HodgePodge 8/20/25

 

1. What's worth standing in line for? 

2. Tell us about a favorite food related memory. 

3. What are some things you find particularly peaceful or calming? 

4. Is there something you do now that gets you just as excited as it did when you were a child? 

5. To what degree are you in touch with friends from grade school? high school? college if you attended college? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I haven't done one of these in awhile - think I might have a few minutes to throw one out today - we'll see :)

1. What's worth standing in line for? 

Hmmmm. . .IDK!  I remember 25-ish years ago standing in line for HOURS on a Saturday morning for tickets to some concert at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering.  I know it was 25+ because I had my stroller with Robert in it - it was definitely all morning.  I don't remember the concert - had to have been an 80's group.  I'm so old I remember when they built that venue!!  Such a great place (we got engaged at the park it's attached to - Lincoln Park) and have many fond memories of that time of life.  

These days???  I really don't know what I would willingly stand in line for, although I know I stand in line all the time.  I try to be patient and occupy myself with my phone, people watching, or just zoning out.  I will say I'm a TON more patient waiting in line with people than I am waiting in a car line, at a stoplight, etc.  I'll look forward to other people's answers and then I'll think of things I'm willing to wait in line for :)

2. Tell us about a favorite food related memory. 

Since I'm all deep into rehearsal dinner planning right now, I would have to say my own rehearsal dinner.  My inlaws hosted it at their house - we did burgers or something - and invited ALL of my out-of-town family for it.  I know Robert wants something "simple" like this, but since it's in December and out of town (and we don't have the entertaining space they did anyway) it's not going to be like that.  But can that even be a food memory since I don't even remember what was served???

Food is hard in our family b/c Tom and Erin have so many food allergies and I don't enjoy cooking as much as I once did.  Unlike so many people, food is generally the last thought in a "normal" day. . .but I am the "food person" on all of our hiking and lake trips and I do like that!! 

Dinner last Friday night at the lake.  It doesn't look all that impressive here - ha!  We did Mexican rice bowls - seasoned ground beef, shredded chicken, beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guac, chips. . .it was really good!

3. What are some things you find particularly peaceful or calming? 

Music.  I have a playlist especially for when I need to be reminded who God is and that this life isn't all there is.  I love a room with a fire, a blanket, some candles, music, and maybe a glass of wine.  My FAVORITE thing in the entire world is this:  

I took this picture Monday morning when Tom and I went on one last ride before packing up for the weekend. . .there is nothing better in this world that I know of yet.

4. Is there something you do now that gets you just as excited as it did when you were a child? 

Wow, I don't know.  I have always, always LOVED being surrounded by family.  One of my BEST childhood memories was one Thanksgiving when we were doing whatever it is we did (my mom's sister and family would sometimes be with us to celebrate and they were that year) around noon and my grandparents walked through the door.  It was SUCH a surprise - they lived in Florida during that time of the year and said that, the day before, they realized all of their family was going to be in Columbus, OH so they should be there too and they hopped in the car and drove up!  It was the best surprise ever and a Thanksgiving to remember. . .I now understand why that was so important.  Also, with today's technology, do people get to do surprises like that anymore???  We're so connected, so scheduled. . .maybe part of the thrill was the surprise??  But I will tell you, when ALL of our kids were at the lake on Friday night - we weren't expecting our girls until the next day - Tom and I went to bed FULL because we had all of our kiddos together.  I don't think family time will ever not make me excited.

5. To what degree are you in touch with friends from grade school? high school? college if you attended college? 

Have you read The Five Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand?  Basically, she invites a significant friend from every decade of her life to join her for a weekend.  As I read the book I thought about who that would be for me:  my friends from grade school, Chad, Angela, and Missy - I could get in touch with any of them today (I think) if I wanted to.  Facebook has helped to keep in touch very, very loosely.  I could say the same about Jenniey or Heather from HS but there really haven't been any threads to keep up together.  I have Missy and Amy from my "young mom years" - again, people I still call my "best friends" but I couldn't tell you the last time I talked to them and it's been several years (one of Amy's kids' weddings) since I saw them - together time has been rare in the last 15-20 years.  I have my Cookeville people from the time I was there - one tennis friend whose 50th party I was invited to earlier this year and one that contacted me about a tennis weekend this coming February.  Now I have my traveling friends. . .but really, IDK if it's how often we've moved, ME, or just life circumstances that have kept me from close life-long friendships.  

I still see Tom almost every day - does that count?????  I guess marrying the guy you met in HS helps keep that relationship current ;). 

And I'm thankful for my sister - who has been a part of each of these decades :)

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Gosh, I finally sit down to write a hodgepodge and nothing BIG comes to me - ha!  I wish I had time to dig through pictures - I could find some for almost all of these (not standing in line for a concert although you better believe we'd do that now, right???).

We've lived in our house 10 years now - I've never lived in the same dwelling for that long in my entire life.  Time to move on!  Yes, seriously.  But I don't live with anyone who has an "itch" to go anywhere so here we will stay.  I'm trying to get a women's social group together in our neighborhood and we have a kickoff introduction time tonight at 8.  Tom's parents live three doors down, as does our "framily" Barbara & Tommy, so we wouldn't leave them either.  And two kiddos still call this "home" and we like having them with us, although they are both independent living their own full-time lives :)

These prompts are always fun to journal about - thank you Joyce for keeping this up for us!  Click on her name and head on over to her blog to either link up and join in or read other people's responses - I know once I do I will have ALL kinds of thoughts!  I'm a collaborator - it's hard to come up with things without talking them out. . .

Happy Mid-Week!

Jenni