HodgePodge - mid-January 2026

 

Linking up with Joyce this morning for some Hodgepodge - I always love her questions but don't always get around to getting my answers out here :). Let's see where these go today. . .I haven't even pre-read them before writing. . .

1. Ice skating, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, playing in the snow, or a snowy walk...which winter activity do you choose? Have you done any of these activities so far this winter? 

NONE!!!  WHY or why would I ever choose to be cold or do a cold activity???  Ok, fine, ice skating is "ok" but not something I am good at or done for a long time.  And, thankfully, no snow yet in East Tennessee this winter (so far - it's predicted by the end of the week - we'll see).  A few years ago I worked with a guy who had a lot of kids into ice hockey and he coached - he would rent out a local rink around the holidays and invite family and friends to bring their families and a dish to share and skate for a couple hours.  This was the last time I was on the ice - it was a GREAT time :)

2. Everyone is posting pictures from ten years ago on their social media sites so let's jump on the bandwagon too. Share one photo and one thought to go with said photo from the year 2016. And maybe everyone isn't doing this, but many are and we're going to be part of the fun. 

Funny, I noticed "everyone" doing this and went back to read my first post of 2016 Sunday night.  Here it is if you're interested - I even put an "update" in the comments (I often do this when I go back to older posts - this is "my" life reflections after all).  Here is our annual Father's Day Picture from 2016:

The kids were 12, 17, 15, and 14.  Here is that same picture last year:

24, 23, 21, 26

Time flies!!!  I'm glad this tradition hasn't changed. . .same lake, different boat. . .all still with the same last name.

3. What's a trend you hope disappears in this new year? 

I don't keep up on trends, to be honest.  Unless you would call "negativity" a trend??  Or "Cancel Culture"? Then I wish THAT would stop.  What about increasing food prices?  That should stop too. . .but here I am complaining. . .which I just said I wish would stop - ha!  Isn't everything just a "phase" anyway??  Wait it out I say. . .even the winter will eventually go away. . . 

4. 'They' say there's a day for everything and January 21st proves it. National Granola Bar Day. Do you like granola bars? How about just regular granola? Do you like bars of other kinds? 

What a strange question. . .I think granola bars have been a staple of my adult life?  I don't remember growing up with them, but my family couldn't really afford all the processed food (how things have changed!) so maybe they were around but we didn't have them??  I know I always had them in the house for the kids.  I like granola but only with almonds - I don't like many other kinds of nuts.  I LOVE homemade granola but don't think to make it often.  I've heard this is amazing - maybe I'll make some this week :)

5.  A frozen lake, a trickling stream, a raging river, or a deep well...which one describes something about your life right now? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

I'm going to say "a calm lake" although that's not a choice - ha!  Things are smooth. . .not raging, not slow, not exciting. . .just a place I would like to be on any day of the week/week of the year. . .in life or even literally ;)

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The WEATHER is all the talk of the last 24 hours - ugh!!  I don't understand it - it is what it is, right?  You can plan around it, but to make plans because of it seems silly. . .we (Tom and I) have a chance to get out of town for the weekend next week but he's concerned about the weather - why fly somewhere if the weather isn't going to be "good"??  He makes the same argument when we go north (especially when the weather is better here) - and my point is, I'm not going for the weather, I'm going for the people.  There you have it - a huge difference between us - I'm not going to let the weather alone stop/motivate me, but it CAN (and does) determine my mood, especially if I'm at home.

I've recently gone through my January pictures from the last two years - we've had "winter weather" the last two years about this time. . .maybe we really will get this predicted snowfall this weekend???  Stay tuned. . .

January 2025

January 2024

And here we were in January 2023. . .you just never know. . .

Happy Wednesday!

Love,

Jenni