Wednesday Hodge Podge

1. The summer Olympics begin next week and London is playing host. If you had the chance to go in person what (non-Olympic) London site would you most like to visit?

I'd love to see the West End and Soho.  I love the arts and the shopping.  I'd also absolutely adore to visit the London Street Markets!!

2. What is something in your life right now that feels like an Olympic event?

Getting out of bed!! I seem to be having a difficult time getting over my extended hospital stay and truly worried about something else being wrong.  But other than that....I'm doing great!

3. What's your favorite supper to prepare and serve when it's too hot to cook?

A marinated veggie tray with some cold cuts and a salad.  It just seems to hit the spot.  Sometimes I will add whatever fresh fruit is in season.  Like right now, the peaches and the grapes are sublime!

4. July 18th is National Get Out of the Doghouse Day...when was the last time you were 'in the doghouse?'

Welllllll....... right after I got out of the hospital....(after being told I couldn't smoke anymore).... I was sharing a cigarette with one of my best friends...and dad caught me.  I'm almost 43 years old and I got "busted" for smoking a cigarette.  He was definitely NOT a happy camper.  He even "peached" on me on Facebook! 

5. What television commercial do you find particularly irritating or inappropriate? You may not answer with 'all of them'. I know some of you were thinking about it. 

Those "Enzyte" commercials with "smiling Bob" and his "appreciative wife".  How an herbal supplement can enlarge a man's penis and make his wife "extremely happy" and the neighbors jealous is beyond me.  Wikipedia states that the founder and his grandmother were convicted on criminal charges and they went bankrupt after collecting some $400 million dollars from the gullible consumers. Be very careful if you decide to try a "miracle drug" from t.v.

6. Share one interesting piece of news from the year you were born.

May 15, 1969 – An American teenager known as 'Robert R.' dies in St. Louis, Missouri, of a baffling medical condition. In 1984 it will be identified as the first confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in North America.   July 4 – Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin are shot at Blue Rock Springs in California. They are the second (known) victims of the Zodiac Killer. Mageau survives the attack while Ferrin was pronounced dead-on-arrival at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Richmond. 1969 was a year full of the "WOW" type of news.

7. What's the best part of your average day?

The best part of my average day is enjoying a favorite cup of coffee and some fresh zucchini bread.  Folks have been giving me zucchini after zucchini from their gardens in exchange for me making them my special zucchini bread.  *the recipe calls for 3C of zucchini, but I substitute 2C of it with 1C of shredded apple and 1C of shredded carrots.*

 8. Insert your own random thought here.

Until you've lived my life and had my experiences, don't judge me.  There are reasons why I do what I do and I am who I am.

Kelly@CCCC Hodgepodge Wednesday

1. The NFL playoffs were held this past weekend and this year's Superbowl lineup will feature The New York Giants versus The New England Patriots. How do you define 'patriot'?  Someone who will stand up for their beliefs, religion, family, friends, and country.

2. What's something in your life right now that feels like a 'giant'?  Waiting to be able to organize and put my very first craft room together and make it functional.  At the moment, the room that was supposed to be my craft room has current tenants.....

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think back to being 18?  Flying through the air at about 35mph headfirst into a telephone pole. =P

4. Coconut-mashed potatoes-vanilla ice cream-mayonnaise...which white food would be the hardest to give up?  Would definitely be the mashed potatoes.  I'm not big on any of the others.

5. Describe an incident or a day you remember as the coldest you've ever experienced?  Just before Halloween one year, I rode on the back of a motorcycle from Albuquerque to Colorado Springs (about a 9-10 hour drive).  By the time we got to the border, at Raton Pass, we stopped at McDonalds to warm up.  I was so frozen that I needed assistance to get off the bike.

6. You're hosting a brunch...what's your favorite dish to prepare and serve?  My favorite dish to prepare is French Toast.  I add vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the mix and I use only Texas Toast.  Then just before serving, I sprinkle with powdered sugar.  yummmm, making me hungry now....

7. How do you combat negative thinking?  I look at all the hate, violence, wars, divorce, hunger, homelessness, and neglect that goes on in the world, and it reminds me that my life isn't that bad, that it could always get worse.

8. Insert your own random thought here.   "To know that life is endless, puts new purpose in our days, and fills our hearts with joyous songs of hope and love and praise."  Helen Steiner Rice.