Hodgepodge questions - and my answers.

Hello Hodgepodgers!  I hope you have had a good week - and are ready for a new set of questions!

If so, then let's go!

 1. Growing up, were you close to your grandparents? Tell us one or two specific things you remember about them.

My dad's parents died rather young.  So, I never got to know them.  But, my mother's parents were a part of my childhood.  We would gather at their home during holiday times, along with other family members...aunts, uncles, and cousins.  We didn't live too close so we only got together occasionally and therefore I would say I was not extremely close with them.  Most times we were in large groups so I never had one-on-one time with my grandparents.

I have a couple of memories:  My grandfather would carry change in his pants pocket and reach his hand in and bring up the coins and toss them on the living room floor. We grandkids would get all excited, jump, and gather them up.   I also remember sitting on their living room floor and watching TV shows they enjoyed.  In the morning it was the Bob Braun Show (out of Cincinnati) and in the evening we watched The Lawrence Welk Show.   My grandmother made some special food when we cam to visit.  She made homemade chocolate syrup for ice cream (and called it 'dope') and she made amazing egg noodles from scratch!  We would put it over mashed potatoes!!  Can you imagine??   It was SO yummy! 

2. What's an item you were attached to as a child? What happened to it?

I can not think of one specific thing.  Although, I had a few dolls that I loved very much.  One was a "Betsy Wetsy."   When I was a little older, my sister and I had a bunch of Barbie dolls (including Midge, Ken, Alan, Skipper, etc.) and we played with them for hours.   What happened to the dolls?  I think the Barbie dolls were passed down to a younger cousin once we outgrew them.  I don't know what happened to my Betsy Wetsy.
 

3. When you look out your window, do you see the forest or the trees (literally and figuratively)? Explain.



When I look out my back windows I see a forest of trees!  Literally.   Behind my home is a natural area (and on one side too) and it is wooded and filled with nature! I love it!  It's very private and beautiful.


4. Do you like sour candies? Which of the 'sour' foods listed below would you say is your favorite?

grapefruit, Greek yogurt, tart cherries, lemons, limes, sauerkraut, buttermilk, or kumquats 

Have you ever eaten a kumquat? What's your favorite dish containing one of the sour foods on the list?

 

I am not a fan of sour candies.  And, of the food items listed I will say I eat the tart cherries... but, really, most likely I will pass on ALL of them.   I do not like sour foods.

No, I have not eaten a kumquat - unless it was in a mixed fruit dish and I just wasn't aware of it.   And favorite dish made from an item above?   I have cooked chicken dishes with lemon so I will go with that. 

5. July 1st marked the mid point of 2017. In fifteen words or less, tell us how it's going so far.


So far 2017 is filled with joy and expectation.



Why this sentence?   Because our family has been blessed with the news of baby boy twins on the way!  We are excited and ready for this new chapter in our lives.  I will be a first time grandmother and I look forward to it, and in spending time with them once they arrive around Thanksgiving!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 I got caught up in a documentary series called "The Keepers" on Netflix the last two days and "binge watched" the 7 one hour segments.  It's the first time I have sat and watched episode after episode.  Do you 'binge watch'?   If so, what has been a series that you have spent a whole day watching?   What is your favorite Netflix TV show?  

Have a good week ahead!  I will not be here next week because I will be in Ohio spending time with my family there.  It is our annual week together that we do each summer in a place called Lakeside.   The town is a step back in time... a place where people stay in cottages, and ride bikes, or walk (or golf cart) around.   There is family-style entertainment and religious programs throughout the day.  I've been going there since I was a kid.  Our family gathers and we play games, and do puzzles, and hang together.