Wednesday Hodgepodge

Time again for Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond. Each week, I read the questions and think I'll have to skip this time because I can't think anything to write. Before long, though, I have answers and pictures, and my post gets longer and longer... Hmmm... how does that happen?

1. Would you rather talk to everyone at a crowded party for a short time or have a significant conversation with two people?

I'm not much of a social butterfly, so I would choose a significant conversation with two people.

2. What objects do you remember from your parent's living room?

In the living room of my childhood, I remember the curtains were made of burlap. My mom is clever like that, and she could decorate in creative ways without spending a lot of money. The room was green and orange a la 1970s. We also eventually had a piano, and there was a bust of Mozart that sat on it. Not sure how he got there?

3. Do you hog the bed? Steal the covers? Snore?

No. No. And no, that would be my dear husband. Just ask anyone in the neighborhood. (And we live in the country.)

 4. Speaking of Easter dinner....what is your favorite way to cook/eat lamb? Or does just the thought of that make you squeamish? If you're not cooking lamb what will be your entree du jour on Easter Sunday?

I have never cooked lamb myself, but I do like it. At the State Fair each summer, you can walk from the beef tent to the pork tent to the lamb tent and enjoy the delicious treats produced by Indiana livestock farmers. I do know that lamb should be served with mint jelly.

Speaking of lamb reminds me of my daughter Jennifer's experience with sheep in the round robin showmanship contest at our county fair. In our contest, contestants show four species: beef, dairy, sheep, and swine. They are judged on how well they handle and present the animal. Jennifer earned a spot in the contest by winning the expert division of the beef showmanship. (Photos circa 2004).

Here are the contestants during the sheep portion of the contest. See Jennifer on this end in the photo? That's a good spot. :)

Since we don't have sheep on our farm, she had to borrow one for this part of the contest. This is the norm, since most of the kids only show one or two species of their own. It is hard work, not to mention the fact that it is about 100 degrees in the livestock barn, and it takes a couple hours for the contest. 

It is all worth it though, when your name is called as the winner! Little did we know back then, that Jennifer would spend a large portion of her job as a registered veterinary technologist working with sheep. Baaaaaa. Or as Jennifer likes to say sometimes, "Oh sheep!"

Oh, and what I'm making for Easter dinner?  Hopefully a reservation.

5. Let's throw some politics into this week's mix-oooohhh...Do you know the whereabouts of your birth certificate and when was the last time you had to produce it to prove you're you?

My birth certificate is in a plastic sleeve in my dresser drawer. Back in the old days, we could travel to the Caribbean with just our birth certificates, no passports required. I still have all seven of them safely stored together. In our family, I am the one in charge of the paperwork and documentation. And the tickets. :)

 Grand Cayman turtle builders, circa 1991.

6. As a child, how did people describe you?

Practically Perfect in Every Way. Oh, wait, that's Mary Poppins.

I was a shy, responsible, firstborn only girl. My two younger brothers did their best to make me look even more perfect. I thank them for that. :)

7. What do you complain about the most?

Me, complain? Well, um, I'm not proud to say it, but, well, probably it's, um, my husband's driving.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I couldn't really come up with a thought here, so I just chose something at random. Oh... I guess that's the point, right? This might have fit better with last week's poetry post, but this is a video of my grandson, Matthew, singing a song about the United States. I know some of you have already seen it but it's still fun. I believe the title is "Fifty Nifty United States," and our kids all learned it in elementary school. It's a great way to learn all the states in alphabetical order. I think Matthew was about 4 here, and he had help from his dad, uncles, and aunt to learn the song - but it didn't take him long! Anybody else know this one? (Pause the blog music before playing the video.)

Happy Wednesday, everyone!