Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Did you watch The Oscars? How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash)

Do you think actors should use their acceptance speeches as an opportunity to promote their political and/or social agenda? Does that sort of speech make you more or less inclined to change the channel?

 

I really have no interest in award shows, especially when I have options such as reading, writing, coloring with Buddy, washing windows, making beds, scrubbing the kitchen floor..... You get the picture. (No pun intended.)

 

I haven't seen any of the movies mentioned.

 I didn't realize actors use their acceptance speeches as opportunities to promote their agendas, but that certainly wouldn't be something I would enjoy listening to.

2. Speaking of the movies... are you comfortable going to a movie alone? How about dinner in a restaurant (not fast food, but an actual restaurant)? The second half of this question was posed by Carrie who blogs over at It's Not Easy Being Queen. Thanks Carrie! 

I have never been to a movie, so no, I don't think I would be comfortable going alone. As for the restaurant. Maybe if the food was exceptionally delicious I could make myself sit through the awkwardness of being alone.
 

3. What's the last home repair or home improvement project you had to pay someone to complete? In hindsight was this a project you could have done yourself? 

We have never paid anyone to make repairs or do any home improvement projects for us.
 

4. Have you ever had Indian food? Like it or no? If you're a fan, what's your favorite dish? Have you ever prepared this yourself at home? Is there an Indian restaurant in your current hometown? 

I have never had Indian food, but I would like to try it someday. Our current hometown has a pitiful assortment of restaurants, none of which have Indian food.
 

5. A song that reminds you of your parents? 

Probably one of the old Amish church songs. They both loved singing those songs. I didn't mind singing my favorites, but I don't sing them any longer. Both LV and the children groan when ever I try, and with all the songs I enjoy that are much nicer than those s-l-o-w tunes I don't mind singing something that doesn't bug them.
 

6. The 26th of February is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day. What's your favorite, or one of your favorite, fairy tales? Do you have any childhood memories associated with a particular fairy tale?
 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  I think it's my favorite because of a little book we used to have that my Dad used to read to us. He didn't read much, but did a splendid job of making this story come to life.
 

7. What's a problem you solved yesterday? 

Eh .... math.
 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It has been really cold here. Our waterfall is frozen solid which shouldn't be a surprise considering temperature has reached -22º  I love winter, but this is just a little too cold.

Amazing, Unbelievable

Lately my Facebook feed has been clogged with links to articles that have headlines ending with: and you won't believe what happens next.

There also seem to be a ton of videos being posted along the same line of how amazing, unbelievable, mind blown theme. Things that I assume the majority of people will not be amazed, or think it's unbelievable, and certainly not have their mind blown. I scroll past all this junk 99% of the time. 

The other day I started wondering. Am I getting to be sour, crusty, and no longer viewing life with the same enthusiasm as I used to? How would it be if I decided to spend a day with the same overboard enthusiasm as these headlines? I'd make my own headlines throughout a day, I decided.

Woman heats a simple pot of water, the results will amaze you! Which of-course are I made a batch of spaghetti and everyone gathered at the table to eat it.

Toddler bumps his head, you won't believe what happens next! He cries for a few seconds, rubs the tears from his eyes and announces, "I stopped crying, Mama!"

Woman washes all the windows in her house, you won't believe what happens next! Toddler decided he wants to wash them too and drags a dirty rag over half of them.

Son takes letter to mailbox, what happens next will blow your mind! The mailman picked it up and in a few days it will reach its destination.

My day continued like this for only a little while, because I became exhausted. The fake enthusiasm at having water come when I open a faucet, to every other ordinary little happening was too much.

There are things that do still amaze me.

When I look up at the star filled sky at night and know that God has given each a name.

When I see the beauty of nature, and I think of creation and how God spoke all of this into existence. Amazes me every time!

When I think of God's grace, love, and mercy. I'm humbled and amazed.

When I think of eternity. The unfathomable vastness of it. Always amazed.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Have you ever written a love letter? Have you written one recently? Had one written to you? Did you keep it?

I have written love letters, and yes I wrote one recently. I have also received a lot, and I've kept them all.

2. What's a movie that ends in a way you especially love?

Thinking, thinking, thinking. Apparently I don't watch enough movies, or else this shows what little impact the ones I have watched have made on me, because I can't think of an ending that I have loved. If you asked me about books, that would be a whole other story. (No pun intended)

3. Something that makes your heart sing? And for those of you who are parents, I mean something besides your children that makes your heart sing?

Something, or someone?

Something ...... there's not much that makes me feel happier than having a new notebook and pen in hand. The possibilities that stretch out before me when I'm equipped like that.  Happy sigh.

Someone ........ LV, he makes my heart sing every day!

4. What's the last event you had to attend, phone call you had to make, routine task you needed to complete, or meal you had to prepare, that you did do, but only half-heartedly?

Let's not talk about the last event I had to attend. Still trying to erase it from my memory. Phone call was to my Mom, after the initial sermon I had to sit through we actually had a pleasant conversation. Routine task, laundry. I never seem to be able to produce the proper levels of enthusiasm for it, even though it is ever so much easier to do than it used to be when we were Amish. Meal, breakfast a little over three hours ago. Stumbling through a sleepy haze to prepare it makes me only half heartedly enjoy getting it ready.

5. Tuna fish salad-yay or blech? If you said yay, how do you like your tuna salad prepared? Hey, this is the Hodgepodge, right?

Not my favorite, but I do enjoy it several times a year. Usually in sandwich form.

6. What's something you 'know by heart'?

Hundreds of songs. A lot of poems I memorized as a child, and the sermon on the mount: Matthew 5,6, and 7. We had to memorize it in school, and it has stuck with me.

7. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, what two or three word phrase would you write on a conversation heart for someone you love? That someone could be a spouse, child, parent, cousin, bestie...anyone at all whom you love.

Forever and Always

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

See this puzzle? It looks quite innocent, doesn't it?

What this photo doesn't show is how it's a 3-D puzzle and the picture changes depending on what angle you look at it.

I don't ever want to put another one like it together! It was awful. My eyes felt cross-eyed and my head was spinning when ever I worked on it. We could only spend a few minutes at a time on it before we started going bonkers.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you wear your heart on your sleeve, or keep your emotions tucked in tight?

A mixture of both. Those who know me well say my face is somewhat of an open book. Something I'm not too thrilled about at times.

2. How did you meet your closest friend?

Other than LV, my closest friend in real life I met at a homeschool co-op.

I have another very close friend whom I've never met, this friendship started via email following Sunbeam's accident almost six years ago.

3.  Pink lemonade, grilled salmon, cotton candy, pink grapefruit, a strawberry milkshake, or raspberry sorbet...of the pink foods listed, which one is your favorite? Least favorite? Which one have you most recently consumed?

Pink lemonade. My favorite drink, other than water during the summer.

My least favorite would have to be the raspberry sorbet. I don't care for anything raspberry flavored.

4. When were you last 'tickled pink' over something? Explain.

It doesn't take much to get me 'tickled pink' The last time was probably last evening when I discovered I have a package of chicken breasts in the freezer.

5. Are you a fan of television talk shows? Daytime, nighttime, or both? What's your favorite?

I am not a fan of television talk shows. I don't watch any. With so many books out there to read, and so very many things I enjoy doing, I simply don't have the time or inclination to watch any.

6. When was the last time you wanted to ask a question, but felt too foolish to do so?

Nothing comes to mind right now. Most of the time I blurt out what ever questions I may have and only stop to think about them afterwards.

7. My favorite __________________right now is _________________.

My favorite color right now is white, sparkling white to be exact. There's not much that is prettier than a lovely layer of white snow, glistening in the sun.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Buddy loves puzzles and spends hours every day with this puzzle book. It contains five 48 piece puzzles. He has no problem doing them. I'm happy he enjoys quiet activities, it makes school time and concentrating on some writing projects I have going so much easier.