Another Hodgepodge Wednesday

Hodgepodge Time once again and our gracious host, Joyce over at The Other Side of the Pond, has another group of great questions for us. Below are the questions and my answers.  

1. When were you last 'on a mountaintop'? You may answer in the literal or figurative sense.

Well the only mountain I have ever visited has been the Great Smoky Mountains. 
The last time I was there was in the Spring of 2005. My daughter and I, and my husband and step son walked the half-mile steep trail to Clingman's Dome.  

Clingman's Dome

Clingman's Dome, at 6,643 feet, is the highest point of the Smoky Mountains. It is the highest point in Tennessee. 
Clingman's Dome is located along the state-line ridge, half in Tennessee and half in North Carolina. A paved trail leads to a 54 foot observation tower. It was atop this tower that my husband proposed (April 5, 2005)





2. Do you establish and maintain a strict budget in your household? What is one piece of financial advice you would offer someone just starting out on their own?

I try to stay on a budget, but with a child in college the budget goes out the window a lot. Plus the fact that I work for my husband and if money doesn't come in we struggle.

After my divorce from my first husband, I relied on credit cards to get by. I did alright until the recession hit and they cut my credit limits, which jacked up the interest. At about the same time I had to have a couple of medical procedures which created more debt. I dug myself into a bit of a hole that I am still trying to dig out of.

Many of our bankruptcy clients have very similar problems that lead them to our office. I am often shocked at the number of credit card accounts that people have.

My advice would be - STAY FAR FAR AWAY from Credit Cards, or at least use them as little as you possibly can get by with. They are good to help in building credit, but are far too easy to use and quickly you can find yourself in too deep. 

3. Cherries-yay or nay? Cherry pie, cherry cola, black forest cake, or a scoop of Ben and Jerry's Cherries Garcia...pick one.

Yay, Yay and Yay!! I love cherries. Cherry Pie, Cherry Coke, and Ben ad Jerry's Cherry Garcia is my Favorite! If I had to pick just one Cherry Delight, hands down it would be Cherry Garcia. How can you go wrong with it, after all it not only has cherries, but chocolate too!

4. Should you ever discuss religion or politics with people you don't know? 

 I think religion and politics are very sensitive topics and ones that often become heated discussions. I think a person should tread lightly when discussing these topics with someone you do not know.   

5. When you take a road trip do you prefer to be the driver or the passenger? Where were you headed on your last road trip? 

I prefer to be the passenger/navigator on road trips. I am not comfortable driving in places I am not familiar with. 

Our last trip was in December - January. While we flew to Orlando, we drove from Orlando to Tampa, from Tampa to Melbourne, and then from Melbourne back to Orlando. So I suppose you could consider it a road trip since we drove from one side of Florida to the other. 

6. If we peeked inside your closet, what color would we say is most prevalent?

Black, it is slimming and as I have gotten older I have put on a few pounds, I need all the help I can get!!! Plus I have to dress business casual for the office and most dressed slacks are black or grey.

7. Who's your favorite senior citizen and why are they special?

A woman that I worked with a several years ago, Miss Shirley, as we called her. She always told me that I reminded her of her daughter, who died in a car wreck at the age of 21. Her daughter and I were born on the same day and the same year. She kind of took me under her wing and we became very close. Even after we both left the workplace we remained close. She moved away because of health issues and needing to be closer to her family. We stayed in touch even after she moved and would talk on the phone for hours. She eventually ended up in a nursing home after having a stroke. After that she had problems with her speech so our calls stopped. She tried to write a couple of times and just a week before she died had one of the nurses write to me for her. She was a special lady. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

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