Hodgepodge Surprises

This Wednesday Hodgepodge is asking about the surprise of your life! Join in the fun with Joyce's questions and share your answers with the other Hodgepodgers right here.

Thank you, Joyce!

1. What's surprised you most about your life, or about life in general?

The surprise of my life is that it has turned out so wonderful and filled with so much to be thankful for in spite of the fact that the plans and dreams I had for myself did not come about as I had imagined.

2. Among others, these ten words were added to the Oxford English Dictionary this year...awesomesauce, beer o'clock, brain fart, buttdial, cat cafe (apparently this is a real thing), fatberg (gross-read the definition here), fat shame, hangry, Mx (gender neutral), and skippable.

Your thoughts? In looking over the list, which word do you find most ridiculous? Which word would you never in a million years say out loud? Which word would you be most likely to use in conversation?

Mx?!! I really don't like any of these words and hope I won't be using any of them anytime soon. I'm embarrassed to say I can think of two times I have used the word buttdial and both times it was used to save words rather than explain I dialed by accident! Thanks for the warning about fatberg. I won't bother to look up the definition. 

I will add my opinionated opinion here that I believe the word awesome has been grossly overused and I prefer to use it only when referring to God.

3. Do you like gravy? Is there a food you'd rather not eat unless it comes with gravy? Do you make your own or buy the canned or store-made variety? Turkey and gravy, sausage gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy, country ham and red eye gravy, biscuits and chocolate gravy, pot roast and gravy...which one on the list is your favorite?

There was no mention of chicken fried steak with cream gravy! It just wouldn't be fittin' to eat chicken fried steak without gravy!

We really have to choose just one? So ... how about mashed potatoes and gravy since usually the gravy for the potatoes comes from either turkey or roast! How's that for getting all three in there? I make my own gravy when I cook a roast or fry chicken or chicken fried steak, all of which must be eaten with gravy. ;-) Give me some gravy!!!

photo credit

4. Do you have a plan? Do you need a plan? Have you ever had a plan fall into a trillion pieces? Explain.

My plan today is to have a printer up and running by Friday since my plan yesterday for a printer fell into a trillion pieces causing great grief. I will say both DH and I managed to survive without the use of any foul words or loud voices! 

I do like having a plan and yes, several times my plans have fallen into a trillion pieces. I am learning to cope when they fall apart and just go with the flow.

5. November 19 is National Play Monopoly Day. Do you own the original or some version of the game? Do you enjoy playing Monopoly? How likely is it you'll play a game of Monopoly on November 19th? Ever been to Atlantic City? Ever taken a ride on a railroad? Is parking in your town free? Last thing you took a chance on?

We have a very old Monopoly set, but I'm not sure if it is the original. We haven't played the game in years and I never was that good at it since I am not a risk taker. Usually my money was spent to pay rent to somebody else. 

We've never been to Atlantic City, but have taken several train trips. Our favorite was a Train Trip Tour Across Europe, which included a night on the Orient Express. We began the 19 day trip with a tour of London, took the Chunnel to Paris, then a glacier train through Switzerland and the Orient Express from Venice to Rome. It was a very memorable vacation. We also did the Silver Streak from Chicago to Salt Lake City and from Montana back to Chicago. 

In our compartment on the Orient Express -

no selfies back then!

with our steward

You can see the train is moving fast as we 

had breakfast in our compartment.

He can sleep anywhere!

We live in a small community. No parking fees. I can't remember the last thing I took a chance on.

6. A song you like that has the word (or some form of the word) thanks in the title, lyrics, or meaning?

Give Thanks ...

Give thanks 
with a grateful heart
Give thanks
to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now, let the weak say

I am strong.

Let the poor say

I am rich,

because of what 

the Lord has done for us.

Give thanks.
-Henry Smith

7. In keeping with this month's theme of gratitude....what is something you're taking for granted that when you stop and think about it, you're grateful for?

I think something we have taken for granted in the past was that our way of life in the US would continue as we knew it when we grew up, but is looking vastly different for our kids' future. That is one of the biggest surprises of life. We have had a lifetime of blessings of freedom and prosperity that some people never even experienced for a day in their life.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Installing a printer should be a simple process. We have done it several times in the past. But yesterday, we bought a printer, brought it home and discovered the printer inside was NOT the printer pictured on the box. We packed it up and returned it for another. After carefully unpacking and inspecting the printer, we plugged it in to begin the process. Two hours later and about 45 minutes on the phone with a very kind, but difficult to understand, customer support techie ________, he informed us it was a defective printer and should be returned!!

And now!! Off to Bible Study Fellowship!