Summertime HodgePodge

Welcome to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge on Thursday.  Thanks to Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for this week's edition. 

It's officially summer!!!

1. Summer's here! In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you're in the southern hemisphere substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? 

The long days.  Sitting outside, listening to critters.  

What's your biggest summer pet peeve?

Most bugs.  And humidity.   

2. What song always reminds you of summer?

Just about anything from Kenny Chesney.  Get Along is my current favorite. 

 
3. What's something you remember about your childhood summers? 

I don't know if other places do this, but in Michigan, we go "Up North".  A lot of people I know have a second house or property that they go to for vacations, hunting, fishing, camping, etc.   Growing up, my parents had "the Farm" which was 120 acres of mostly forest and an 1890s farmhouse and orchard about 140 miles away.  So, we spent most weekends and summers up there.   We spent all day outside.  Dad would stand on the porch and whistle when it was mealtime.  We had a tv, but it was ancient even by 1970/80s standards, so it has very seldom turned on.   Seemed like there was always a Detroit Tigers game on the radio.  Once I hit my teens, the other siblings were out of the house already, I'd take the neighbor's horse out and the only way my parents would have any idea where I was is to follow hoofprints. 

Do kids get to enjoy summer the way I did as a child?

Definitely no.  Dad worked and Mom was a SAHM so they didn't have to worry about daycare or anything.   Looking at my grandkids now - the Spawn works at a daycare, so the granddaughter (4) goes with her, while the grandson (6) has already spent a week at summer camp and is currently attending summer school.  

4. We celebrate Fathers Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa.

I am the youngest of my siblings, I was Daddy's girl.  He worked with his hands so I learned early all of his tools and how to use them.  By 10 years old, I knew how to make "matroonis" aka a vodka martini, extra dry with 14 olives since that was his favorite adult beverage.  He was also extremely patient, since I'm sure when he got home from work, he just wanted to float around the pool and relax, but I was right there in his bubble, hanging on him.  He also had a bit of an ego, he liked to stop and admire himself in the mirror whenever he passed by one.  That trait has definitely been passed on thru the generations.  

Sadly, Dad passed in 2009.  When we (all us siblings) went to the cemetery to approve the location (he's in a niche - the file cabinet type thing) the director showed us the section on the wall marked in tape - I started to laugh and the director looked horrified!  Dad always said he would not be put in the ground, so nobody could pee on his grave and he's in the 4th level, so we always have to look up to him!  Once I explained, everyone laughed.  

I could go on & on.  

5. Let's wrap up with a summer this or that-

flip flops or sandals ~ flipflops for hanging around home, sandals for work. 
beach or pool ~ pool.  I don't like sand getting where sand shouldn't be. 
watermelon or peaches ~ watermelon
shorts or sundress ~ shorts
iced coffee or ice cold lemonade ~ neither - iced tea!
amusement park or water park ~ either/or  I like them both but I don't like crowds! 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Because I'm weird - I really like to explore cemeteries.  I follow several cemetery exploring pages on FaceBook and Instagram, etc.  I'd seen pictures of this angel before and thought it would be so cool to see it, but I never researched it - I thought it was in Europe somewhere.  Nope!  It's in OHIO!  Specifically Cleveland!  

Haserot Angel

"The Angel of Death Victorious"

Cleveland just happens to be where we usually stop for lunch when we go visit Bro2!    So a couple weeks ago, we stopped and drove thru Lake View Cemetery and occasionally hopped out of the car to see certain stones closer.   It's a huge place with spectacular monuments, but it doesn't give off the solemn vibe that most cemeteries do.  They hold music events there, both guided & unguided tours, 5k runs, etc, etc.  

While we were there, we also visited ...

Alan Freed, the disc jockey who coined the phrase "rock & roll"

20th President James Garfield

Eliot Ness, the FBI agent who brought gangster Al Capone to justice (did you ever see the Untouchables movie with Kevin Costner?)

John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil (the guy with lots of $$$$)

Harvey Pekar, comic book author of "American Splendor" -

I didn't know who this was but had to research him after seeing all the pens stuck in the ground!

We missed seeing the Collinwood School Fire Memorial - it would have been sad & emotional. 

It's been a while since I posted other than Hodge Podge posts, better get on that!

A Rosy HodgePodge

Happy Wednesday!    Ugh - we're having heat advisories today & tomorrow with crazy high humidity.  This chubby girl doesn't like the heat!  

Thanks again to Joyce at From This Side of the Pond for this weeks' edition of the HodgePodge! 

1. How would you define 'the good life'?

Spending time with loved ones.  Watching the sun set while listening to the frogs (simple things like that).  Having enough $ to be comfortable and enough left to play with.  Our health. 

2. What's the most used app on your phone (and are you proud of that)?

Without looking it up, it's between Facebook & Instagram.  I technically have 3 accounts for each.  On FB, I have my personal account and my Halloween-y one, then I maintain the account for my VFW post.   On IG, I have my personal account, my Halloween-y one and one for my skeleton, Chuck.

I don't feel I spend a whole lot of time on them, so I guess it's nothing to be ashamed of. 

3. 'Every rose has it's thorn', 'everything's coming up roses', 'looking through rose-colored glasses', 'it's no bed of roses' or 'stop and smell the roses'...which rose idiom best relates to something in your life currently. Explain.

Everything is coming up roses.  The Spawn finally took the grandson into the doctor and got him started *today* on some ADHD meds.  Hopefully this helps him to settle down. 

4. How do you feel about floral flavorings in food or drink (rose, hibiscus, elderflower, lavender)? 

 I've only tried hibiscus tea and it's definitely an acquired taste.  

5. Over the course of your life what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else?  

What would life would have been like if I had chosen a different path at sometime or another in my past.  But then I make myself stop, since parts of my life I would not want to change.  If I'd stayed in the Navy - I wouldn't have met the Spouse - and I'm glad I didn't miss out on that!  If I didn't have the Spawn, I wouldn't now have the grandkids.  

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of the grandkids - both have had graduations in the past week.  

 

Goodbye Pre-K!

The granddaughter will be starting kindergarten in the fall. I didn't get many pics of her ceremony since she decided to cry all thru the songs and refused to cross the stage to get her "diploma" because she didn't like that they used her first / last name instead of first / middle.  

I think the Spawn would have preferred her to go into Young 5s.  She's got the brains for kindergarten but is still pretty immature.  She's eligible for both Young 5s and Kindergarten, but they don't have that program at our local elementary school and Bean would probably freak out being in a different school all alone, knowing that Mom or brother weren't close by. 

The grandson will be starting 1st grade in the fall. 

The picture above shows the before & after of him seeing us. 

He "crossed the bridge" into first grade and stopped to get a pic with his teacher.

I guess it's a thing in the past couple years where schools take the song "Don't Stop Believing" and change the words slightly to apply to kids.  

Just a little girl, living with her mom & dad, she took the yellow bus to school one day. 

Just a little boy, born & raised in North Detroit (since that's where we are), he took the yellow bus to school one day.....

a teacher in a spotless room, the smell of paint & Elmers Glue

for a day that seems to go on & on & on & on & on......

it's just so stinking cute!!!!! 

The future's so bright, they gotta wear shades!

A post called HodgePodge

I'm late to the party this week!    Thanks again to Joyce at From This Side of the Pond - it's amazing how you come up with all these unique questions each week!!

1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children, how did you choose their names?

I'm pretty neutral about my name.  It's interesting that even given how short my name is - there are several guys at work who call me "Leese".  

There's a lot of family connection in all of my siblings (and younger) names.  I don't usually use their actual names in posts, but it applies for this one.  

Us girls are Laura Lee, Linda Bea and Lisa Marie.  The L-a's are supposedly a coincidence as well as the middle names rhyming.  Laura & Linda's middle names are the same as Dad's parents' and mine is a variation of Mary, which is Mom's name.  

Dad was James Curtis.  I had a half brother named Curtis James.  My brothers are John James and Terry Curtis.  Then there are nephews named James Richard & Alexander Curtis.  Even my grandson is Adam James.  Oh, and the niece named Lisa Beth (after me & her mom)

For the Spawn... as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I had picked out Brandon James.  Then the doc said there was a 70% chance I was having a girl, but she had her legs crossed so they couldn't tell for sure.  So since the Ex was a wanna-be bullrider from Texas (he wasn't very good) I suggested Angela then he could have his Copenhagen Angel (is a song by Chris LeDoux).  So there's that. 

2. A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose?

The red velvet cake!   But I also make a simple, fairly healthy but tasty red, white & blue trifle made with layers of angel food cake, whipped topping, strawberries & blueberries.  

3. What's a job you'd like to try for just one day?

The first thing that popped into my head was a fighter pilot - GO FAST!!!! And shoot guns / missiles!   I'm trying to hold down my practical side, since I don't think my chubby, out of shape body could handle the amount of Gs I'd want to do and my lousy vision is against me.  But one can daydream!   

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer?

Ugh - I didn't get any pictures yet, but I have 2 of these blowmolds out on each side of my front door.  And that's pretty much it!    I'll probably put them away for a while, then bring them back out of the 4th of July.    I didn't decorate my office at work for Memorial Day, but will for the 4th. 

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!

I had to look this up!  I never knew the name for this activity. 

M - making plans with the Spouse for our upcoming 20th anniversary!

A - all the plants at the greenhouse - I want them! 

Y  - yay for the random neighbor who stopped by last Friday morning and offered to mow the lawn before the long weekend at a very reasonable price!  And also, for the Spouse having that exact amount of $ in his pocket to pay him!  

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Last night we swore in (or "installed") the all the new 2026-2027 officers at the VFW - and since I'm the social media / website / newsletter peep - of course I took pictures.  

Honestly - I 'm ashamed that it took me so long to embrace ChatGPT - you'd never know that I used it to remove several people out of this picture!