Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Have a Holly Jolly Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge!  If you're like me you have a lot of to-dos in your to-day, so I'm going to jump right in with my answers. A quick reminder that I'm hosting The Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness on my blog this month and it's not to late to join. You'll find details by clicking  the link (What are the Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness) on my sidebar,  just above the super cute button my Daughter1 designed. If you're participating feel free to grab the button for your blog too.

Okay...back to the Hodgepodge~


1.  Share your traditions surrounding the Christmas stocking.

The stocking is one of my favorite things about our Christmas traditions. My mother enjoyed going a little bit overboard in filling them and a typical stocking in our house always had a pile of small wrapped gifts beside it too.  Stockings are opened before breakfast, but not before everyone is in their assigned seat. Yes, we have assigned seats for the unwrapping. Doesn't everybody?   

I don't think we actually hung our stockings on the fireplace when I was growing up, but we did hold them there for a photo op. Then we put them in our assigned seats so as not to confuse Santa. Our stockings always contained a new toothbrush and usually a calendar and a package of pretty note cards so we could write our Christmas thank-yous.  Then a few other fun bits and pieces and always, always a tangerine or clementine in the toe.  


I've carried on the same traditions with my own girls and if you asked they'd probably say they love the stockings best too. We do hang our stockings because we have cute brass hangers that sit on the mantle, but when Santa fills them he moves them to their assigned seats.  Santa likes order.  

2.  How many hours of sleep do you average at night?  Is it enough?

Consecutive?  Hard to say.  I get about 7 hours of sleep a night, but in recent years those hours might be interrupted so it doesn't feel like a true 7.  I'm a champion at sleeping on the couch before I actually go to bed. Does that count?  

3. If you had to give up one thing for the remainder of this year, what would it be?

I should probably say sugar, but this is rhetorical, right?  

4. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Wills and Kate as I like to call them) have announced they're expecting a baby.  Do you follow news of the Royals?

I do follow news of the Royals.  I think Kate is adorable and I wish them well.  I don't envy her with so many eyes watching, and am thankful 'journalists' were not describing my cycle, my morning sickness, my weight, or my ability to parent on the evening news.

5. For me the sound of childhood is______________________.

The first thing that popped into my head was a sprinkler.  There is something about the sound of a sprinkler running that whisks me back to the carefree days of summer as a child.  It is always summer in childhood memory.  

6. Fruit cake-yay or boo?  What's your favorite dessert made with fruit?

I never cared for fruitcake when I was growing up, but if you live in England long enough you kind of acquire a taste for it.  Fruit cake is popular on the other side of the pond.  My favorite dessert made with fruit is strawberry short cake.  

7. What is one thing you want to accomplish before 2012 comes to an end?

This has been a hard year.  Really hard.  Between now and the end of December I want to rest in the reason for the season.  

That will be enough.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.

On a lighter note...have you seen this?  I think it's hilarious, but perhaps that's because I relate to the technologically challenged.  It's less than a minute long, and it's in German with subtitles, but you don't need words to understand the plot...gurananteed to make you smile. 







41 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh! I loved the sound of the sprinklers of a child. I still have that sound from the front yard sprinklers in my head. I'm glad i have memories like that. I don't really know why that is, could be that i'm blessed to be able to hear some sounds.

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  2. Loved your description of your stocking traditions!!! We like order around here too, each person having his/her place to place his/her stockings, sit to open presents, etc.

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  3. I love your stocking tradition and the photo of the stockings hung on the mantle.
    I too think Kate is adorable and I sure do not envy her all the media attention. I would hate always being under the microscope.
    Your video is so hilarious. The look on the lady's face is funny and the man's "what" expression is too.

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  4. Oh, nooooooooooooooooo!!! That video !!! Too funny!! Also I am still half shuddering.

    It certainly has been a hard year for you. Losing your precious neice and experiencing Sandy's wrath. I'm sure there's more, but either of those alone would make a for a hard year. I pray you do rest in this season.

    We have never said as much, but Mr. and Mrs. Claus always sit in the same spots. Santa stretches out on his couch as if he worked hard all night, while Mrs. Claus, who sat idly by sipping tea all thru December, sits on the end of the couch, under Santa's feet and a blanket. Youngest elf passes the gifts out.

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  5. Our grandchildren love the sprinkler in the summer too. We even found one that is an elephant and the trunk sprays the water.

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  6. Your stocking tradition sounds fun.
    Strawberry shortcake is yummy, especially if the strawberries are perfect.
    I've always love my mom's fruitcake. She doesn't soak it in booze.
    Happy resting.

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  7. LOL at the video! It took me a moment to realize what he had, but OMG, that was hilarious!

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  8. Assigned seating! I love it! At least that way you can all see who's opening a gift and what it is. With my family, we have a problem of kids always crowding around. :D

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  9. OK...that video is hilarious and just the laugh I needed at this early morning hour! Your stocking tradition sounds very much like ours...with the exception of the assigned seats. I'll probably continue it on for as long as I can get away with it...um, I mean, Santa! ;)

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  10. Assigned seats: ha, ha...we have them, too! :)
    That video is hilarious!

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  11. I think that New Year's Day 2013 will be a good one for you (I know it will be for me). It wil be a relief to say goodbye to this year.

    Knowing you and your relationship with your girls, I"ll bet the stocking contents are awesome! I'd like to see that on the 26th.

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  12. Funny video. I love to follow the royal news. I am excited for this new baby but feel so bad for Kate being so sick. Do you know when the baby is due?

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  13. Love the video. Made me laugh and that is good this early in the morning. Starts the day right.

    Some how I messed up the fruit question. I talked about a salad and not a dessert. I should have put strawberry shortcake too.

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  14. Love the stocking traditions. Thanks for the the laugh this morning-enjoyed the video.

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  15. It does always seem to be summer in childhood memories...that's when mine was, too.

    I loved the video. "What apps?" Haha

    I hope that you are able to rest and heal this season. You've certainly had a difficult year. *hugs*

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  16. Oh, how funny, we have assigned seating to and you'd better not try to change it. :o) Our Santa likes order as well.

    Great video and always enjoy starting my Wed. with you.

    Christmas blessings!

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  17. That video is awesome!!
    I totally could see my dad doing that exact thing!

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  18. very funny video.....

    Love Strawberry Shortcake, totally need to add that to my list of fruit deserts.......

    Very nice mantle and tree.....

    Blessings
    R

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  19. Love your sprinkler memory, that's is so true!
    Yes, I have seen that video and it is soooo funny. Jesus is the Reason for the Season so relax and breathe that in!

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  20. I didn't think about strawberry shortcake ... mmmm, I love strawberry shortcake!

    Love your answer to #7.

    That video was hilarious! It took me a couple of minutes to realize what the man was using for a cutting board. ;-)

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  21. I wish I had a fireplace to hang the stockings on!

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  22. Assigned seats? I love it! Sounds a bit like a teacher...

    It took me three tries to "get" the video. Once I realized what the fellow was using for a chopping board, I understood! Gotta' love us older folks!

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  23. Of course there are assigned seats for opening presents.

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  24. That is a hilarious video clip! I happen to be one of those who does love fruit cake - as long as the citron or whatever poison that is is omitted. :-) Enjoyed your Christmas discussion. Hope next year is a better one for you.

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  25. I need to give up sugar, lol. And assigned seats for stockings! LOL :)

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  26. The clip is a scream. Loved the Christmas questions...you rocked this one well. I hope you have a better year next year.

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  27. Thanks for the meme. I normally don't read the answers until after I put mine but I did love how we both put strawberry shortcake :). That video was so funny because it wasn't until he rinsed it off that I realized what he was using for the cutting board.
    So many people that I have spoken to have said what a hard year this was. I don't know what but it just seems so for such a larger number than I can recall any other time. I will be glad when this one ends and the next one begins.

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  28. Loved the video too funny! Your stocking tradition sounds like my childhood! And your goal for rest of year love it! Happy Wednesday!

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  29. Our stockings are filled with similar things...always the practical tooth brush and/or razors and each person's favorite snack treat, but then you just never know what else will be in there. Even though my kids are grown they still look forward to starting the morning with their stockings. I think my daughter will carry on the tradition. Not so sure about my son since they are skipping the whole Santa thing with their kids. :(

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  30. I love the idea of notecards for thank-you letters in the stockings. May have to adopt that one ;)

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  31. Of course there are assigned seats on Christmas morning! :)

    Your evenings sound like our evenings. Why is it that we can be asleep on the couch and then go to bed and be wide awake? Tsk.

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  32. Funny video and you're right, you don't need to hear it to know what is happening. It's been a tough year here too so relaxing is a good answer. Too bad I didn't think of it.

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  33. Oh my that video! LOL

    I missed the second half of the fruit question. I went on and on about 2 different fruit cake things (links and everything) and didn't address my favorite fruit dessert, which would be Key Lime Pie. K, and I just finished baking a cherry and a peach crostada this morning, but I still prefer the key lime pie when someone else makes it! :D

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  34. It's always summer in my childhood memories, too. Funny!

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  35. You really have had a hard year. I wish I could give you a big ((HUG)). You deserve a bright blessed Christmas season and I hope you get to have your girls with you too.
    I think sprinklers are the perfect memory of childhood. Loved them too. We never had a pool, so that was a must.

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  36. We hang the stockings too but Santa always moves them to the front of each person's pile of presents. Unitl recently when he started just putting them in front of the tree. If I had tried to assign seats, I would probably have been run out of the family. LOL I always LOVED my stocking best of all. I also have the little wrapped presents beside the stockings that just wouldn't fit inside. I can't get the subtitles to come up on the video...I'll keep trying. I sure could use a laugh after this day. Whew. It was one for the record books.

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  37. You have such a beautiful house Joyce and beautiful stuff. Love the stockings. You have had a rough year my friend, hope you can get some rest and relaxation in and that the Lord will truly Bless you this next year! I can't believe I did not think of Strawberry Shortcake. I love me some shortcake wit plenty of whip cream. lol
    until next time... nel

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  38. lol we did not have assigned seats for unwrapping

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  39. Yes, Joyce, Santa DOES like order.
    At our house he leaves an empty trash bag by each stocking after he fills it - he likes each person to put their discarded boxes and wrapping paper into it to make clean up quick and easy. :-)
    Merry Christmas!

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