Christmas Hodgepodge

Well Thanksgiving is over and we are now in Christmas mode. I am beginning to see the Christmas decorations pop up throughout the neighborhood. I have seen the workers downtown putting up the decorations in Fountain Square Park in preparation of "Light Up Bowling Green" this weekend. It is a hectic time of year, but a beautiful one also.
On that note, we are back with Hodgepodge and Joyce has given us some great questions once again. Below are my answers to this week's questions. 

Four hodgepodges til Christmas in case you were wondering. (Oh My!!)

Time to make those Reindeer Cupcakes again!!

1.      With that being said I think I need to dive right in to some Christmas related questions, don't you? 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? 

Well I prefer pretty wrapped and all tied up with a bow presents. I also like making each package look different. I try to use different paper on each gift and if I do use the same paper, then I use different ribbons and bows. I like using Christmas flowers, Holly or ornaments on the packages too.

As for the percentage of gifts I have wrapped at this moment... Does covered up with a blanket in the corner of the room count? I do have several bought, but not wrapped yet.

2. What is one item on your Christmas list this year?

The only thing I have really asked for is Bird Feeders. My current ones are falling apart. 

3. What makes a home?

That is an easy one to answer... Family and Love. Rather your family is large or small, Nothing fills a house more than the sounds of a family. A place where you can feel comfortable and safe. There truly is "No Place Like Home"! 

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 definitely have listened to my share of Motown artists. Even though Country music was the most listened to music in the house, I did manage to follow other genres. The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Commodores, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers were some of my favorites. 

Ain't No Mountain High Enough.... you can't get any better than that!

5.      Red or green-which one is more prevalent in your closet?

Definitely RED. Working ten years at Target, where the attire is red and khaki, has influenced what went into the closet. 

6.      True or false-bacon makes it better? If you answered true, what's your favorite dish made with bacon? 

I do love bacon, but it tends to be one of those foods that my sensitive tummy can't tolerate very well. I do indulge myself with a classic BLT every now and then. 

 
7.      Share a favorite holiday memory.

One of my favorite Christmas memories is one from 1991. Before Christmas my Son and I asked my Mother several times what she wanted for Christmas. Her response each time was, "Oh, just a box of rocks". So my son picked up some of the bigger rocks from her driveway. We put them in a box and wrapped them up and under the tree they went. She was so surprised when she opened them.

That night my Son stayed at my Mom and Dad's house. He and my Mother painted the rocks, glued them to the bottom of the box and gave a name to each one. They called them their Rock Band. That was the last Christmas we spent with my Mother and that "Rock Band" resides in my cedar chest to this day. My son is now 27, but he still remembers the Rock Band Christmas. 

8.      Insert your own random thought here.

Boy oh boy has it been a busy week. We had our Thanksgiving Dinner on Wednesday evening with all the kids. Made my Birthday perfect, even if I did turn the big 50. Thanksgiving Day I visited my sister and her family. My daughter had to be a work at midnight, her first Black Friday working retail. I remember it well...Don't miss it, but sure do remember it. I spent Friday pulling all the Christmas decorations out of the garage and putting up the tree. Saturday I ventured into town for a little shopping and Sunday I spent the day doing laundry, cleaning and making a big pot of Spicy Turkey Vegetable Soup. It was a great way to finish up those turkey left overs, plus I love soup.

I wish I had more of my Christmas shopping finished, but at least I have a good portion of it complete and I have ideas on what I need to buy to finish it. Hopefully I can get a chance to do a little more shopping this weekend.

Linked With:

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Never Alone

My Mother loved holiday time, when all the family was gathered together. Many Thanksgivings have been spent with our immediate family, my Mom's Sisters and their families, my Dad's Brother and his family, and my Grandparents from both sides of the family. Usually they all gathered at our house. My Mom would do the cooking. It was not only a time for us to be together but was usually our time to begin making plans for Christmas. There would be discussions about drawing names and gift buying ideas. It was always a fun time.

November is also the month of my Mother's death and my birth month. Sadly the two are the same day. This year it will be 20 years since my Mother's passing. She died of cancer at the age of 51. I will be 50 next week. I miss her so much and my thoughts are filled with memories of her more during the month of November than at any other time of year.

This post is dedicated to my Mother, Dorothy Ann Miller Lindsey. 

Song Performed By: Lady Antebellum

Featuring: Jim Brickman

Written By:  Gary Scott Burr; Sarah Jane Buxton; Victoria Shaw

Jim Brickman - 2007 Album: Never Alone

Mom as a child

Aunt Mary Lee,  Papaw Miller, & Mom

Mom

        Communion 

Wedding Day -
Trip to Mammoth Cave

Wedding Shower

Mamaw Miller, Mom, Aunt Gloria, & Aunt Carol
(writing above photo is Mom's)

David, Dad, Mom and Me

Carol, Sandy, Mary Lee, Glo, and Mom  

Dad, Mom, David
Me, Lisa and Michael 

Mom and Dad - September 1985

Linda and Mom 

Mom - Christmas in Lindseyville

Debbie and Mom

Mom Playing Football With Adam.

The Lindsey Family

Riding The Lawnmower

Mom's Surprise 50th Birthday Party 

Opening Her Box of Rocks -
Christmas 1991

Dad and Mom -
Christmas 1991

Wearing Adam's Hat. 

Ready To Head To Church

Mom in Her Recliner

Linked With:

Your Sunday Best

Shadow Shot Sunday

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 101

Back again with another group of questions for

Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What rule of life should never be broken?

Your word should never be broken. A person's word should be gold. 

2. What's your favorite family recipe?

My Grandmother's Applesauce Cake.
Unfortunately it died with her. No one in the family has it or could find it written in her recipes. We have all tried to duplicate it, but it is just not the same.

3. Is the media manipulative?

I would have to say yes. With all the forms of media out there today there is a competition to "break" the story or to report it first. But in doing so the media is more apt to report things before validating and confirming them. Many times it is like a gossip mill. Especially with the cable news channels, they give us basic facts but a large portion of their broadcasts are based on their opinions. (Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Stossell, Maher, Hannity, Stewart just to name a few)

4. Hubs and I saw Skyfall last weekend...are you a fan of the Bond films? If so, who's your favorite Bond?
I am not a big "Bond" fan but have seen most of the older Bond films with Sean Connery and Roger Moore. I have only seen a couple of the others, one with Timothy Dalton and one with Pierce Bronson. 
Of these four "Bond" actors I believe I like Roger Moore the most.

5. What is one thing you hope people never say about you?

That I am lazy!

6. What's a nearby tourist attraction you'd like to see, but haven't gotten around to visiting?

This would have to be the Grand Ole Opry. I live only an hour away from Nashville and grew up listening to Country Music. "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool".  I have visited Opryland (amusement park operated from 1972 to 1997) many times. In my teen and young adult years we would visit the Opryland Hotel at Christmas time to view all the Christmas decorations. My husband and I have even stayed in the Opryland Hotel, (I won a contest and part of it was an overnight stay in the hotel). I have shopped at the Opry Mills Mall (which is built on the Opryland property and beside the Opryland Hotel and the Opry House). But, have never been to the Opry.

7. Where's your favorite tree?

My favorite tree would have to be the Bradford Pear Tree. They have the most beautiful white blooms in early Spring. They are a fast growing tree and usually hold their shape well.
There is a line of these trees along the roadway near my home. I pass them everyday. 



8. Insert your own random thought here.
I haven't been online much lately. Much of my time has been spent with my kids over the past few weeks. They came over for dinner one night with their significant others. I do love when they are all here. 
My daughter and I have been shopping and spent time cleaning out closets getting rid of clothes, shoes and junk. We took some to the consignment shops and some were donated. My daughter received $70 for things she took to Plato's Closet.  Better than just hanging in the closet, even if I most likely paid twice that amount for them. 

Thanks Joyce for being our Host and coming up with these Great Questions!!

Watching The Birds

This afternoon I was outside taking down my Halloween decorations and I noticed all the birds flying from the trees to my neighbors yard.

I grabbed my camera. Since there were so many of the birds I figured I would be able to capture at least a few of them.

I attempted to get a close up shot, but with so many leaves on the ground in my yard I wasn't able to get really close. The crunching of the leaves would scare them away.

 


My neighbor had mowed his yard and there were lots of little gnats flying around. I suppose that is what was drawing the birds in, since the majority of them were Robins.

While I was watching the birds, the sky started to get cloudy. I even heard a clap or two of thunder. I liked the way the sky looked as the sun went behind the clouds.  

I ventured into the back yard trying to capture the Cardinals I saw around the feeders.









But again, the crunching leaves would scare them away as I got close.











It is funny that my yard is full of leaves with most of the trees having very few leaves remaining, but my neighbor's trees are still full of leaves and color. I love the bright red against the yellow of these trees, so pretty.

Linked With:

The Bird D'Pot

Shadow Shot Sunday 2

Straight Out of The Camera

Your Sunday Best