Home is Where the Hodgepodge Is

I missed the Hodgepodge during my week in Haiti, and also last week due to the busyness of Thanksgiving week, so I am glad to be back! As always, thanks to Joyce for hosting. Be sure to click the button to pay her a visit, and see who else has linked up for the fun. With just four hodgepodges 'til Christmas, she's diving right in with some holiday questions.

1.  Which do you prefer-pretty gift wrap with a bow or a pretty gift bag with/without a bow?  What percentage of your holiday gifts are currently (as in right this very minute) wrapped in some form or fashion?
I don't really have a preference on gift wrap. I'll accept a present in a brown paper bag!
For giving, if I only had a few, I would enjoy creative gift wrapping in paper and bows. However, with several to wrap, I usually opt for paper without bows (stacks easier under the tree) or bags.
And what percentage of my gifts are wrapped right this minute? Zero.

2.  What is one item on your Christmas list this year?
I don't know, peace on Earth?

3.  What makes a home?
This question immediately made me think of the Sandi Patty song, Love Will Be Our Home.
The lyrics are:

If home is really where the heart is
Then home must be a place that we all share
for even with our differences our hearts are much the same
And where love is we come together there.

Wherever there is laughter ringing
Someone smiling, someone dreaming
We can live together there
Love will be our home.
Where there are children singinig
Where a tender heart is beating
We can live together there
Love will be our home

With love our hearts can be a family
And hope can bring this family face to face
And though we may be far apart our hearts can be as one
When love brings us together in one place.

Wherever there is laughter ringing
Someone smiling, someone dreaming
We can live together there
Love will be our home.
Where there are words of kindness spoken
Where a vow is never broken
We can live together there
Love will be our home. 

And here is a vintage video of my friend Sandi singing it on the Tonight Show:

4.  Motown founder Berry Gordy celebrates his birthday on Hodgepodge Day-November 28th. Are you a fan of the Motown sound?  If so, who's your favorite Motown artist and/or song? Here's a list in case you're stuck.
I did consult the list, and I'll have to go with My Girl. And have you seen the movie? One of my favorites.

5.  Red or green-which one is more prevalent in your closet?
It definitely used to be red. I often dressed the whole family in red. It's bright, festive, and easy to spot in a crowd. To illustrate my point:

1988

 Can you pick out our kids with Grandma and Grandpa and the cousins?

 First day of school, probably 1993.

 Monticello, 1997.

Now, it's not so much red in my wardrobe, but black and gold instead (team colors, you know), although  between red and green, my closet has more red.

6.  True or false-bacon makes it better? If you answered true, what's your favorite dish made with bacon?
Well, true, of course. I like the bacon in Blue Cheese Slaw, and also in Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole. I also enjoy a good ol' BLT, especially on toast with fresh tomatoes.

7.  Share a favorite holiday memory.
From my own childhood, it was the Christmas that we got this:

I believe I have written about it before. My mom (not the dog lover in the family) arranged for the puppy to be delivered on Christmas morning by a family friend who always came for breakfast on Christmas day. I (thought I) was past being surprised by anything on Christmas morning, but when I saw her carry in the box, I could tell there was something alive in it. My mom says it was the most excitement ever shown by me over a gift. His name was Dudley.

I have many, many favorite Christmas memories of our children growing up. I enjoyed directing the choir at church, and the Christmas eve service was always a special one. This is a sweet picture of David and Andrew just before Andrew ripped off his bow and went to sit with his father. Oh, the memories!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Daughter Jennifer attempted some photos of son Andrew and Darci's little ones yesterday. It is always a challenge to get all three looking and smiling at the same time. These are a couple 'after' shots, when they were just being silly.

And Granny even got in a picture. That's one sweet lovin' armful!