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.

Hashtag #Hodgepodge

I missed last week's Hodgepodge since we were having Christmas, and house guests, and meals to prepare, so I'm glad to be linking up with Joyce today. She's a busy gal herself, and we are thankful for her faithful weekly posting of interesting questions to get our cognitive wheels turning. Be sure to click on the button below to pay Joyce a visit!

I pray that you are safe and warm today as you enjoy the questions and my answers.

1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English.  Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words were chosen).  Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2014-

selfie, twerk/twerking, hashtag, Twittersphere, Mr. Mom, T-bone, ____on steroids, the suffixes-ageddon, and -pocalypse added to anything and everything, from the world of politics the words-intellectually/morally bankruptand Obamacare, and from the world of sports the words-adversity and fan base

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

I am not bothered by the use of any of these words. They are not all words I use myself, but I don't mind hearing them. Of course, I may or may not know the 'current' definition of all of them. To me, Mr. Mom is either that adorable 1983 movie that kept us laughing back in the days of diapers and carpools, or the Lonestar song which ends with the line, "Honey, you're my hero." And T-bone? That's a steak right?

Jonathan and I have recently been discussing words that are best used only by teenagers, which brought us to the Sprint commercial with James Earl Jones. Sooo funny! Or should I say, "Totes McGotes Adorbs."



2. What one unfinished project nags at you begging to be completed in this new year?
My bedroom and bathroom redecorating project is not yet finished, and it's going to be up to me to get some of the prep done to finish it. Soon, hopefully.

3. When did you last have a bowl of soup? What kind? Homemade or from a can? What's your favorite soup?
I made gumbo on Saturday, before the Saints game, and chili on Sunday. It's been a soup kind of weekend around here. I used Zatarain's Gumbo Mix with Rice and added chicken. It was yummy. Next time, I think I'll add some sausage too. At the moment? Gumbo's my favorite. #notthedog

4. Snowed in, snowed under, snow job...which one most applies to your life in recent days, figuratively speaking.
Well, in recent days, and there's nothing figurative about it, 'snowed in' is what we've been. The snow, combined with the bitter cold temperatures, has closed schools for the third day in a row. Even the kids are itching to get back in school and out of the house. (Not to mention the moms.) Ha!
I'm content to stay inside, and have even brought the old farm dog, who always stays outside, into the laundry room. Not fit for man nor beast out there!
Figuratively, I guess I'm also 'snowed in' since projects and meals are limited to supplies on hand. Guess I'll just read a book!

5. What's the funniest movie you've ever seen, or at least one of the funniest?
Since I prefer funny/happy to funny/inappropriate, my funny movie may not be the mainstream funny movie. That being said, I would choose the aforementioned Mr. Mom, and also, Father of the Bride. I know that's two, but the first one doesn't count. :)
And in case it's been a while since you have watched Father of the Bride, here's a little clip for you:



6.  In general, would you say you're clumsy?
No.

7. Elvis Presley was born on Hodgepodge Day (January 8th) back in 1935.  Are you an Elvis fan?  What's your favorite Elvis tune? If that's too hard, which Elvis tune do you dislike the least?  Click here for a list of his songs.
I am not a huge Elvis fan, though I do appreciate the impact he had on the music of the era. Before we were married, Jim's mom made me this music box in ceramics. It plays, 'Can't Help Falling in Love', so that's my favorite Elvis song.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
When we were taking pictures after our Thanksgiving meal, we did get this one of us with the grands. So blessed.

It's a New Year!

I know we are already 7 days into 2014, but I'm still trying to catch up on posting photos and documenting our Christmas. For some reason, this year, it seemed to get here fast and fly by quickly. Anyone else feel that way?

With our busy, big family, it's hard for us to get organized to take a photo together. We tried one at Thanksgiving, but it wasn't the greatest so I didn't do anything about ordering Christmas cards. (You know I love Christmas cards.)

I knew we would be together in Texas, pressed and dressed for Caroline's wedding, so I hoped we might have a chance to take a picture. We did, and thanks to Kirsten for taking it we were able to get an acceptable one to use for our Christmas New Year greeting. :)

We wish you peace and love in the new year, along with time to slow down, and be present with the ones you love.

So far, in our little corner of the world, the new year has brought snow and bitter cold, sub-zero temperatures. As long as I don't have a plane to catch, I am always content to take snow days literally and stay home. While I have tried to do a few chores, days like this are great for book reading, chili making, football watching, and just staying inside and warm. Most of our precipitation came in the form of rain before the dangerous cold hit, so we weren't even able to go out and build a snowman. :)

Since I'm catching up a bit, I wanted to share a little 'Christmas' post from our gathering, which actually took place on New Year's Day. We shared some gifts, ate some beef tenderloin, and marked the first day of the brand new year. Some were a bit under the weather, but we managed to spend a few hours together. It wasn't perfect, but none of us are. What we are is saved by the grace of a loving God who sent his Son to show us the way to live and love, to fail and forgive, and to give thanks for new mercies each morning.

Matthew was excited about his R2D2 Lego set. I can't wait to see it all put together!

Haleigh, who wasn't feeling that great, was happy to model her new cowboy dress-up outfit.

Ella, who was also feeling a little sick, was all dressed up as a veterinarian.

Matthew liked his Saints robot guy.

Jennifer, Bryan, and Noah.

Grandpa enjoyed watching all the activity.

Adam and Matthew.

David and Shylah.

Jon and Andrew.

Andrew and Darci.

Courtney was sporting her new purple cast, but wasn't keen on having her picture taken.

So I'll include a picture of Adam and Courtney in their cute footie pajamas on Christmas Eve. Aren't they cute?

GCHS Hall of Fame

On Friday night, Jim's dad was honored at the high school basketball game as one of five inaugural inductees to the Greensburg High School Hall of Fame. Family and friends of the inductees gathered at the far end of the gymnasium to witness the celebration.

The Hall of Fame was the idea of GCS Superintendent Tom Hunter and GCHS history teacher John Pratt, who served as chairman of the selection committee. The five inductees were from a wide range of eras, and included Oscar Ewing (Class of 1906), Nanci Hellmich (Class of 1976),  Fred Craig (Class of  1960), Kathryn Ernstes (Class of 1932), and Jim's dad, John Stewart (Class of 1937). They have each enjoyed success in a variety of fields, and made an impact through their chosen vocation.

Mr. Pratt read biographies of each inductee as they (or their representatives) were honored and presented with a commemorative plaque.

John listens while his bio is read.

He accepts congratulations from Mr. Hunter,

and receives the plaque from Dr. Weigel.

He was touched by the standing ovation he received, which included grandson Jonathan from behind the announcer's stand. It made me think of Wonder, the excellent book, by R.J. Palacio, in which the main character, Auggie, says, "I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives."

I don't know if it was the first standing ovation John has ever received, but at age 94, how special it was for him to be honored by the high school from which he graduated, in the community in which he has lived and worked and served his entire life. Such a blessing.

After the presentation, family members gathered around for a few pictures with Grandpa.

Daryl and Ruthann were able to join us too!

Courtney and Adam congratulated Grandpa.

Janet and Jim posed with their dad on this very special occasion.

Before the varsity game, the Pershing Rifles color guard from that school in Bloomington IU presented the colors. GCHS grads Lance and Logan Hunter, twin sons of Superintendent Tom Hunter, are part of this unit, and proudly participated in the ceremony.

GCHS grad Rachel Kress Harter sang the national anthem.

I didn't get a picture of it, but Coach Meyer brought the varsity players out of the locker room early, so they could witness the Hall of Fame presentation. They are a good group of kids, who, by the way, are the defending Class 3A State Champions! Go Pirates!

There is nothing quite like a high school basketball game in Indiana.

I snapped this photo during the announcement of the starting lineup.

The Pirates won easily over the visiting Indian Creek Braves, to remain undefeated. They are fun to watch.

After the game, there was a reception in the school cafeteria for the Hall of Fame inductees, friends, and family members. Grandpa, always ready to tell a story, took advantage of the opportunity to share some memories with the small crowd.

He told a high school track team story, and a couple of Coast Guard stories, which were enjoyed even by those of us who had heard them several times before.

Fred Craig poses with John. They were the only living recipients in attendance, and learned they are neighbors. The other living recipient, Nanci Hellmich, was scheduled to attend, but had to cancel due to the weather.

It was a great evening, and I think John enjoyed every part of it.

It was especially nice of Coach Stacy Meyer to come up to the cafeteria after his post-game radio interview to congratulate John and the others.

It was a great night of Pirate Pride, and a meaningful way to honor the first five GCHS Hall of Famers.

God Blessed Texas

Happy New Year! With each passing year, it becomes more clear that while the days may be long, the years are short. That is especially true when children are young. As I grow older, time just seems to fly by. Before she died, Jim's mom told me that you're just living your life, and pretty soon, you're 90. What a blessing she was for all the life and love she shared with us.

I wanted to do one more post about our trip to Texas, and what a trip it was! We had to leave at zero dark thirty, and getting everyone up, dressed, and loaded is no small feat. Jennifer and Bryan actually overslept, so we almost had a 'Home Alone' middle of the night morning.

Since it was the day after Christmas, the security lines were busy, but we all made it through and arrived at our gate on time. We knew we had to make a quick connection in Houston, and we mentioned it to everyone we encountered. On the plane, we waited while a mechanical issue was addressed, and left Indy 30 minutes late. That gave me little hope of making our connection, which was only 34 minutes.

Once on the ground in Houston, we sprang into action. Six of us hurried to the next gate, four waited on the gate-checked bags, two went to change a diaper, and I waited in a central location to keep the groups together.

Another family, a mom with her three daughters, joined our group as we rushed through the terminal, onto the tram, and to the next gate. Their little group made 17 of us booked on the same flight out of Houston. We got everyone through, and even waited a few minutes for the pilot, who was clearing customs from his flight in from Mexico. High five Stewarts!

                         

Touching down in College Station, we could see Kyle Field from the airplane.

Welcome to Aggieland!

We checked into our lovely cottage at the Traditions Club, and David made himself at home in front of the TWO flat screen TVs in the living room.

After we decided on who would stay in which room, I noticed this in our bathroom. I guess we made the right choice. Who Dat!

We also had a refreshing welcome gift to greet us. Hmmm those cookies look familiar. :)

Our 'cottage' was a beautiful 4 bedroom house.

Of course, the boys found time for golf.

And spent some time at the 'Chicken' after dinner.

On Friday, the groom and the guys played golf, while the girls did a little College Station shopping. The rehearsal dinner was a Texas barbecue at Caroline and Brian's house. Grandpa Stewart was glad to be there, with 4 out of his 5 children. Carol, Janet, Jim, and Barbara.

Haleigh entertained herself with sticky notes under the desk. Caroline may be finding sticky notes for quite a while!

There were games going on in the garage.

I don't know how to play flippy cup (at least I think that's what they were playing), but it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves.

My girls.

Plus me. :)

A view of Kyle Field as we drove by on Saturday morning. It is huge! And see the crane? I think they are adding on! We did not have a Johnny Football sighting though.

Noah had a bath in the kitchen sink.

All ready for the wedding.

I wrote about the wedding here, but I didn't include Brian and Caroline's getaway transportation. They thought they were going in the truck, but were surprised by a horse that pulled up instead.

Of course, Caroline didn't miss a beat, and hopped right on. Brian needed a little help. :) They took a quick pass around the parking lot, then traded in the horse for the truck, Caroline driving. So much fun.

And of course there was a little after-party at the Dixie Chicken. 

Shylah took this one of Adam and Courtney. So cute!

And then Sunday morning, it was all over and we were heading for home. I think our first flight had 22 wedding guests on board. Here we are waiting for bags.

And taking over the departure lounge. Unfortunately, Andrew, Darci, and the kids ended up spending waaayyy too much time there. :( (Flight delays are not fun.)

Noah was a pretty good little traveler.

So long Texas! Yes, God blessed Texas, and God blessed us. Great is Thy Faithfulness!