Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Share something you appreciate (or something you appreciated as you were growing up) about your mother.

I appreciate that she never raised her voice at us. She included us in everything she did, and always made us feel as if we were the biggest blessings in her life. Her joyfulness was contagious, her zest for life and learning put us on a lifelong journey of always being eager and willing to learn new things, and look for ways to improve what we already know. She was a regular song bird, singing, singing, singing. Day in and out. She woke us in the morning by singing, and unless she was talking to us she spent her day singing as she worked.

2.  A quote most commonly ascribed to Plato reads "Necessity is the mother of invention." When did this last play out in your own experience?

Hmmmm ........ does changing a recipe to fit with the ingredients I had on hand count?

3. Share one of the earliest memories you have from childhood.

When we were still preschool children my brother John and I used to like perching on our extra high chairs beside the sewing machine while Mom sewed. She would let us take turns spinning the wheel to start the treadle going, and hold little pieces of cardboard against the wheel as she sewed. It made a delightful noise.

I'm amazed at the patience she had to allow us to do that. We thought we were helping by spinning the wheel for her every time she started a new seam, but in reality we were slowing her down.

4. When did you last 'hit the mother lode'? What was it?

Getting married to LV.......... I know this is a mother's day themed hodgepodge, but I truly feel I hit the mother lode when it comes to my husband. He's my knight in shining armor, my prince charming, everything I ever dreamed of and more!

5. What is/was your favorite dish mom made? Do you make that dish for your family/friends now that you're all grown up?

Fried chicken. Yes, I still make it.

6. Mother May I? was at one time a popular children's game. It required no equipment or parts to play. What was your favorite childhood game where you could just turn up and play-no gear needed?

Mother May I? is still a popular game for Amish school children as a rainy recess activity. My favorite childhood game that didn't require any equipment or parts, was probably hide and seek.

7. Which TV mom (past or present) is your favorite, and why?

Ma Ingalls on the Little House on the Prairie. I liked the way she seemed to be kind, generous, and loved her family.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Signs of spring are everywhere. The grass is green, spring flowers blooming, birds are singing, spring peepers are raising their annual joyful noise, and the frogs are beginning to sing up a storm at night. Last night they got so excited and loud it woke me up.


One of my favorite spring sounds is listening to the robins sing. They've been busy building their nests. This little robin egg somehow fell out of its nest. So pretty! Too bad it won't be hatching.

30 comments:

  1. We have two robins making a nest in a plum tree just outside my living room window. They are so interesting to watch. They had a nest last year, but I think something got to their eggs. We went out of town and came home to find one broken on the driveway. So sad! I hope to see babies there this year. Happy Mother's Day!

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    1. How fun to have a robin's nest right outside your window!

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  2. The robin's egg is too precious! A beautiful colour too :)

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    1. Robin egg blue has been one of my favorite colors for years!

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  3. As I read everyone's comments I am taken back in time! Yes, I remember playing "Red light, green light." I wonder…do kids play any of these games anymore? I hope so!

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    1. Amish children still play these games regularly.

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  4. My favorite TV mom is also the mother of Laura in 'The Little House on the Prairie.' I loved watching the drama series in my childhood.

    Romi @ In the Way Everlasting

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    1. I enjoyed the series, (we have it on DVD) Our children don't like it though, saying there are too many bad things happening.

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  5. What an amazing mother you were blessed with! My mom used to wake us by singing, but when I was a teen I definitely didn't appreciate it. :-)

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    1. She was an amazing mother! Wish I could be just like her.

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  6. My Mom was a lot like yours sounds. Always singing and patient with us. How I miss her!
    The games mentioned are favorites from my childhood.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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    1. Happy memories of our Mom's are blessings to cherish!

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  7. Your mother sounds like a wonderful lady.

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  8. I remember reading in the Little House books that one day when Laura was watching Carrie, she tried to be just like Ma and never raise her voice. And then to hear you say your mother was the same... I can't imagine the amount of patience and control that would take. I won't have that same legacy, but I wish for my children's sake that I did!

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    1. I'm sure they will still have many great memories of you, and their childhood.

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  9. Changing a recipe to fit the ingredients you have definitely counts!
    I loved your 'mother memories'. So sweet!

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    1. It was the only thing that came to mind when trying to answer. Thanks for saying it counts. :)

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  10. Love #1 and your description of your mother! Sweetness through and through. #2...yes, I think that definitely qualifies for mother of invention....and perhaps the robin egg was pushed out of the nest by mama on purpose. They do that if they're no fertile.

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    1. I was hoping it was pushed out intentionally. Isn't it amazing how smart birds can be?!

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  11. Aww! Why didn't I think of Caroline Ingalls?

    I hope you can stop by and visit:

    http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2014/05/hodgepodge-mothers-day-special-5714.html

    Colletta

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  12. Your sweet mom sounds simply wonderful. I love Little House on The Prarie too. We listen to the books on dvd each year with our children. Ma Ingalls was a treasure. Love your robins egg picture. Have a great evening! Valerie

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  13. That is wonderful that your mom never raised her voice with her children - yet trained them the correct way! Our amish neighbors across the street always sing (the girls). When they are hanging clothes on the line, gathering firewood, weeding - sometimes I think they start singing because they see me working outside. I enjoy it. When they have church over there I enjoy hearing all the women singing together (and when the young ones come out at night too!). Do you still sing with your little ones?

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    1. Amish sing a lot, I think partly because that is the only form of music we got to enjoy.

      And singing always helped the tiresome tasks move a little faster. A saying we heard often as children especially if we were tempted to grumble, "Whistle and hoe, sing as you go, shorten the row, by songs you know."

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  14. Such a beautiful appreciation about your mother and I love your mother load answer too!

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  15. Your momma sounds like a wonderful lady. You were blessed to have her.

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  16. Almost sounds like we are sisters, except my mom raised her voice on more than one occasion! Loved her chicken, meatloaf, salmon patties! She sang all the time (mostly hymns or little songs she learned as a child), taught me to sew on the treadle machine (and let me spin the wheel, too!) My 'mother-lode' is also my husband and I simply adore his mom!) Changing a recipe? Absolutely! Caroline Ingalls and Olivia Walton were great TV moms- even better than some from the "old days" of TV like Donna Reed and Father Knows Best and they were pretty good, too!

    Hide and Seek, Red Light - Green Light, Mother May I, and we chose who was "it" by: "Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum in a dish" or "Eenie Meanie Minie Mo, Catch a Tiger by the Toe" "One Potato, Two Potato." Oops! Almost forgot: "Rocks, Paper, Scissors" that our neighborhood kids taught my kids when we moved here. As a girl, I jumped rope a lot, too - lots of rhymes went with that.

    Such memories you churned up, MaryAnn! Thank you!
    Your ideas always make me think of things I should put on my own blog, but just never get there :-( I didn't even have time for Hodge Podge last week! That's pretty sad, eh?

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.