Rainy days and Hodgepodge...

It's a rainy Tuesday morning here and that makes it the perfect time for me to sit at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and this week's Hodgepodge questions.   Here they are with my answers.

1.  Are you a force to be reckoned with?  In what way? 

No I am not.  At least I hope I do not come across as a "force" that will bully you, or push you, or that I behave as a person who needs to be contained.  I have never been attracted to that time of person either.  Too strong, too pushy. I think you can get more bees with honey… and that those who have manners and respect can go a long way.

2.  What are two things you love about the wintertime?  Or, if love feels like too strong a word, what are two things you 'like' about winter? 

I am glad Joyce included the second question! Ha!  I am not a winter lover, so listing two 'likes' seems more manageable.   Hmmmm….  let me think….    two likes….   okay... I can come up with two.  Give me a minute.  I'm partly jesting but I do have trouble finding good in winter.  I know it's all part of God's creation and that seasons are a necessary cycle.   So, does that count?  Without winter, plants and flowers can not have rebirth in springtime and beauty in summer.   And, perhaps I can look at it from the Chinese "ying yang"  perspective.  Without a time of cold, and short days with long darkness, we would not appreciate the warm and long days of summertime.   No, I think I would enjoy summer  anyway.  Ha!   Like I have said before ,hubby and I do talk about moving to Key West.   Maybe one day.

3.  Pomegranate, kumquat, persimmon, kiwi, and guava are all fruits said to have health benefits, particularly during winter months. Do you have a favorite on this list?  Are there any on the list you haven't tried? 

Oh geez.  I guess I'm still mostly a 'meat and potatoes' girl from Ohio because I struggle to eat fruit on a regular basis and have not tried all in the above list.  And, because I am not a fan of spending lots of time cooking and preparing food in my kitchen, I have not purchased these fruits to 'try out.'   Shame on me.

4.  I passed a local church yesterday and noticed they had this on their outdoor sign - 'When all else fails, do the right thing.'  Your thoughts? 

When I first read this I thought to myself that the church mixed up two sayings.  But, thinking a bit deeper, I realized at our church on Sunday we celebrated the Baptism of Jesus, and the pastor spoke of what baptism does for us.   When baptized we become a child of God and are made a part of God's family, but we also get "right" with God…because our sins are washed away. Jesus took on our sins.  So, I do not know if that is what this particular church sign meant, but I like to think that it means when we people have tried and failed,  God is righteous and loving. Thank God!

5.  Do you ski?  According to one list I've seen, the top 5 ski destinations are - St. Anton Austria, Whistler Canada, Cortina Italy, Tahoe USA, and Zermatt Switzerland.  Of the five listed, which would you most like to visit?  

I do NOT ski.  When I was in my 20's I did try it and took a few lessons.  When I first met and married my hubby he was really into skiing so I tried to learn, to spend time with him, to enjoy what he enjoyed.  But, it was not for me.  After a few ski trips together (and enough married time together) I begged out of ski trips and he ended up going with guy friends.  

Of the places listed in this question, I am fortunate enough to say I have been to all the countries where the ski destinations are.  I have been in the Alps of Austria and Switzerland.  I lived in northern California and we headed over to Tahoe a few times.  This is not a surprise to anyone:  I much preferr Tahoe in the summertime!   It's got year-round beauty.     So, for me to pick a spot from the above list I will say Cortina Italy.  I could see myself spending more time in Italy:  the wine, the good food, the art history all appeal to me.

6.  What's the last thing you looked for online?  (Besides my blog.) 

I just looked back on my Google history - and it was "Lee Judge cartoons".  Yesterday morning I saw and loved the cartoon on the editorial page of our newspaper and wanted to share it on Facebook.  So, I googled the artist Lee Judge, found a page of his cartoons - but not the one I was looking for.  Perhaps it will be posted in a week or two.  I'll have to check back.

7.  What saying, slogan, quote, or motto have you seen lately that inspires you for the next year? 

Unfortunately this is a bit vague, but a week or so ago my nephew sent an email blast out of a lecture on trying new things in 30 day increments.  I can't remember the man's name who spoke (I suppose I should Google it!) but I loved how he said that year long resolutions are too intimidating, especially if it's about trying something new.  He said that he has learned to give himself 30 days - one month - to try a new project, or program, or whatever.  In 30 days if you love it you will stick with it - and if at the end of 30 days you don't then at least you have given it a valiant effort.

I did make two year-long resolutions (see the blog post before this one.)  I'm going to try REALLY hard to stick with them.  But, I also hope to try some 30 day challenges this year too.

8.  My random thought. 

It's movie time! There are actually a few movies in the theaters right now worth seeing!  i went and saw "American Hustle" and "The Wolf of Wall Street" before the Golden Globes.   I thought AH was wonderfully acted and interesting…a bit confusing at times for me to keep everything clear because everyone was scamming everyone.  But, I'm glad it won some awards at the Golden Globes.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" was a long and very difficult movie to watch.  I'm very torn on how I feel about it because it was sickening, and showed much debauchery.  I went with my family to see it, and afterwards we went to dinner and ended up having a great discussion about the movie…about how people get caught up in a hedonistic lifestyle, and lose their morals and ethics.  We talked about raising children with the right values.  So often during the movie I thought "how could all those in the firm have no conscience and purposely take from their clients? "  But they were drugged up a lot and were living the "high life" in many ways.   So, see it.  Because it's a true story - and it's scary and sad - and there is a lesson to be learned.

Wow.  I was long-winded today!   Thank you if you stuck with me through all these questions and answers!  I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!   Happy blogging!