Wednesday HodgePodge

Happy Wednesday!  Let's jump into the Wednesday HodgePodge!

Linking up over at From This Side of the Pond...   

1. Are you feeling more reset, restart, or full speed ahead as we move into May? Tell us why.

Ugh - I just looked at my calendar and apparently, it's Full Speed Ahead!  

There are several events or "demonstrations" with the search & rescue team - I'll have to ask - I might not have to go to those.  I'm sure they want to show off the K9s. We are considered "associate members" of the SE Michigan Dive team so we start having training with the divers as support.  I WILL go to that.  We also have our annual pack test where we hike 1 1/2 miles while carrying a 25lb pack. 

There's a district event at my VFW post this month.  The Day of Service where we go clean up a cemetery and put the flags out before Memorial Day.  Then 2 different Memorial Day events.  

OK, maybe my calendar isn't too bad.  I have an appointment noted, several birthdays and the Spouse will be gone for a couple days so there's a lot of little dots for the month. 

2. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, cinema, theatre, music...what's your favorite form of art? Elaborate.

Sculpture - mainly what I see when exploring cemeteries. 

Architecture - I love cool old buildings

Music - altho it's odd to think of 80s hair metal / rock as "art".  But so be it!

3. What time is dinner at your house? How do you feel about leftovers?

The dinner situation is a major bone of contention in my house.  The Spouse is perfectly happy to eat whatever I put in front of him.  But then there's the other 3 inhabitants, aka the Spawn & the grandkids, aka the RiffRaff.  She, in particular, is VERY picky.  The grandkids are slightly less so.  And since I'm not a short-order cook, it makes trying to eat healthy very difficult.  

Dinner is usually 7-ish and the Spouse & I will have leftovers for lunch the next day.     

4.What's the last thing you fell down a rabbit hole investigating?  

Medal of Honor Recipients. 

3552 have been awards and 110 are from Michigan!  I was reading their citations.

5. And now for a question from the book Marilyn (Memphis Bridges) gave me...At what are you 'self-taught?'

Gosh.  Blogging?  I've kind of figured that on my own.  Cooking? Meh.  I definitely can't call myself a 5-star chef by any means.  There are a few things that I can make, and everyone is happy with. But sometimes for other things I'll follow a recipe exactly how it says and my food won't turn out.  

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I mowed the lawn for the first time this year yesterday.  This is a chore that I DESPISE but has to be done.  We have a double lot and it takes about 2 hours to mow, if I were to go non-stop.  It's slightly not as bad now that we got the new mower last year, one that actually starts on the first pull instead of having to practically dislocate my arm.  And why doesn't the Spouse mow the lawn, you might ask?  It's because he's in worse shape that I am and I really don't want him having a heart attack.   So I suck it up. 

Looking at the positive side - I saw an empty robin's eggshell in the grass - which means babies!  And for the first time...

a morel mushroom!  

I sure wish I knew how to cook those! 

Our crabapple tree is in full bloom and smells so good!  

The granddaughter wanted me to go with her to look at it so I pulled a branch a branch down so she could smell it and that reminded me of something....

granddaughter, aged 4 1/2, left

Spawn in 2003, aged 5 1/2, right

same tree!