Wednesday Hodgepodge December 9th Edition



 Last week is gone. It is now a memory. Tomorrow hasn't yet come. It's in the future. Today is Wednesday. Times to join with Joyce From This Side of the Pond. She provides the prompts. We provide the answers. And we share with you and go around leaving our love and comments with others who link up. How can it be any more fun that that??

 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 special story that we tell about Christmas. Christmas was always an "odd" time around our house. Not the joyful, happy, "Santa's coming down the chimney" type of memories. And I choose to leave it at that. If you want to read about how I once craved to have a Norman Rockwell Christmas you can read this post. Sadly, too many Christmas memories were spent trying to find perfection.


 2. Are you afraid to speak your own opinion?

Ha! Ha! Now that I have almost stopped laughing....no, I am not afraid to speak my own opinion. And it has gotten me into trouble more than once in my life. But it hasn't stopped me. I feel that everyone has the right to their own opinion. It might not always be the popular opinion. But that is okay! If you allow me my opinion, I will allow you yours. There are so many things going on in this politically correct world that we are now living in. And I have lots of opinions.


 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?

Dusty rose wing chairs

This brought out memories of past decades and how colors dominated them. Do you remember harvest gold and avocado green from the 1970's? And owls and mushrooms? And orange? I remember. I had those colors in my very first home. In the kitchen. And yes, I owned both colors in appliances. LOL! And shag carpet that was orange. And I remember country blue and dusty rose from the late 1980's and the early 1990's. And geese with blue bows and wooden duck decoys. Ah, the wonderful world of interior decorating. I owned two (one wasn't enough, I had to have TWO) dusty rose wing chairs. And dusty rose, ruffled curtains in my light pink living room. Oh those were the days, my friends!! I won't be adding the colors rose-quartz and serenity (not sure how serenity is a form of blue) to my home this year. Been there! Done that!


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

Silent Night has always been my favorite Christmas carol. The song is so full of peace! This is where I want to reside. In peace! So that is why I would chose Silent Night. This version by The Temptations is my favorite of all time!! Enjoy!








 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?

Help yourself to a cream horn!

I doubt that I will celebrate National Pastry Day. But you never know. The last purchase I make from the bakery was cookies for Darian's debate group. Sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal cookies! They loved them and there wasn't a crumb left. My favorite pastry is a cream horn. This is puffed pastry filled with a whipped creamy custard. I am salivating as I type these words. Richard would often bring these home from the bakery! Love! Love! Love!




 6. When it comes to holiday decorating_____________________________.

When it comes to holiday decorating I would probably not do it if it weren't for the grandkids. Decorating the house and the tree is a lot of work. I am always happy to have a decorated tree standing beautifully in my bay window, but I am not that crazy about doing the decorating. And taking it all down and putting it away is such a pain. But once the tree is up then I have to decorate the mantle and pull out the Christmas dishes and set the table. And on and on and on. So if you stop by my house, just knock on the door, and this little guy will welcome you into the foyer.

Knock on my front door

Welcome to our home!
(last year Harley propped Richard's glasses on his nose so we did it again this year)

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

Oh gosh! I don't know if I can remember a time in the recent past. The last time I CAN remember happened in May of 2011 while we were at Dollar General and Harley had to go to the bathroom so bad that she peed in a mop bucket in the backroom. (Because someone (Papa) was in the bathroom. That is the last time I can remember laughing so hard that my sides hurt. That I cried the happy tears. And that I almost peed myself! I must look for ways to laugh like that more often. (Sorry Harley, you know how much I love you).




 8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Remember the reason for the season!!