'Some' Hodgepodge

After taking a little break from the Wednesday Hodgepodge, I'm happy to say I'm back! Hopefully that means all systems go for the big event this weekend! I may not be heard from again until sometime next week, but by then I should have some photos to share of our daughter's wedding. In the meantime, stop over to visit Joyce, our gracious Hodgepodge hostess, and the others who've linked up for the fun.

 1. William Shakespeare's birthday is celebrated on April 23rd...when did you last read Shakespeare? What's your favorite Shakespeare play?

I last read Shakespeare in high school. I guess my favorite Shakespeare play would be Romeo and Juliet, and the picture below is the version I remember. Oh yes, I read it, but it was also available in movie form.

Also when I was in high school, I was in the community theater group's production of "Kiss Me Kate," and I learned that it is based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. I have never read it, and I don't remember too much about either play, but occasionally I remember the lyrics of this song:

We open in Venice,
We next play Verona,
Then on to Cremona.
Lotsa quail in Cremona.
Our next jump is Parma,
That heartless, tartless menace,
Then Mantua, then Padua,
Then we open again, where?
In Venice!

My friend and I were asked to be in the play because we could tap dance. The tap number was Too Darn Hot.

2. What food(s) would you recommend a foreign visitor try when they visit your home country?

Well, even though there's more than corn in Indiana, I would want a foreign visitor to try some delicious fresh sweet corn. For the authentic experience, one must roll it in butter and add a little salt if desired. Mmmmm...

Here is Matthew enjoying some corn last summer.

And I would top off the meal with Sugar Cream Pie.

3. What's a lie you often tell yourself?

That someday, I'll have an organized house.

4. What's something you're good at that might surprise us? Remember this is a family friendly blog!

If you read my answer to #1 carefully, you know the answer: tap dancing. Although it has been a while....

My first dance recital, age 4. I'm pretty sure my mom made my hat out of an oatmeal container. At recital time, I was the only one still left in the class, which meant I had to do my dance on stage all by myself. My mom thought I was too young for Barbies, but promised me one if I would do it. I walked off the stage after my routine and asked, "where is my Barbie?" I did get one, as promised.

I remember the fringe on this costume was really long when we got them, and our moms cut it off, much to our dismay.

That's me on the left, my best friend Ann on the right. We danced together for 18 years. She sometimes reads this blog. Hi Ann!

5. Who is your favorite animal character from a book?

I have many favorite animal characters, and I loved reading horse books as a child, but the first one that came to mind was Wilbur, from Charlotte's Web. I remember Miss Elston reading it to our class every day after lunch in fourth grade. I'm sure some of the kids probably put their heads down and went to sleep, but I loved every part of the story. I loved the barn, the animals, the county fair, and the girl named Fern.

I also loved that Wilbur was Some Pig, and Terrific, in the eyes of his friend Charlotte. Our kids watched the cartoon version when they were young, and I'm sure they remember these lyrics:

Oh wow look at him now
Zuckerman’s famous pig
Sooey, what do you see
The greatest hog in history...

6. April showers bring May flowers...do you have a green thumb?

No, but one of the stories Jim's mother told me about him was that one day little Jim got his coat and hat on and headed next door to Grandma's because he wanted to see her green thumb. Someone had told him that she had one. :)

The photo below is of Jim, being held by Grandma Mary Stewart (with the green thumb), with his sisters and brother. Summer 1961.

7. Speaking of rainy days...which one of the following activities would you most want to spend time doing on a rainy day-

sort photos and create albums

bake cookies

read a good book

hold an all-day movie marathon

organize closets, cupboards, or bookshelves

try a new recipe

fix something that needs fixing

Definitely read a good book.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

It's wedding week!
We have been busy putting the finishing touches on all the details, and getting the timeline set to go. On Saturday, we worked on printing programs. We had quite an efficient system.

If you look closely, you'll see that Bryan took his ribbon cutting job very seriously, and invented a ribbon holster to facilitate the process. Very clever.

The printer had a good workout, and the programs are all printed, folded, punched, and tied.

We are looking forward to a great weekend celebrating the marriage of Jennifer and Bryan. We are hoping the day goes smoothly, and we will remember the words of our wise pastor, "at the end of the day, you'll be married." Amen.