Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's time for Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce, who blogs at From This Side of The Pond.  Each week she'll pose some questions for us to answer. What a great way to journal life.

1. Talking turkey...are you cooking the turkey this year? I'm not cooking the turkey. My MIL usually hosts and so she cooks. I did cook it last year because we had it up at our house. Does ham belong on a Thanksgiving day menu? No, but I do love ham.  When it comes to gravy do you pour it over your whole plate, skip it altogether, or land somewhere in between? I put it on the turkey, stuffing and potatoes, that's it. Cranberries-homemade or jelled right out of the can? I'm not a fan of cranberry sauce, but if I have it, I'd like it homemade. Do you look forward more to the main course, the savory sides, or the desserts? Now that's a tough one...I like all of them. It just kind of depends on what they are. I also love trying new things, so it's fun when someone brings a new dish.

I know there are at least a couple of bloggers who participate here who live outside the US and won't be celebrating Thanksgiving. If that's you feel free to adapt this question to your December (or any) holiday meal.

2. Holiday movies...tell us your favorite and what it is about the film that makes you love it. Is it the film itself or a memory it stirs? Oh my goodness...definitely hard to pick a favorite. I would say the ones I watch every year are Eloise at Christmastime...it's just such a cute one. Miracle on 34th street (the new version), and one called The Most Wonderful time of the year with Henry Winkler. I tend to like somewhat light hearted Christmas movies. Another one we watch every year is Christmas with Holly. 

3. A favorite way to give back and help others? Well, man, now I feel terrible...I don't really volunteer for anything, sometimes I feel like I barely have time for the things I have to do. However, we do always pay attention to the needs around us. For example, there have been several times in the last few months that I've made meals for people at. my husbands work who have been going through a hard time. So I suppose a favorite way I like helping is through cooking for others. We also enjoy blessing people monetarily when we are able to.

4. Name a place or setting you encountered this month that made you feel grateful. We visited an area of Oregon that we had never really visited but driven through. The Willamette Valley is so pretty and known for it's wineries/vineyards. But as we spent time driving around I found myself being grateful for the beautiful area we live in. 

5. Knowing what you know today, if you could redo yesterday what would you do differently? Yesterday as in the day before I'm writing this or in my younger yesterdays? Let's just go with yesterday and yes...I would have not used the weight I used for my workout and stretched more. I think I pulled a muscle in my lower back.

6. Spill your own random thought here. I'm finishing this on Wednesday morning. I'm not hosting TG but I do have several things to make, so after my haircut later this morning I will begin prepping what I can. I'm making two types of sweet potatoes (very small amounts of each since not too many people eat them)..but a savory and a sweet (no marshmallows though), my veggie dip and sourdough dinner rolls. 

I also need to finish some outdoor decorating, though it's raining and I thought it was supposed to be nice today. We'll see if I wander out into the yard to clip some branches off the trees. It is supposed to stop so I think by the time I'm able to get out there it'll be just fine. 

Yesterday it didn't rain so Indy and I ran some errands while Pepper was at Preschool. His school co-op is on TG break. It's fun when I get to spend individual time with them. When we got back to my house I decided to suck it up and wash and vacuum our car. Thank the Lord we installed hot water faucets outside as well as regular. Makes washing the cars in colder weather more manageable.

Well, I better sign off and get this day going. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin