Finally Feeling Stronger and Wednesday Hodgepodge

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Hi Everyone! I hope you are all still here and reading... I have been MIA dealing with a breakup lately. Little sad...little depressed...little stronger.  I knew it was the right thing to do. I had to walk away to save myself! It sux for today but life goes on!

I am truly happy that I am returning in time for Wednesday HodgePodge this week!! This is another awesome link up - you can join in also! Just answer the questions below and go visit Joyce at From This Side Of The Pond to link up!

1.  On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why? (1=eh; 10=best summer ever).  Let's see...I broke it off with the boyfriend (I thought he was a 10) but it turns out that was really bringing me down and causing me to let myself go and lower my standards or what I would tolerate in my life (which made him a 0). As far as travel, I have gone to the lake, New York and Stone Harbor, NJ already for vacations...we are having record high temps here in PA which I love....so I am going to have to give it a 10 so far and I am expecting it to get better and better!!!

2.  July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have any aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one of them or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays)? Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts and uncles or relating to a niece of nephew who call you aunt (or uncle).  I have many aunts and uncles and I am am also aunt to many children! I have a big close family. My Aunt Marti and Aunt Kathy are the ones that I am closest with. They are both not married and would go with us every year on vacation! Those are awesome memories!

3.  What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate? My favorite food to dip in chocolate is bananas! I love to slice them and cover them and then freeze them for great summer treats!  What's your favorite food dipped in cheese? I love tortillas in queso!! YUMMO. That will be my treat to myself when I hit goal weight!


4.  When were you last astonished by something? Explain.  I guess I was astonished when I realized how much pain addiction causes the family of the addict! I am in recovery but to see the other side first hand really blew me away!  I recently learned, first hand, how addiction harms everyone close to the addict but the addict himself sees no issues AT ALL with what they are doing! It is like a path of destruction for years and years and years and if you ask them, they are not hurting anyone but themselves. I have a lot of sympathy for the families of active addicts and alcoholics. It is so hard to let go and walk away but it has to be done or you will go down along with the addict mentally, physically and spiritually.

5.  Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, scoreboard, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered? Having just been at the beach in Stone Harbor, I will go with paddle board! We rent paddle boards every year on the bay. Here is a photo from last year...I spotted a baby shark while I will riding and I turned around and came right in! My knees were shaking like crazy. I am sure it was harmless but I knew I would lose my mind if I fell in and knew it was there! LOL! I am a big chicken!!

6.  What's your favorite story from Scripture? Why that story?  Matthew 6:9-13 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Anyone that has ever been a "Friend of Bill's" will understand why ;-)

7.  If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?  I have to look at a map for this! LOL! I would start with Florida (I love it there in The Villages!) then to Michigan (Going to hunt for Kidrock) then Oklahoma (I have a good friend Mark there and he swears it is a must see) then to Arizona (I was there for training a few years ago and I did not want to leave) and finally to Washington (I have a wonderful friend Mariela in Seattle and I HAVE to get there soon to visit)!



8.  Insert your own random thought here.   I love my life! I do not have everything I want but I truly have everything I need! Thanks everyone for reading and being my bloggy friends!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Hop on over and join in with Joyce for Wednesday Hodgepodge!!! You will meet many, many cool new friends!

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.
I think our favorite family story is in regards to Thanksgiving.  Absolutely! After years of hosting Thanksgiving for all of their adult children for many, many years; my parents decided to take a trip to Hawaii during Thanksgiving and my sisters and I were on our own to make a Turkey for our first time. We were so excited... everything was on track and the beautiful bird was in the oven. We left the house to go for a pre-Thanksgiving binge walk and came home to an oven full of fire! Apparently all the butter we shoved under his skin made him very flammable. The turkey was due to come out so we waited for the flames to go out and took the bird out of the oven. After letting it sit as directly we carved it and EVERYONE thought it was the juiciest turkey ever!!! Yea!! One for the win!


2. Are you afraid to speak your own opinion?

Never! 

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?

Not a fan of rose AT ALL and have no clue what serenity LOOKS like. I have fleeting moments of serenity so I know what it feels like sometimes but truly no clue what color it is! HA

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

Jingle Bells all the way!!!!!!!!!! I truly miss "visiting Grandma's house" and Grandma!!!!

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?

I am celebrating my 19 years in recovery today so I guess I should just tie them both in together....problem is this is Day 3 of HONESTLY watching my food intake so I am going to go with no! HA! My wonderful boyfriend is taking me to dinner at my favorite restaurant tonight so that should be pretty amazing in the place of pastries!

6. When it comes to holiday decorating_____________________________.

I am always the first on done! I had to wait on my REAL tree until after Thanksgiving this year (which is late for me). I always get a real tree and I buy so early that it is dead as a doornail by Christmas week! HA HA

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

Yesterday! I watched the SNL clip about alien abduction! If you did not see it yet...do yourself a favor an click HERE! Seriously, you will die laughing!


8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I hope everyone has an extremely blessed and grateful day!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

 

It's time for the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge!  Whoop Whoop! I'm joining in with Joyce and all of the other lovely bloggers for this week's questions. 

 

1. Besides Thanksgiving, something you're looking forward to on your November calendar?

Can I pick two!!?? It is my Aunt Marti's birthday in November and I love her lots! Also , I am attending a Steelers Game with my good friend Kathy from work!!! I can;t wait for that one! It is so much fun to be at the game in the middle of the excitement! whoopie!

2.  If I gave you a Thank You card right now, who would you send it to and why?

I would have to send it to a woman I work with Sheila. She is so thoughtful and always leaving gifts on everyone's desks to cheer people up for the holidays. Yesterday she left me a plate of cookies and a lovely Welcome Fall centerpiece for my desk! So thoughtful!

  

3.   Of the breads listed, which one is your favorite...bagel, cinnamon, sourdough, garlic, banana, biscuit, pita, Naan, or plain old fashioned white bread?

I LOVE any and all bread!! YUMMO! My favorite of those listed would be Naan! Delish!

4.  What's something you have in abundance?  Is that a good thing? Ok, this is kind of embarrassing but I'm going to go ahead and say it...BEANIE BABIES!   I got in on the craze from almost the beginning of it, and I have so many!  When I think I'm going to get rid of them and just keep a few, the keep pile just gets bigger and bigger, so I guess I'll keep them all for now!  The good thing about it is, that I haven't added to the collection in years.  

5.  November 5th is National Love Your Red Hair Day.  Are there any redheads in your family?  Who is your favorite redhead? We do not have a single redhead in the bunch! I dyed my hair cherry chocolate for a few years if that counts! HA
6. The travel website Busbud recently calculated the most Instagrammed spot in every state?  Go here to see what made the list where you live.  Are you happy with your state's #1?  If not, what do you think should be the most photographed spot in your state?  Have you snapped a photo there?  If you live outside the USA, answer as it relates to you city, state or province. I live in Pennsylvania and it says it is the zoo. That makes sense and I am sure they are some amazing pictures to be had there! We have a great Zoo!

7.  I'm going to try to have something related to gratitude in this spot each week during the month of November.  Here's this week's question- What's something you've learned about yourself this year that you're grateful for?

I love that you are doing the grateful thing for HodgePodge!!!  I am grateful to have learned that I can still be a very selfish person. I am happy to know that I can clearly see myself and know what I need to work on in the future to be a better person.
8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I love the holidays! I did not post a picture of my pumpkins this year as they were at my BF's house and we were split. He emailed me a picture of them all lit up - I am very proud! I think I did really great this year! Happy holidays everyone! Enjoy everyone you love in your life!

Anyone else LOVE to decorate pumpkins?

Anyone else already decorating for Christmas?!?!?