Regular Hodgepodge

1. What have you 'fallen for' recently?
It's been a while since I tried much of anything new. I do like the silly pink and yellow tie dyed moose Bruiser got me for my birthday and the silver hummingbird necklace that Nick got me is wonderful.

2. What's something you're 'squirreling away' for later? 
Recipe ideas for the elk that Nick is going to bring home this fall.  Elk can be used in place of beef in so many recipes and I'm looking forward to being able to enjoy some new recipes with it.

3. How do you like your apples? Sweet? Tart? Crisp? Cooked? Apples are one of the superfoods for fall...how often do you eat an apple either plain or as part of a favorite recipe? What's your favorite variety?
Right now I am eating an apple a day at lunch.  I like it cored and sliced. My favorite type of apple are Gala--just sweet enough to taste good, but crisp and not mushy or mealy. My favorite recipe that uses apples is an apple "doughnut" recipe that look more like muffins.  So good, but I don't make them often.

4. According to Fodor's the ten best fall foliage trips in the US of A are-Aspen Colorado, The Catskills New York, The Berkshires Massachusetts, Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Green Mountain Byway Vermont, Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway New Mexico, Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, Upper Peninsula Michigan, Lake of the Ozarks Missouri, and Glacier National Park Montana. Which would you most like to visit this fall and why?
the closest is Aspen Colorado, but I think we might have already missed the colors there, fall is coming early to our parts.  Some day I would love to see the fall colors in Maine (also eat some lobster...) or hit the New England area to see the fall colors.  We don't get a lot of reads and oranges here, it mostly yellows and a few lighter oranges.  I want to see the variety of colors fall can produce back east.

5. The topic of legalizing marijuana was raised in the most recent televised political debate so let's wade in too. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Four states have legalize marijuana for recreational use. Your thoughts?
Regulated, it's not tons worse that alcohol.  Just as detrimental, but still not as bad as some of the other drugs out there.

6. Are you okay to watch a movie already in progress or do you need to always see it from the beginning? How about jumping into a TV series somewhere in the middle? Is that okay? 
It depends on the movie.  Some movies you can jump into, but others not so much.  As for series, again the ones that build on themselves for the story line are hard to jump into.  I started Castle somewhere in the middle, but I have enjoyed it and didn't need to start from the beginning.

7. Thursday (September 24) is National Punctuation Day. What rule of punctuation trips you up most often? What rule of punctuation, when broken by someone else, bugs you the most?
When to use semicolons.  I do alright for most punctuation and I probably use commas more than most.
the one that bugs me the most is misuse or non use of commas.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
Still wrapping my head around losing my mother to cancer.  We are all still a bit shocked and reeling over it. It is a process. not a fun one though.

Random Tuesday

And the days move on.  Here we are at Tuesday.

In other randoms:

• Nick has been hunting that last few days.  He's at least seeing the animals he has licenses to hunt.  He has yet to get the proper set of circumstances all in order.
• I keep hoping to get a routine set up again, but it's slow coming.  Mornings are going fairly well. Evenings will come.
• Looking forward to fall foods.  Soups, stews, casseroles, bread, crock pot meals...yes fall foods have great appeal right now. 
• I do need to exercise more.  Don't have the motivation for that either.

 

Have a great week!

Join in on the random fun  with  Stacy.

Monday, Definitely Monday

Yeah, so I got an unintended break last week.  My mother died a week ago today. It happened so very quickly.  We found out that she had stage 4 colon cancer that had spread throughout her entire abdomen the middle of August. And one month later, she was gone.

So now we move on and remember the wonderful, unique, quirky woman that was my mother.
With everything that has happened the last couple weeks with my mother, routines have been difficult to come by. I'm really hoping that we can get back in the groove soon.

And now on to MMMM
Carrie Underwood with Smoke Break:

For my mother:
Chris LeDoux with Paint Me Back Home In Wyoming:

That is all.  Have a good week everyone.

Spin Cycle--Summer Vacation 2015

This Spin Cycle is all about our summer vacation.  This summer had it's ups and downs.  Let's see if we can show it in pictures.

We started wioth Memorial Day and a visit to Jurassic Adventure

Dinosaurs

Fun and bouncy castles

Playing in the dirt

A trip to the outdoor pool

Even the tween had fun.

Fourth of July fun at the lake

Turbo tubing!

Fireworks

Playing in the river when we finally got to go camping

We are so lucky to live near this...

Kayaking on the river

So much fun!

Four wheeling fun.

Good times.

Family fun and making memories.

And finally, our Jackson/Yellowstone trip.

Some geyser gazing

Waterfall enjoying.

Even the almost teen had fun.

Of course the summer was not all good stuff.  We had to put done our old dog Guinness.

He was simply not comfortable and able to get around anymore.  So we said a sad goodbye to him.
Our camper broke in June on our way to go on our first camping run. the front hitch on it went from level to tilted up at a 30+ degree angle.

Where the front hitch was supposed to be attached and level, it was not so level anymore.

We finally got a welder to go to where we had left it and get it fixed.

But quite possibly the worst down of the summer was finding out my mother has cancer.  Colon cancer, stage 4.  We are hoping for enough time to put all her affairs in order and spend just a bit more quality time with her.

So there you have it, Our summer in pictures and a few words.  There were impromptu bbqs and get togethers,  Quick trips to the lake with kayaks, and runs to mountains for four wheel rides. All in all, not a bad summer, but there were parts that didn't feel at all summerish.

Tuesday Randomness

So yeah, we had a weekend.  Sort of. We didn't really do much of anything we had planned.But we did get a four wheel ride in yesterday.
Now on to the randomness:

• I have been slacking on the house cleaning. I just can't quite muster up the motivation.But the dust rhinos are going to start charging soon, so I must find the motivation soon.
• The concert we went to on Friday night was a lot of fun.  We had a good time and are looking forward to the next opportunity we get to go be adults.
• This:

• And in honor of the end of sandal season:

So anyway, have a good week everyone!
Join in on the random fun  with  Stacy.

September Begins Hodgepodge

Well hi!  And so September is off to a roaring start.  Or maybe not.  It still feels like summer out there but there's an awful lot of fallish stuff happening. Now on to the Hodgepodge:

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

Well there is a kick off concert and pep rally this Friday night for the university in our town.  I am going to the concert as a sort of girl's night out.  Should be fun. My hubby will be hunting elk this month.  Here's hoping he gets one--we need the meat in the freezer.

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

Reader, procrastinator, and conflict avoider. 

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?  

Home--a few more table manners.

Town--more road manners.  College kids can't drive at all.

World--common courtesy, live and let live, don't force you ideology down my throat and I won't force mine down yours. People are far to in love with the idea that every one should think the way they do.

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? 

My mother is sick.  She has colon cancer.  We found out about three weeks ago.  It has been a process of "let the cat out of the bag" with several people recently.

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?

Yeah, well we don't get to the theater all that often. I don't like paying the huge mark up for movie theater snacks and popcorn. We smuggle or do without. The last movie I actually saw in the theater was Magic Mike.  Yeah, stellar viewing there...

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

There are people who, when they have too much time on their hands, only get into trouble. But then there are others who use nonworking time to be creative and useful.  It can go either way.

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

Oh, laundry can do that to me. I hate laundry.  We also do this when we need to acquire wood for the winter season. Firewood trips are working trips.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

 

Ok, so we got a new toilet to replace the frustrating one we had in the bathroom everyone uses.  When we got back from our trip it seemed to stop working, like it was plugged, but plunging did absolutely no good. We fought it for the better part of a week.  Last night Nick had had enough and got ready to tear into the toilet to see what was going on.  Just before he did, Turbo fessed up that he had tried to flush a pork bone down the toilet.  Thus blocking it up quite nicely. He managed to avoid the worst of the anger and wrath of Dad by fessing up.  

Nick and I did have to take a moment each and giggle over this one.  Truthfully, neither kid was ever a flush things to see them disappear sort, so we avoided that one.  They were far more likely to through things in the garbage that they shouldn't.  Much less damaging than the flushing would have been.

Once again, I am so glad that Nick is so wonderfully handy.  What could have been a $100+ plumber's bill only cost us the price of a new wax ring.  I love him so much for everything he does for us!

Have a great September!

 

Monday, Monday

Sigh, I'm not sure I'm ready to face the week.  Not that the weekend wasn't relaxing, but we are dealing with some less than stellar news with my mother.  Health issues.  Never a good time, and quite stressing.
So other than that we had a quiet weekend.  We didn't do a whole lot.  Laundry was accomplished, and I kept up with the dishes.  We smoked some fresh fish our neighbor caught and gave us. It turned out absolutely fantastic.
We are trying to get back in the routine of things.  It's a slow process, but having the kids back in school will help.  I really need to get better at the meal planning. I'm sort of looking forward to having it cool off outside so I can use the oven again, without heating the house up even more.

Now on to a freebie week with MMMM:
Austin Webb with All Country on You:

For something a bit different:
Walk the Moon with Shut up and Dance:

And lastly:
Chris Janson with Buy Me a Boat:

Have a good week!

Hodgepodge for Wednesday

Howdy all!  We are back at the grind stone around here after a lovely vacation.  The boys are back in school and Nick and I are back at work. But we had a wonderful, relaxing vacation and I think I am almost ready to be back at work, almost.
Anyway on with the hodgepodge:

1. It's hard to believe, but next week's Hodgepodge will find us in the month of September. What's one thing you want, need, or hope to do still before summer officially ends?
Actually, we got to do most of what we wanted to do this summer.  A bit more camping might have been nice, but time and weather and camper disasters conspired against us. Our summer was busy.  I am kind of looking forward to more routine based fall and winter schedules.

2. When were you last at 'your wit's end'? 
Every single time I take both boys someplace together.  Grocery shopping, school shopping, out for dinner, they can drive me to distraction or to my wit's end without even trying all that hard. It's a special skill they have to find the one thing that will fray my nerves and then do it over and over and over again.

3. Describe a time you were figuratively thrown into 'the deep end'?
I was hired as an assistant to an insurance agent.  At least that's what I thought the job was.  I was actually supposed to sell property and casualty insurance.  I'm so not a cold caller sales person type. the job was a disaster.  I managed all of three months.

4. Does the end always, ever, or never justify the means? Explain.
I think it depends on the situation.  If no one is hurt, and the outcome is favorable, then sure the ends justify the means, but the moment someone gets hurt in the process then the means do not justify the ends.

5. What makes your hair stand on end?
Deja vu moments, watching my kids get hurt when I know I won't be able to prevent it, and being startled.

6. I read an article on the website Eat This! Health, that listed 11 foods we can eat to help end bad moods. Basically it's a feed your brain so you're less anxious, grouchy and lethargic. The foods are-mussels, swiss chard, blue potatoes, grass fed beef, dark chocolate, greek yogurt, asparagus, honey, cherry tomatoes, eggs, and coconut. Which of those do you think would most help end your own bad mood? Which do you fear, if forced to eat, would put you into a bad mood?
I can do with all of those, but my pick would be the dark chocolate.  The least favorite would be the eggs.

7. What project around your home, office, or life in general feels like there is 'no end in sight'? 
All household chores--dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc. are never ending.  Home improvement goes on and on.  When you own a home, the things that need fixing go on and on.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Here is a preview of the trip:

We all had a fabulous time.  And are already thinking ahead to next years adventure.

Hodgepodge for Wednesday--It's so Moving

And Questions:

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?
The last time we moved was when we moved into our current house 18 years ago.  Wow, that sounds like such a long time ago, but sure doesn't feel like it's been that long. Since we were young and broke, we moved ourselves.  Lots of car and truck trips across town.
We are quite happy to be staying put for the moment.  Some day Nick would like a bigger house.  I'm not totally sold on the idea.  It means more to keep clean and I'm not a huge fan of house work as it is.
Moving to a new city or town is filled with possibility.  That can be a good thing.  However, I'm not wildly outgoing and moving to someplace new is intimidating for the introvert that I am.
Packing up and actually going through the accumulated stuff so it can be moved is never easy.

2. When were you last 'moved to tears'? Explain. 
Just last week when we had to put our dog of over 14 years to sleep. Definitely some teary eyes with that process.

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?
No real rules about eating in the car.  I mean I wouldn't want the boys trying to eat soup in there, but other than that most anything goes. We had McD's for breakfast just Sunday while heading out fo town to go four wheeling.
We love to have jerky and crunchy snacks for road trips.  I need to determine what we are having for snacks next week as we have a road trip coming up.

4. Share a favorite song relating to cars and/or driving.
Brad Paisley with Mud on the Tires:

5. What's your most frequently visited drive-thru...Starbucks? the bank? the pharmacy? some other window?
 Ummm, probably McD's.  We just don't hit drive-up windows all that often.

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?
It depends on the decision to be made.  I do tend to make snap decisions, but thinking before acting can save a lot of trouble. You just don't want to think yourself out of making a decision.

7. When was the last time you got lost? Was it stressful or an unexpected happy adventure? 
Not truly lost, but following the directions on the map ap on the phone can be misleading.  It was frustrating, but we eventually found what we were supposed to find. I tend to be the navigator and Nick drives.  It works for us.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 
 So we have an exciting trip to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole Wyoming next week.  Then the boys get to go back to school. It has been a blink you miss it summer.  Busy, but fun just the same.

Truly Random

So Tuesday, we meet again.  Shouldn't surprise me, we meet every week about this time.  Now let's random:

• The kids have like two weeks until school stars here. Where exactly has the summer gone? I feel like we blinked back in June and there went the summer. 
• At least we still have our trip next week. Jackson Hole and Yellowstone, here we come. Cause, the kids have to be dragged to the outdoors to look at natural wonders and large animals at least once. Especially since Yellowstone and Teton National parks are in our state. After this we have to go a bit farther to get to a national park.  Utah and Arizona are on our radar.
• Yeah, common sense is not so common any more:

•  Nothing gets you moving quite like this:

• I ahve seen several parking jobs where this applies:

• I have yet to truly back to school shop.  I will be getting the school supplies that are necessary to send a first grader to school this weekend as well as getting the 7th grader his notebooks, binders, folders and pencils.  As for clothes, I plan on a thrift store run after school starts.  I so lucky to have boys who don't really care how they look. Jenas and tshirts with cool sayings and they are set.

Enjoy what is left of summer!
Join in on the random fun  with  Stacy.