Now is the Winter of our Hodgepodge

I'm joining the Hodgepodge again this week, a little late, but hey, it's still Wednesday! You are welcome to join the fun by linking your own blog, or just click on the button to visit Joyce and the others. It's great to make friends on the world wide web. Be sure to leave some comment love. :)

Now for her questions and my answers:

1.  Are you a force to be reckoned with? In what way?
Maybe I should ask my family about this one. Sometimes? Oh, I think I'm usually all mild mannered and laid back, but I can also be pret-ty determined when I set my mind to something. In a Mama Bear sort of way. :)

2. What are two things you love about the wintertime? Or, if love feels like too strong a word, what are two things you 'like' about winter? 
I had a birthday this week, so I could say I like winter birthdays. :) High school basketball and swimming take place in the winter, and I spent many happy winters watching both. I also like winter clothes, since they better hide my fluffy flaws. :)

3. Pomegranate, kumquat, persimmon, kiwi, and guava are all fruits said to have health benefits, particularly during the winter months. Do you have a favorite on the list? Are there any on the list you haven't tried? 
My favorite is kiwi, though I don't eat it often. Jonathan buys kiwi regularly. He is definitely a fan. I am sure I have had pomegranate in some sort of fruity drink, but I don't know that I have tried any of the others on the list.

4. I passed a local church yesterday and noticed they had this on their outdoor sign- 'When all else fails, do the right thing.' Your thoughts?
Wouldn't that be nice. Just do the right thing. Maybe to begin with, and not as a last resort. It reminds me of the quote from one of my favorite books, Wonder. (I'm sure I have mentioned it before.) In his graduation speech, the main character, August, offers a quote attributed to J.M. Barrie, "Shall we make a new rule of life…always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?" I think that is always the right thing.

5. Do you ski? According to one list I've seen, the top 5 ski destinations for 2014 are-St. Anton Austria, Whistler Canada, Cortina Italy, Tahoe USA, and Zermatt Switzerland.  Of the five listed, which would you most like to visit? We can make skiing optional if that helps the non-skiers with their answer. 
I don't ski, but I would definitely visit St. Anton, Austria. When I was 20 (many, many years ago) I spent 5 weeks during the summer in Austria with an American family living there. This is the adorable house where they lived, in the little village of Kirchberg in Tirol.

Since it was summer, we did not ski (fortunate for me, since I don't. Ski.), but we did hike.

All. The. Way. To. The. Top! At the top of many mountains, there is a cross, with a log book for everyone who makes the summit to sign. And, of course, there's snow! Such a beautiful place.

The ski lift continues to run, even in summer, and we rode it to the top for a fantastic view of the picturesque village. So while I am happy to make the skiing part optional, it would be fun to revisit the beautiful mountains of Austria.

6.  What's the last thing you looked for online? (Besides my blog!)
Airline tickets. While that's good, since it means a trip is in our future, I do get frustrated with the ups and downs of ticket prices. It's like playing the stock market. Buy now? Wait? Will the price go lower? Why does the price shoot back up just when we have decided to buy? Any experts out there who can advise??

7. What saying, slogan, quote, or motto have you seen lately that inspires you for the new year?
See #4 above.

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8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Happy Birthday to my daughter-in-law, Darci! Haleigh and Ella were with me this morning, and they were so excited to make a little party for their mommy. We found some party hats, and balloons, and we baked a cake. They were eager to decorate it, and they added plastic balloons, cows, a horse, butterfly sprinkles, and candles. Haleigh wanted me to call everyone to come over for a party! Happy Birthday Darci!

These two are celebrating a birthday today, too. Hope their birthday celebration takes a little of the sting away after the loss on Saturday. 
Happy Birthday Drew and Baylen! (I'm sure they'll see this.) Haha.