WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR HODGEPODGE!

     Here we are near the end of the first month of the new year. Today being Wednesday, it is time for another series of probing questions from our Hodgepodge mistress, Joyce Daley, from This Side of the Pond. Please join in on the fun. You'll meet many new and interesting people who are also Hodgepodgers. In any event I hope that you enjoy this weeks edition of the Hodgepodge.

1. Share a winter memory from your childhood. 

     When I was a young boy we had a typical northeaster snow storm. We constructed a ramp of snow from the back yard of the house accross the street from where I lived. The ramp went around the side of the house, over two walls and down the driveway. We took turns sliding down the ramp. Once the ramp got packed down and smooth we could slide from the back yard all the way to the street, about 200 feet. What a great ride!

2. What was on your blog this time last year? (Besides the Hodgepodge of course!) If you weren't blogging, what in the world were you doing with all that free time? 

    I have no idea what I was doing with all my free time. Other than the Hodgepodge I wasn't blogging much.

3. Ellen Goodman is quoted as saying, 'We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.' 

Do you see more flaws or more potential in your life at the start of a new year? Have you done anything specific this month to address either one? Does the new year truly begin for you on January 1, or is there some other month of the year that feels like a fresh start and new beginning?

     I generally take a positive view and see more potential at the start of a new year. I also see my flaws and try to correct them throughout the year. Like the calendar, the new year begins on January 1st.

4. Who's an athlete you admire or respect and why?

     My favorite athlete as a young boy was Frank Malzone. Frank played third base for my beloved Boston Red Sox and wore number 11. He had the fastest throw from third base to first base in the Major Leagues at the time. He was everything a young boy could look up to and admire and emulate. 
     Sadly, Frank passed away recently. All his contemporaries and the current players who knew and spent time with Frank corroborated my opinion of the man. Today's athletes could learn a lot from Frank's example!

5. Do you like cream in your coffee? Whipped cream on your pumpkin pie? Cream cheese on a bagel? Sour cream on a baked potato? Cream of wheat for breakfast? Have you ever had a scone with clotted cream? Of all the creamy foods mentioned, which one sounds most appealing to you right this very minute?

    I'm going with cream in my coffee. I am not a fan of Cream of Wheat at all and I don't know what clotted cream is. Other than those two, I am a fan of the remaining cream references.

6. Where were you last kept waiting for 'hours on end'? Or for what felt like hours on end? How well did you cope?

     I don't recall a specific incident, but I do a fairly good job in anticipating when there's a potential for a long wait. I alway's have reading materials and a supply of music on my cellphone to keep me occupied. 

7. Believe it or not, when next week's Hodgepodge rolls around it will be February. Huh?!? Bid adieu here to January in seven words or less.

     See you next year, same time!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     My New England Patriots have fallen short of their goal of returning to the Super Bowl this year.   The Denver Bronco's were the better team on Sunday and deserved to win the game. It was a great game and my Patriots fell short by only two lousy points.  Oh well, life moves inexorably onward! Wait Til Next Year!

WINTER HAS ARRIVED HODGEPODGE

     We have enterred a period where our daily high temperature stays below 30 and our lows are in the single digit. In short, it is freakin' cold and winter is here in earnest. We also have had a couple of minor snow falls, three inches or less. I am happy with snow not being as prolific as it was last winter. Other less enlightened types, AKA Snow Bunnies, are not as happy as the rest of us. 
     Today is Wednesday which, as you all know, means it's time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge. I hope that you enjoy this week's edition!

1.  Speaking of skating...when did you last 'skate on thin ice', 'skate over the details', 'encounter a cheapskate', or just plain skate?

     I often skate on thin ice. Most people have something that prevents them from giving voice to some of the things that they are thinking. I don't have one of those so I often say things that causes my beloved SWMBO to roll her eyes and to receive looks of sympathy from other people. My being 6'4" tall and 300 lbs I don't get punched in the mouth a lot, despite the fact that it is sometimes well deserved.

2. What would you say is the biggest problem of people your age?

     By the time that we unserstand a little something about how to live life,. .  our bodies, and often our minds, are incapable of taking advantage of our knowledge. Perhaps, that is another indicator of the wisdom of God.

3. What's your favorite accessory? Is it something you wear every day, often, or only on special occasions?

     I sometimes carry a Smith & Wesson revolver concealed upon my person from time to time.  I don't carry it every day, just when the spirit moves me. I am a firm believer that I am primarily responsible for defense of my family and myself.

4. January 20th is National Cheese Lover's Day. Are you a lover of cheese? What's your favorite dish made with cheese? Last thing you ate that contained some kind of cheese? 

     I am a cheese lover. I enjoy extra sharp cheddar cheese. My favorite dish with cheese in it is Lasagna.

5. What's something guaranteed to make you roll your eyes? 

     Listening to anything that comes out of the mouth of our President and/or his former Secretary of State.

6. Your favorite book series? 

     My favorite book series is anything by Tom Clancy. Since Tom has gone on to his eternal reward, I like Vince Flynn. Also, Vince has shaken off his mortal coil. My next choice is Brad Thor.

7. Why did you choose your profession? 

     I developed a profound appreciation for the U.S. Constitution and the freedoms that it guarantee's for us and our progeny. Spending my life defending that document, that idea, from all enemies foreign and domestic, seemed like a noble way to serve my community and support my family in the process. I did not get wealthy but I am very rich.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

     I have been seeing a lot of stories in the news media where a child has been beaten to the point of death, or serious bodily injury. The children were younger than five years old in many instances and the offense for which they were beaten?  They had the temerity to act like children...they cried! 
     I cannot fathom what is wrong with these people who would injure a child in this way or to that extent. There is a special place in hell for such people! I am certain that God's heart is broken at the suffering of these innocents. I wish I knew an answer as to how to stop it. My inclination is to visit a similar beating upon the abusers but I fear someone has already beaten me to it while they were young.
     May God have mercy on these children!

STATE OF THE UNION WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE!

     When in the course of human events another Wednesday comes around, a people is endowed by the Hodgepodge creator with more insightful posers. We hold these truths to be self evident that once asked these posers must be adequately answered. And so, once again into the breech! Thanks to our Hodgepodge Mistress, Joyce Daley, for another Wednesday Hodgepodge!

1. Share one thing that really makes your day.

     On Tuesdays, SWMBO and I get to watch our granddaughters! Having a grandchild climb on your lap and sharing absolutely anything makes my day.  This Tuesday SWMBO printed out some "I Spy With My Little Eye" sheets which we then played with the girls. I just does not get any better than that!

2. Lots of these kinds of lists out there, but one found here says the fifteen most colorful places on earth are:

Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy~Burano, Italy~Havana, Cuba~Rio de Janiero, Brazil~Chefchaouen, Morocco~Balat, Istanbul, Turkey~Menton, France~Jodhpur, India~La Baca, Buenos Aires, Argentina~Guanajuato, Mexico~Capetown, South Africa~Valparaiso, Chile~Wroclaw, Poland~San Francisco, California~and Pelourhino, Salvador, Brazil.  

Of those listed which would you most like to see up close and in person? Of all the places you've seen or traveled in your own life, what would you say was one of the most colorful?

     When it comes to colorful places there aren't any places that rival New England in the fall. The foliage is just that spectacular! My next choice would be Yosemite National park in California. The places listed above do not attract me at all.

3."Everything you want is on the other side of fear." Jack Canfield  In general, would you agree or disagree with that statement? Why?

     Ironically "fear" is one of those things that strongly motivates one person to change that which they are afraid. "Fear" will also as strongly motivate another person into maintaining the status quo lest they make the situation worse. I personally believe that Mr. Canfield has a fair point.

4. Imagine you're stranded on a desert island and dessert appears...what do you hope it is? Do you ever struggle to remember which spelling is desert and which is dessert?

     My three favorite desserts are, in no particular order, Ambrosia, Pecan Pie, and Pineapple Pie. I do struggle with the correct spelling of dessert. I have a dictionary app on my cellphone that is a tremendous help.

5. What song almost always makes you cry?

     Any song played on bagpipes...the sound is atrociously painful. Josh Groban's rendition of "You Raise Me Up" often gets a lump in my throat going!

6. January is National Soup Month.  Everything from soup to nuts, in the soup, thick as pea soup, souped up...which saying most recently applies to your life in some way? Explain.

  "In the Soup" seems more apropos at this time. It just seems things are busier than usual or than needs to be. 
   

7. Write a two word note to your younger self. What does it say?

     "Trust God!"

8. Insert your own random thought here.

       Did you watch the President's State of the Union speech? What did you think about it? I think that his perception of what's happening is far different than mine. My friends, we are a Nation in deep trouble. Our people at their core are a noble people. I know, I know I have said this before. I believe that it is true! However, the men and women who we send to Washington, D.C, are far less noble than the vast and mostly silent majority. May God have mercy on us!
         

HAPPY FRICKIN' NEW YEAR HODGEPODGE!

     How's the New Year going for you so far? Five days into it, for me it's "so far so good." I didn't make any resolutions this year, however, I am thinking about goals or changes I want/need to make to improve my life and myself. Thanks again to Joyce Daley for this edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. One has to wonder where she gets all these questions every week. Her questions are often akin to a conversation with a neighbor standing at the fence sharing a cup of coffee. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, make yourself comfortable and enjoy!

1. Are you ready for new? Is 2016 likely to be very different than 2015? Do you want it to be?

     Not really. I have a large RC (Resistance to Change) factor. So I am more comfortable with the status quo. 

2. January 6th is National Technology Day. Currently, what is your single biggest struggle or frustration when it comes to technology?

     I struggle to master all the features of my new iPhone 6s. SWMBO and I upgraded our cellphones last November. She is much more gadget savvy than I am. It is amazing what modern smart phones are capable of. 

3. It's that time again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, and general uselessness) in 2016. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's top vote getters are-

So (at the start of every single sentence), conversation (as in hotly debated topics where we're invited to 'join the conversation'), problematic, stakeholder, price point, secret sauce, break the Internet, walk it back, presser, manspreading (common in larger cities where some men take up the entire bus or train seat by sitting wide), vape, giving me life (refers to anything that may excite a person or make them laugh), and physicality

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

     The thing about language is that it tends to change over time. A couple of examples that come to mind is Classical Greek morphing into koine (common) Greek of the first century. Classic Parisian French morphing into Canadian French, etc.  The word "gay" being co-opted from meaning light, joyful or happy to meaning homosexual or lesbian. So I don't wish to see any words banished from use for any reason. I am unalterably opposed to political correctness or any abridgement of our right to free speech. I don't have any words that I would like to add to the list.

4. Share one of your current health related goals.

     I have two, lowering my blood sugar and reducing my weight.

5. Let's talk fifty shades of gray. As in the color. Gray is currently a popular color in home decor, paint, wardrobes, hair, wedding party attire, and more. Are you a fan? Do you have the color in some variation in your home or wardrobe?  Gray hair, the old gray mare, gray matter, gray area...which gray idiom can you most relate to right now?

     I'm okay with gray. My gray right now is Gray Hair. 

6. Certain foods are considered 'lucky' if eaten on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. Cooked greens to bring economic fortune, black-eyed peas or lentils also symbolize money, pork which symbolizes progress, fish for good luck, and if you're in Spain 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. Did you eat any lucky foods on the first day of the year? Is that a tradition in your home? Of the foods listed, which most appeals to you?

     SWMBO and I don't have a lucky food. Over the Christmas and New Year holidays we do traditionally enjoy my meat stuffing, egg nog and various pastry items.

7. What's the single biggest time waster in your life and what, if anything, will you do about it this year?

     I guess zoning out in front of the television is my biggest time waster. To deal with this waste of time I hope to watch less television and do something else, that is, replace watching TV with some other more productive activity.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
     SWMBO's cancer continues to be in remission, thank God. We are going for our four month follow up with the transplant director on Thursday. SWMBO's stem cells were harvested a couple of years ago and frozen. Our wish is that they remain frozen and it doesn't ever become necessary for the doctor to give them back to her. We thank everyone for your continued support and prayers.  
     Becke the Wonder Dog had a thorough check up by her Vet after her last siezure episode. According to the Vet none of the tests showed anything remarkable. Her blood work is fine. Her urine test is normal and her heart is beating strong. The Vet is unable to determine the cause of the siezure. So we continue to spoil her as she deserves to be.
     Happy New Year everyone!
   

LAST WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE!

     It seems like it was just 12 months ago that we were writing our last Hodgepodge of the year! As I get older time seems to pass by more rapidly. I'm certain that my experience is not unique. I thank Joyce, our Hodpodge Mistress, for her effort to come up with these questions every week. Her questions often challenge us. They sometimes evoke wonderful memories or humorous musings. Visit her blog page "From This Side of the Pond" and join in on the fun. 

1. Share a favorite memory/moment from the week of Christmas.

     SWMBO and I had a wonderful Christmas dinner, just the two of us. We had a beef roast with all the trimmings. We are so happy in each other's company. We love cooking and dining together. The fur baibies were not too intrusive and we ate in relative peace.

2.  If someone wrote a book about your life based on the past year, what genre would it fall under? What would the title be?

     It would have to be a Romantic Comedy and the title would be "Turtle's Bone!" The title is an enigma and "No!" I won't divulge the secret.

3. What made you feel patriotic this year?

     Nothing specific comes to mind. I feel patriotic when I see the stars and stripes unfurled blowing in the wind. I feel patriotic when I read about the exploits of our Navy Seals and other Spec-Ops personnel. I feel patriotic when I see a serviceman, or woman, come home early from a deployment and suprises their family. 
     

4. What experience from this past year would you like to do all over again?

     I would not like to do much from last year over again. Our year was taken up with medical appointments and managing a beloved pet that is experiencing the throes of canine geriatrics. We got away for a day or two and visited a favorite vacation spot in Vermont. That would be kind of fun to do again.

5. What song lyric sums up or is a reflection of your 2015?

     "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen. This year has just gone by too fast!

6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate 2015?  (10=stellar) Why?

     I'd give it a 5 or 6. Nothing extraordinary, just an average, wonderful life, despite the items mentioned above in question #4.

7. What part of the upcoming year are you most excited about?

     I am not excited about any part of the year. I look forward to the Super Bowl, the Red Sox reporting for Spring training, March madness and the Boston Marathon. All of these things have one thing in common...they are the death knells signalling the end of winter. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

      We have three dogs, a yellow Labrador Retreiver and two Chinese Cresteds. Our Labrador is 15 years old and is having a hard time negotiating daily life. She joined our family 11 years ago. 
     One of the Cresteds joined our family a couple of years ago. The othe Crested joined our family earlier this year.
     The Labrador, Becke the wonder dog, is progressively experiencing difficulty walking. She can no longer do stairs without my assistance. She can no longer walk on linoleum floors without her hind legs giving out. She has a hard time getting comfortable on her bed(s). She has one in the living room and one in our bedroom. She has given us unconditional love for as long as we have had her. We now will endeavor to do the same to her in her twilight years. Our pets really do become a significant member of our families.

A NINE DAYS 'TIL CHRISTMAS HODGEPODGE!

     Welcome to the week before Christmas Wednesday Hodgepodge. It astounds me that another year has come and is almost gone already. I must be getting old! Thank you Joyce for these weekly writing prompts. Many are challenging. Others are just fun and still others are thought provoking and often calls to mind wonderful memories. I hope that you enjoy this week's edition.

1. What's your biggest 'first world' problem?

     In my humble opinion our biggest "first world" problem is "National Security." It takes two forms. First, there is an entity who is at war with the United States. That entity, Radical Islam, is intent on bringing death and mayhem to our shores. Our leaders have essentially said "We're not playing, our war is over." It does not matter if we decide not to effectively engage the enemy, the enemy is going to engage us, and sooner rather than later.
     The second form is our unsecured borders. Our government, whether run by republicans or democrats, have failed to secure our borders and control who is admitted into our country. Every civilized country on the planet secures its borders and yet, we seem to be afraid of offending people if we secure our borders and really vet who gets in.

2.  Each year Time Magazine names a 'Person of the Year', someone who has 'for better or worse...done the most to influence the events of the year.' It was recently announced they've named Angela Merkel Person of the Year for 2015. You can read more about this year's selection here. Your thoughts? If you were in charge, who would you declare Person of the Year? 

     I suppose that it's an interesting exercise to try to come up with who had the greatest impact on events during the year that is about to end. In my view it is largely subjective and ultimately meaningless. Angela Merkel is as good a choice as anyone. Other candidates might be Pope Francis, or Vladimir Putin, Fed Chairman Janet Yellen, Kim Kardashian, and on and on and on ad nauseum.

3. Do you have a nativity set in your home? If so share it's history and how you display the pieces.

     We do have a nativity set in our home. It has been a part of our Christmas decor for the better part of 40 years. It's a simple cardboard manger with the usual players. Over the years we have lost the original cast and pressed ornaments (camel) and one or more of the Magi. We display it where ever there is space to accommodate it.

4.  Do you make an extra effort to give back in some way during the holiday season? How do you encourage those who need encouragement this time of year?

     I try to make an effort to give back year round and not just at Christmas. I encourage people appropriate to the situation at hand. I empathize, offer suggestions and sometimes I'm just there holding their hand or being silently present.

5. Who is your favorite person to shop for? Why?

     I don't have a favorite person to shop for because I don't particularly like shopping.

6. What's the last delicious thing you ate?

     At a recent Christmas Party there was a particular pie that had cream, caramel, nuts, and other stuff that was absolutely delicious!

7. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is________________.

     Singing Christmas Carols! Songs and music have a special power to lift the soul and lighten the heart.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

     There have been a couple of troubling trends here in the Granite State. The NH State Police have made several arrests of people who were driving in excess of a 100 miles per hour. One "Rocket Scientist" was clocked driving 80 miles per hour a couple of hours after making bail on his getting arrested for driving in excess of 100 miles per hour. He said that he was angry at how much he had to pay to get his car out of the impound lot.
     Another trend has been people driving the wrong way on the interstate highway. One woman drove almost sixteen miles northbound in the southbound lane before NH State Troopers were able to stop her. Of course, significant alcohol consumption was involved...by the wrong way drivers, not the Troopers. 
     The surprising thing is that in all the incidents of excessive speed and wrong way driving, no one was killed. It has got to be Divine providence at work! 

MILD DECEMBER AND LOVING IT HODGEPODGE!

     Today we are having unseasonably mild temperatures...AND LOVING IT! Last year at this time we had snow rectum deep to a bull moose and the bitter cold to go with it. If we could get just a "little" snow for the Christmas holiday, you know the Currier & Ives kind of snow, that would be good. 

     Another Wednesday is here and therefore another Hodgepodge ensues. So join the battle and express your thoughts and experience the fun. Thank you Joyce!

1.  Many families have a story they love to tell every year around a holiday. Does your family have one? Are you the star of that story, or does another family member take center stage? Share your story if you want.

     We don't have a specific story but we do reminisce about different events in our past. A couple of examples would be the account of our daughters birth in England or visiting my dad and watching him play chess with his grandkids. All of a sudden he'd disappear with the grandkids. He took them out for ice cream. Those are just two of several stories we revel in.

2. Are you afraid to speak your own opinion?

     HECK NO! I refuse to allow "political correctness" or anything else to deprive me of my 1st Amendment Right to free, unfettered expression. I do not deliberately seek to offend anyone but I am certain that there are those who find my views to be offensive. Too bad...for them!

3. Pantone has announced the color of the year for 2016, and for the first time have chosen two shades-rose quartz and serenity. Hmmm...did you know serenity was a color? You can read the thought behind their selection here, but essentially it's blending the warmth of rose quartz with the tranquility of a very soft shade of blue. So what do you think? Are these colors I'd find in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in these shades to either place in the new year?

     I have trouble being interested in "color." It's muck akin to my interest, that is my lack of interest, in flowers.

4. If you could be in a Christmas carol, which one would you choose? Why?

     It would have to be "The Little Drummer Boy" because I have a great sense of rhythm. 

5. December 9th is National Pastry Day. Will you celebrate? When did you last purchase something from a bakery? What's your favorite treat that falls under the heading of pastry? Do you make it yourself or buy from the professionals?

     SWMBO and I will probably partake of some type of pastry. Cream Horns are our favorite. The last time that we bought some pastry was today.

6. When it comes to holiday decorating_____________________________.

     I can take it or leave it! SWMBO loves it...therefore, we decorate!

7. When did you last laugh so much it hurt? Explain.

     I can't remember. We tend to laugh a lot because I'm silly. I love making people laugh by telling a joke or saying outrageous things. I envision that my funeral will be a laugh riot with lots of "Do you remember when he...." stories being told about me and my time on earth.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     My prayers go out to the San Bernadino community this week. I also feel a sense of pride in the way law enforcement, my former profession, ran towards the sound of the guns and thereby kept the body count down and resulted in the rapid capture of the two responsible murderers/terrorists. 

     Some of the people who were killed in the attack died using their own bodies to shield their co-workers from gunfire. Their sacrifice is not unusual of other Americans in similar circumstances. Americans are a noble people who willingly sacrifice themselve for others. God bless their families as they mourn the deaths of their loved ones.

     May God bless America and protect us from those who would seek our destruction.