detailing the dress, but for right now I'm rather happy with the thought of it coming soon. :) If it comes in time, I'll be wearing it to a graduation party on Saturday. Happy Wednesday!

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Tell us about one fun thing on your June calendar. 

   My family and I are heading to an amusement park for my grandfather's birthday. We've been there a couple times and it's always a blast. I'm excited. The only bad thing is, we'll be missing our first homeschool group meeting for the summer this year.

2. How careful are you in the sun? Do you tan or burn? Do you make it a point to see the dermatologist every year? 

 

   Regrettably, I'm not incredibly safe in the sun. I hardly ever wear sun block. I don't burn in the sun, except for the first time in the spring when I go outside. Other than that, I tan. I've never been to a dermatologist, and unless I'm dying, I probably never will.

3. Describe a time when you wanted to 'throw in the towel'.

   I've been learning how to drive, and I've been enjoying it. Unfortunately, my little brother is the worst passenger. He goes from freaking out, to offering me advice on how to drive. I could live without his suggestions.
   Yesterday, I was driving us home from going to get ice cream. An impatient idiot was tailgating me, which was already stressing me out. My brother was telling me how to drive, mom was patiently and calmly tell me when I needed to slow down and when I needed to speed up (which was quite helpful) and my grandma was sitting in the back.
   I was so tense, I just wanted to pull over and let mom drive the rest of the way home. But I didn't, and sucked it up. I survived, as did all my passengers. When we got home, my whole upper body ached from the tension. Driving is fun, so I'm hoping I get better at it.

4. What's a song you love that has a day of the week in the title or lyrics? 

   I Don't Like Mondays, by The Boomtown Rats. I couldn't find a YouTube version I like, or I would share it here. It's an older song, so that probably doesn't help. I like the piano in it, and the melody's catchy.

5. Are you a fan of berries? Which one's your favorite? What's the most recent berry dish you've eaten? Which blueberry breakfast food appeals to you most-blueberry pancakes, blueberry yogurt, or a blueberry muffin? 

   I do like berries, strawberries being my favorite. The last berry dish I ate was a Jell-O cake with blueberries on top. It was good. From the list, definitely blueberry muffins. My mom makes the best blueberry muffins. I could eat a whole pan.

6. What's something you want to do before your next birthday? 

   My birthday wasn't that far back, so I have a decent allotment of time until then. I would like to get a real job before my next birthday. I think it would be fun, and I would like to start saving for the future.

7. June 1st is National Say Something Nice Day, so let's all say something nice here. 

   The weather is really nice here today. It's sunny and warm. We have several windows open, and when it gets hot this afternoon, we'll turn the air conditioners on. Gotta love air conditioners!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

   My giveaway is still open. Feel free to enter here. Happy Wednesday!

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Tell us about a time you found yourself 'in the middle of nowhere'. Was this deliberate?

   When I was little, probably 8 or 9, our homeschool group was having an activity at summer camp/ranch thing. They had a corn maze which we were all excited to go in. A couple of my friends and I were playing elsewhere while everyone else was still in the barn. We were supposed to meet at the beginning of the corn maze and go through it together at a certain time. We were playing and lost track of time.
   When one of my friends checked her watch, she looked up with wide eyes and said, "It's already fifteen minutes past!" Panicked, we all sprinted up to the beginning of the corn maze, only to see everyone had left without us. For a second, we debated what to do, but came to the conclusion that we didn't want to miss out the corn maze just because we were late. So we decided we would just catch up with them. They couldn't be that far ahead, right?
   We darted through the maze, thrilled and nervous all at the same time. This was a grand and daring adventure, but at the same time, we could find ourselves lost forever. We ran through the maze until we came to a clearing. This was not where we supposed to come out at. The whole time we had not seen or heard any signs of other humans. We were truly in the middle of nowhere.
   Fortunately, we persevered and eventually came out at the beginning of the corn maze again, thanks to us trying to retrace our steps. Everyone else had not gone into the corn maze yet, and we must have misheard the time. Our mothers were not angry, more relived to find us than anything else. Eventually we did go back through the corn maze with others, and it was enjoyable experience.

2. What's something you're 'in the middle of' today or this week? 

   Does the middle of this blog post count? I've been sick these past couple days, so I haven't been getting into much. I'm in the middle of making a recovery, so that's a plus.

3. At what age do you think 'middle age' begins? What does it mean to be 'middle aged'? 

 

   I don't know much about middle age, but I would assume it happens sometime around your 50's. Maybe 40's, if you're in poor health.

4. Ravioli, stuffed peppers, samosas, deviled eggs, steamed dumplings, pierogis, or a jelly donut...your favorite food (from this list!) with something yummy in the middle. Your favorite not on the list? 

   Probably ravioli, though most of them are stuffed with meat. I do not like stuffed peppers, and I've never had samosas or steamed dumplings. I think I've had pierogis before, but I can't remember liking them or disliking them. I don't mind deviled eggs, or jelly donuts, but I would rather have ravioli over those options. My favorite not on the list is probably a crème filled donut. I love those things.

5. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying ''In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.' Would you agree? Have you found this to be true in your own life? Feel free to elaborate. 

   I would agree. I can't think of an example from my life, but I do think that challenges present the opportunity to make us stronger, if we choose.

6. What's a song you remember loving from your middle school years? Do you love it still? 

   My middle school years weren't that far back, so my songs aren't all that far back in my mind. Don't Stop Believen', by Journey was a favorite, so were TobyMac songs. And yes, I still love them today.

7. May 18th is National Visit Your Relatives Day. Will you celebrate? Which relative would you visit if time, distance, and expense were not considered. 

   I will probably will celebrate it today. We won't even have to visit anyone. They come to us. My grandfather will probably be down here twice before the day is out. Also, another grandfather already stopped down this morning, so I guess we already celebrated. Most of our family lives close, so it's often not a big event.
   The relative I would visit if reality would not be considered, would be my uncle who lives in Florida. It's quite the distance to travel, and we haven't seen him in five years at least. Plus, he lives near the beach, and that would be fun.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

   I honestly can't think of anything to write about, so here's a picture of Bob Ross holding a raccoon cub.

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What's something fun you're looking forward to on your May calendar? 

   Our homeschool group is having our End of the School Year performance this Friday. I'm excited, and nervous. Excited, because performances are a lot of fun, and nervous because I'm performing. I'm a procrastinator, so I put off a lot of the things I should have done a while ago, and now I'm trying to prepare them all at once. Still, I think it adds to the excitement in a way.

2. What are some images that come to mind when you hear the word mother? 

   First off, my mom. Then, the creepy slime stuff in our strong apple cider vinegar.

 3. What's something beautiful you own or have seen that's made of glass? 

 

   I think stained glass windows are pretty. The Brethren church we used to go to has stained glass windows. Every Sunday, I passed the time by counting all the different pieces of glass in the windows. That church was kind of boring.

4. Was today typical? If not, what made it unusual? 

 

   Today's been typical so far, but who knows what the day has in store.  

5. What is a quality you wish you could have more of?

 

   Either patience or gentleness of spirit, though I probably need the gentleness of spirit more, because I'm not entirely impatient.

   On a different note, one thing that bothers me is everyone wishing for qualities they want. There is nothing wrong with dreaming big, but if you want something, go for it. Start practicing the patience you wish you had. Think before you speak. Enroll in anger management classes if you need too. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, cause nothing is easier than sitting around and complaining, but it will make a positive difference. So instead of whining about what you don't have, take action. You need a new habit to break an old one.

 

6. What's the next major purchase you need to make? Will it happen in the month of May? 

 

   I don't think I have any upcoming major purchases. But, I'm more sporadic with my spending. If I overthink it, I will end up not getting it. So, in theory, my next big purchase could be in May. The month is still new.

7. What responsibility/job/work did you dislike while growing up but has proved helpful to you as an adult?

 

   I'm not yet an adult, so this question doesn't apply to me. I will say that my parents helped shape me to be the person I am today. A little hard work never killed anyone, just strengthened them.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

 

   My school is almost done for the year, fortunately. I have some more language arts to do, but then I'm done. I love finishing the school year almost as much as I love starting one.

   I'm excited for this summer. The summer reading program at our library, swimming at my grandparents, warmer temperatures, going to the park with friends from our homeschool group, camp fires, family picnics and a ton of other fun summer things to do and experience.

 

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Are you ready for new? Is 2016 likely to be very different than 2015? Do you want it to be?

   I don't believe 2016 is going to be much different than 2015 nor do I want it to be. If anything would happen to change, I could accommodate it, but I'm not bringing about any.


 2. January 6th is National Technology Day. Currently, what is your single biggest struggle or frustration when it comes to technology?

   We live in a rural area and in the specific part of the world we call ours, we have terrible internet and cell phone service. We also can't afford more than ten gigabytes of internet data per month, which is quite a frustration.


 3. It's that time again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, and general uselessness) in 2016. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's top vote getters are-

So (at the start of every single sentence), conversation (as in hotly debated topics where we're invited to 'join the conversation'), problematic, stakeholder, price point, secret sauce, break the Internet, walk it back, presser, manspreading (common in larger cities where some men take up the entire bus or train seat by sitting wide), vape, giving me life (refers to anything that may excite a person or make them laugh), and physicality

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

   I think this, in my opinion, is such a petty list. Well-educated people are just irritated by the overuse of stupid and pointless words. While I agree with a lot of the words they dislike, the words will never be 'banished'. It's an arrogant collection of words they complied to make themselves feel superior. I think they forget most of these words are just a phase, and they're gradually going to fade to the background to make room for the next list of overused, dumb and pointless words.
   It's your choice on what words you use. I will not be saying selfie or bae. If someone else uses word I don't like, I'm just going to have to deal with it.

 4. Share one of your current health related goals. 

   If you didn't read the two posts before this one, you have yet to know I've become a vegetarian. That's the only health related goal I have or else I probably wouldn't be mentioning it again. It's not really a goal, it's more of a challenge to myself, incorporating a new way of viewing what I choose to think of as food, and what is not.


 5. Let's talk fifty shades of gray. As in the color. Gray is currently a popular color in home decor, paint, wardrobes, hair, wedding party attire, and more. Are you a fan? Do you have the color in some variation in your home or wardrobe?  Gray hair, the old gray mare, gray matter, gray area...which gray idiom can you most relate to right now?

   Let's not talk fifty shades of gray. Let's not ever refer to that ever again. As for the color, I love gray. I have several gray items in my wardrobe and I plan to paint my bedroom walls gray. I don't relate to any gray idiom right now. I'm having a very good day and nothing is gray.


 6. Certain foods are considered 'lucky' if eaten on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. Cooked greens to bring economic fortune, black-eyed peas or lentils also symbolize money, pork which symbolizes progress, fish for good luck, and if you're in Spain 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. Did you eat any lucky foods on the first day of the year? Is that a tradition in your home? Of the foods listed, which most appeals to you?

   We don't eat any lucky foods. Up until this point, I've never even heard of specific foods eaten for good fortune. I think that's a little crazy, but there are worse traditions. I guess I would prefer lentils, out of all the foods listed.


 7. What's the single biggest time waster in your life and what, if anything, will you do about it this year?

   The biggest time waster in my life is probably my phone. It combines multiple time wasters in one, making it the easiest way to waste time. Even if it's my biggest time waster, it still doesn't take that much time out of my life.


 8.  Insert your own random thought here.

   While I love time off school, I enjoy the routines of daily life. Yesterday, my family went out to our friends for band practice. We had an enjoyable time and had pretty productive day as well. We wrote a new song and we have it down rather well. Overall, it was a good day. I'm hoping that today will be a good day too. Have a happy Wednesday!

   Also, I just wanted to let everyone know, yesterday I published my fiftieth post! Thank you all for reading and commenting! You all make blogging worth it.

My love,
Katarina Rose

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. In two or three sentences tell us what Veteran's Day means to you.

   To me, Veteran's Day means respecting those who bought our freedom with their lives. Several of my close relatives have served, and that is something to commend them for.

 2. What's your favorite film with a patriotic theme woven into the storyline?

   This is a hard one. I guess I would have to say Molly. It's an American Girl movie about a girl on the home front during World War II.

 3. Flu shot-yes or no? If you answered no, do you plan to get a flu shot? If not, why not? Have you ever had the flu?

   Definitely no. Our family stands strongly against vaccines. I've had the flu before, and it wasn't fun. Sickness is never fun.

 4. I've seen lots of people posting pictures of their Christmas trees up and decorated. Many stores have had Christmas on display since well before Halloween. Red cups are back at Starbucks, sans the holiday decor, and that has some people up in arms. What are your thoughts on all the holiday ruckus this second week of November?

   I don't mind early Christmas stuff. Some people get bent out of shape because 'we're ignoring Thanksgiving' but I don't agree. When Thanksgiving comes, we celebrate it, it isn't as big of an event. I attend several Thanksgiving dinners. Just because Christmas stuff is out, doesn't mean we don't celebrate Thanksgiving too. We just don't put up Thanksgiving trees.
   On the Starbucks cups, I like the minimalistic look. I honestly think people are just overreacting. Whether the cups have the décor or not, the overpriced coffee inside is still they same.

 5. What 'critter' are you most afraid of encountering unexpectedly? Why that one?

   I don't have one that I'm most afraid of. I'm not unnecessarily skittish about snakes and spiders and stuff, but I'm not searching out encounters with them.

 6. Do you like building things? What's the last thing you 'built'?

   I do like building things. I helped my dad install windows last weekend, and though it wasn't really building anything, it was a project that's related to building.

 7. In keeping with this month's theme of gratitude...what are you most grateful for that brings beauty to your daily life? 

 

   An essential oil diffuser my mom bought. It changes colors and emits a cool vapor that diffuses the oils. It adds a little splash of color to our living room and a soothing scent to the air.

 8.  Insert your own random thought here.

   I've recently gotten into a cooking phase. Yesterday, I made Lemon Butter Herb Pasta, turtle brownies and a potato thing. Today, I hope to make something else delicious. I made an All Recipes account yesterday and I'm quite excited to get to use it.

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. October 21, 2015 is Back to the Future Day. Did you see the movie? The sequels? In the second film, Doc takes Marty into the future to prevent Marty's future son from making a mistake. They leave 1985 and land on a 'skyway' on October 21st, 2015. So tell us, what were you doing in the fall of 1985?

   I've never seen the movies, though my mother says I would probably enjoy them. I wasn't alive in '85 and I applaud those who remember what they were doing 30 years ago in the fall.


 2.  If time travel were possible, would you want to go to the future? The past?

   This is a discussion my friends and I have had several times. I would go to the future, if I could. I think it would be fun. Time travel seems very risky, though. If you go to the past, one little thing could distort the whole future. If you go to the future, you could find out something terrible you would try to prevent, and you could mess up things even more. I think it's best that time travel hasn't been discovered yet.


 3. We're not flying cars, but some of the technology imagined in the 80's film has indeed come to pass in real life 2015-flat screen TVs on the wall, tablets, fingerprint recognition, video conferencing, online banking, 3-D movies, motion controlled video games, drone cameras, and smart glasses (Google glass).  Do you worry technology is growing at a rate so fast we'll soon be unable to keep up with it's demands? Do you think the Internet does more harm than good? 

   Technology is growing at a very rapid pace, and I think that is both a good thing and a bad thing. The internet is convenient, but it also is the dumbing down of our nation. So I guess its beauty is in the eye of the beholder.


 4. Your favorite dish prepared in a slow-cooker? Your favorite fast food?

   My favorite food prepared in a slow cooker is macaroni and cheese that my mom's friends makes. It's wonderful. My favorite fast food is sausage burritos from McDonalds with hot picante sauce.


 5. No time like the present, down time, face time, pressed for time, in the nick of time, make time, mark time, or just in time...which timely saying most relates to your life right now? 

   Either no time like the present or down time. On Sunday, I removed a dresser from my room. I had no plans to get rid of that dresser anytime soon. I was sitting on my bed strumming guitar when I decided that I wanted it out. So I removed all of its contents and pushed it out into the hall. Long story short, there was no time like the present.
  On the other hand, I've had a lot of down time recently. No deadlines and only one early morning. Quite the opposite of pressed for time.


 6. Tell us about a place you went as a child or younger person that's no longer there or is now something else. How does that make you feel?

   I don't really have this problem. I guess I'm still too young for this, with not being alive in '85 and all. I can report that one of our gas stations is being torn down to be rebuilt into an IHOP. How do I feel about that? I'm feeling invigorated. Excited. I feel like it's about time we had America's favorite pancakes nearby. Sarcasm heavily implied.


 7. Describe your comfort zone.

   I don't really have a comfort zone. There are things that I won't do, and things that make me uncomfortable, but there is no definite line that clarifies what's okay and what's not.


 8. Insert your own random thought here. 

   Question #6 reminded me of a word I learned a while back. Hireath is a Welsh word that has no direct English translation. It's closest English meaning means 'longing for a home you can't return to, or never was'. It's a beautiful word.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It's October so let's get this out there first thing...have you jumped on the all-things-pumpkin bandwagon? How so?

   I haven't jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon. Firstly, because I don't like pumpkin and secondly because you can get pumpkin all year round. Not just in the fall. It's ridiculous. Yes, pumpkin is harvested in the fall, but a lot of pumpkin things use canned pumpkin. Not fresh.


 2.  "We have more power than will; and it is often by way of excuse to ourselves that we fancy things are impossible." Francois Duc De la Rochefoucauld  

What's something you once thought impossible, but in hindsight see as more a matter of lack of will?

   Math? It's not impossible, even though it feels like that, but I also hate it, so my lack of will doesn't make it better...


 3. The rose is America's National Flower, but every state also has its own (click here to see the list). Are you happy with yours? If you were in charge what would you declare your state's flower? If you're outside the U.S. what bloom would you like to see labeled as your country's national flower?

   Our state flower isn't my favorite, it's nice enough, but if I was in charge, I would make it Forget-Me-Nots. I like the little blue flowers.


 4. What have you lost interest in recently?

   I don't think I've lost interest in anything recently, if anything, my interests have been growing.


 5. In your opinion, who's the best living musician?

   I couldn't pick just one. I think every musician has something different to bring to the table, because everyone has different taste and style. I love the fact that we have a ton of different artists out there with the same goal (making music) that each one is achieving differently. Though I like some more than others, I couldn't pick a "best".


 6. S'mores-love 'em or no? Ever make them indoors? Last time you sat around an outdoor fire? Are making s'mores and sitting round a fire pit on your autumn bucket list? Do you have an autumn bucket list?

   S'mores are okay. We've made them indoors before, but they're not as good as campfire-made ones. I typically don't have a s'more when we have campfires. A few weeks ago was probably our last campfire. I don't think we will have another one this year. Our family isn't the type to think, "Hey, let's go outside and sit in crappy lawn chairs that are falling apart. We'll build a fire and pretend we aren't freezing our butts off!" I don't have an autumn bucket list, or plan on making a bucket list just for a season.


 7. Your favorite small town? Why?

   I don't have a favorite small town. I live in a small town surrounded by other small towns. It's not really a competition.


 8. Insert your own random thought here.

   The changing of seasons has brought my mind into the past. I remember, when I was younger, my brother used to bring his roller skates, skateboards, pogo sticks, scooters and occasionally a bike into the house during the winter. Amazingly, mom tolerated a lot of it.
   At one point, we only had one pair of roller skates, which wasn't bad because I couldn't roller skate with both of the them on. I still can't. Anyway, he would take the left skate and I would take the right, and we would skate around the house, pushing off with our bare foot and gliding on the skated one.
   The skateboard was also fun. One of us would sit on the skateboard and the other would push. It was horrible when you had your fingers ran over. The scooters were fun to ride too. I still can't believe mom tolerated everything in the house, but looking back, I'm glad she did.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What's on your September calendar? Anything fun? 

 

   The festivals, for one. Where we live, we have several different festivals and jubilees and such. They're always fun. Our homeschool group starts backs in September too, so those are some fun September activities we have planned.

2. You might be described as a natural born _____________________?

 

   Leader. I am a take charge kind of person. I love to lead, and it comes naturally.

3. September is National Courtesy Month...what one act of courtesy would you most like to see more of in your home, town, or the world at large? 

 

   Holding the doors open for people. It's a simple thing to do that people in the cities can't seem to figure out. On a related note, September is National Courtesy Month? Seriously? We have a month chosen to represent courtesy?

I have no idea why it bothers me so. I have to say that these 'national day' things are getting out of hand.  

4. Eager beaver, chicken out, clam up, or let the cat out of the bag...of the phrases listed, which one have you related to most recently? 

   Clam up, unfortunately. I'm not scared to get up on stage and sing, act, perform, etc., but this time it wasn't so . We were at the nursing home where we go to volunteer, and I was playing my guitar and singing. I started on You Are My Sunshine, a song that I'd practiced everyday, multiple times. I got through the chorus, and BAM! I couldn't remember any of the lines. My mother started singing the words and it came back to me, but wow. That wasn't very fun.

5. What's your movie theatre snack protocol? Do you chow down on snacks during the previews or wait until the movie begins? Do you buy snacks or refuse to pay those kind of prices? What's the last movie you saw in a theatre? How many thumbs up would you give it?

   I don't have a movie theatre snack protocol. I've only been to a real theatre once, when I was seven, and we saw Charlotte's Web. I don't remember a lot of it, but it was probably pretty good. I've been to a drive-in theatre several times. The last movie I saw was Inside Out, and it was pretty good. 4 thumbs up.

6. Henry Ford is quoted as saying, "Nobody can think straight who does not work. Idleness warps the mind." Agree or disagree? Why?

   I don't agree or disagree fully on that. Being lazy doesn't mean you can't think, but being active and doing things definitely helps keep your mind sharp.

 

7. What's the last job you completed or task you performed where you had to 'work like a dog' until it was finished?
 

   Collecting Monarch caterpillars. That was tiring. It was also hot and humid.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

   So now for the story of the monarch caterpillars. (I mentioned it here yesterday.) Some of our fields were to be limed. We didn't know when, but when my mom and brother discovered how many caterpillars were in the fields, we decided to go rescue them. We called some of my brothers friends and asked if they would like to come back and collect Monarch caterpillars. They did. While we waited for them to arrive, I had a snack. They arrived and we went up into the first field. I didn't see many at first, but by the end I was spotting them left and right.
   We collected and collected, field through field, until we had gotten a ton of them. We came back and counted them. 265 caterpillars and one chrysalis. My brother's friends took a little over 20 and took a few for a friends of theirs. Mom sent an email out to some of her friends regarding the caterpillars. A couple people responded, they would like a few. A few, meaning not enough to really ease our load. 
   One of my mom's friend's has a daughter that works at a discovery center, where they have animals and stuff like that. They said if we had more than we could handle, we could give them to the discovery center and they would raise them and tag them. They are coming to pick up 200 later today. I wanted to post pictures, but they are on my mom's phone and I can't get them off right now. I apologize.

Until next time!

 

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.

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!