Mamma in her Kerchief and I in my HodgePodge

Had just settled our brains for a long week's break. Well, the break actually comes next week as Joyce, our lovely host, will be traveling. Lucky girl. She sure travels a lot. I'd love to be her travel buddy. lol. Anywhoo, back to the Hodgepodge for this week. The last one of 2010.

1. Share your Christmas Eve traditions. We don't really have traditions for Christmas Eve. Our activities for that day always depend on the hubs work schedule. This year he happens to be off for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Wooohoooo. We'll be making up our own traditions this year.

2. What was the best book you read in 2010? (we're not going to include The Bible here) Honestly, I did very little recreational reading in 2010. Something that will be different in 2011.

3. Do you have pets and if so do you allow them on the furniture? We do not have any pets. Getting one is still being debated. I'll let you know.

4. What event from 2010 are you most thankful for? Graduating! Are you tired of hearing that yet? Sorry if you are. I still think it's a big stinkin deal.

5. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before. Loaded up my Harley and went on a road trip with my pal, Jessica.

6. Brussel sprouts...friend or foe? I love Brussel sprouts. In fact, we are having them as one of the veggies for our Christmas Day dinner.

7. Who would you nominate for man/woman of the year? My wonderful husband. He puts up with all my shenanigans and travel adventures. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. Today is my last day of work for 2010. I'm off for 12 days and looking forward to spending some relaxing time at home. Hey. Maybe I'll even get started on the reading list. I'm definitely going to be trying some new recipes so watch for those.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting. Do you have Christmas Eve traditions. Please leave me a comment or hop on over to Joyce's at From This Side of the Pond and link up.

 

Like other bloggers, I'll be taking a break for a few days. Please join me in celebrating the birth of Jesus. The Gift and the Giver. Have a very, Merry Christmas.

Peace and Joy,

Susan

Luke 2:8-11 (NKJV) ⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Throne Trip Tuesdays - Perspective

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yes, " said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

May your eyes be opened to the Gift and the Giver for they are one and the same.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Luke 2:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Stirring the Pot - Orange Salad

I promised this recipe a few weeks ago. I love this orange salad. My granny made it every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. It's sweet, delicious, light, and scrumptious.

Grandma G's Orange Salad

1 pkg orange jello
1 pkg regular vanilla pudding (not instant)
1 pkg tapioca pudding
1 sm can drained mandarin oranges (reserve juice)
3 cups water (use some of the reserved juice to account for part of the water)
1 8 oz container cool whip

Combine the jello and pudding mixes in a small sauce pan. Add the reserved juice plus enough water to equal 3 cups. Bring to a boil. Remove and cool. Blend in the orange segments. Gently fold in the cool whip. Refrigerate.

Note: This recipe uses the small size packages of jello and pudding. If you use the large packages, double the water and oranges. Then use a larger container of cool whip.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting. I hope you enjoy this delicious "salad" (desert) as much as my family has enjoyed it.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Psalm 29:11 (NKJV)  The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

TSMSS - Joy to the World

There are so many wonderful Christmas songs. Like this one.


Thanks for stopping by and visiting. If you'd like to listen to more wonderful, uplifting songs, or post your own, link up with Amy at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Luke 2:10 (NKJV) Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

Flashback Friday - Presents

Linda hosts this every week. Christmas has been the theme. Lights. School programs. Parties. This week she wants to know about our Christmas memories related to presents. I'm also joining JAVA over at Never Growing Old for her wonderful FOLLOW FRIDAY 40 and OVER.

When did you open Christmas presents when you were growing up? Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? If you traveled, did your parents take the gifts, or did you open them early or late? Did your parents have Santa leave presents? Were they wrapped or unwrapped? Did you have stockings? What was generally in those? Were gifts simple and practical or more extravagant? Did you give presents to your parents and siblings? Were they homemade or purchased? If purchased, did you pay with your own money or did your parents pay? What are memories of special gifts you received? Did you ever peek and find out what your gifts were ahead of time? Did presents gradually appear under the tree in the days leading up to Christmas and were you allowed to touch/shake them?

There are many memories over the years. Whether we were at home or celebrating with relatives far away, we always opened gifts Christmas morning. I have lived all my life away from family. Some years we stayed at home. Other years we traveled to family.

I still remember the excitement of waking up before dawn to see what Santa had brought. We were not allowed to go near the tree until everyone was up. My dad, bless his heart, would have been up late putting together this toy or that bicycle. He knew we were excited to get to the gifts. But seriously. Who wants to get up after only a meager few hours of sleep. Of course, as we got older we slept in later. At least till it was actually dawn. lol

One year I accidentally found the gift hiding place. I was 12 or 13. I couldn't help myself when I ran across them. I looked. It was the most disappointing Christmas ever. There were no surprises. I think that's part of the excitement of Christmas. The suspense. I was not allowed to handle any gift under the tree. Whether it had my name on it or someone else's. I reached a point where I had an uncanny ability to guess the package contents.

This photo is clearly from Christmas past. We are at my grandparents house. My mom's parents. My brother, me, my uncle Larry, and my aunt Carla in front of the tree. Carla and I are five months apart. Crazy isn't it? My mom and grandma were pregnant at the same time. Carla and I grew up more like cousins or sisters. Anyway. Clearly, we've already opened our gifts. I'm the two and a half year old with the death grip on the doll. It looks like my uncle Larry scored big with what look like skis. Carla has a Suzy Goose. I don't even know what that is. There are two big trucks and several stuffed animals too.

Thank you so much for reminiscing with me. Do you have a Christmas present past to share? Leave me a comment or hop on over to Mocha with Linda and link up.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Luke 1:46-47; 49 (NKJV) ⁴⁶ And Mary said: “ My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. ⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

Stirring the Pot - Southwestern Chicken Appetizer

This is a great appetizer. I served this at the cookie exchange. It was a huge hit. You can cut in half if you're serving a small group of about 10.

Southwestern Chicken Appetizers

1 Loaf French Baguette, thinly sliced

2 Cooked Chicken Breasts, finely chopped (about 2 C chopped)

1 Small Bell Pepper (any color)

1 Jalapeno, seeded, cored, shopped

1 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Divided Use

½ Small Onion, finely chopped

½ t Kosher Salt

¼ to ½ C Mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s)

1 Clove Garlic, minced

2 T Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning

1 Lime, zest and squeeze

2 to 3 Plum Tomatoes, thinly sliced

3 T Freshly Snipped Cilantro

Combine chicken, peppers, onion, salt, garlic, seasoning mix, and lime juice. Add just enough mayo to hold mixture together.

You can stop here and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. I make this a day ahead of time. Then when I’m ready to bake:

Add- ½ C cheese to chicken mixture and mix until well combined.

Place sliced baguette on baking sheet. Spread chicken mixture evenly over bread slices (about a T per slice), slightly flattening the top. Top each with one sliced tomato; sprinkle with leftover ½ C cheese. Bake at 375 until cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with freshly snipped cilantro. Serve warm.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. 

Peace and Joy,

Susan

Matthew 2:10 (NKJV) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

Giddy Yap for the Wednesday HodgePodge!

The thermometer has tanked here. Not even kidding. The high for the last three days has barely reached 20. At least it's not so windy. The weather definitely mirrors this week's song theme for our HodgePodge. Thanks to Joyce From This Side of the Pond.

1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'? To me it means to be caring, compassionate, and giving to others. As Christ gave to you so you also should give.

2. What sits atop your tree (s)? Why? A Star. Because I like the star.

3. When was the last time you gave yourself a pat on the back? The cookie exchange party was a success. I stroked myself for that one.

4. Which of your senses is most sensitive this time of year? My sense of humor. People out shopping in all the craziness just crack me up.

5. What do you have too much of in your kitchen? Coffee cups. What? Yes. You heard me right. We have too many coffee cups. We only regularly use three or four of them. Yet, whenever we go somewhere and the hubs find a "cool" Harley mug he just has to buy one or four.  

6. What do you do for meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Big meal? Breakfast tradition? Open the cookie tins and have at it? We have a big dinner Christmas Day. Usually steak and shrimp. This year we're having steak and lobster tails. Plus the sides. Who wants a tater added to the pot?

7. What is the best thing about winter? That it will soon give way to spring.

8. Insert your own random thought here.When I logged into my computer and radio station just now, today's theme song was playing. Not even kidding. So of course, I have to share.

Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting. Be sure to hop over to Joyce's for other HodgePodge players or link up with your own answers.

Peace and Joy,

Susan

John 15:9 (NKJV) “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

Throne Trip Tuesday - Third Sunday of Advent

Sunday was the Third Sunday of Advent. In Christian tradition, this Sunday is called “Gaudete Sunday.” Gaudete means joy in Latin. We must all be glad and joyful as we await the coming of Christ into the world. He will come to bring us peace and contentment. He will come to restore all things unto him.

With Sunday’s celebration, we are also beginning the second phase of our Advent season which is to prepare ourselves for the commemoration of the coming of the Lord on Christmas Day. The pink candle will be lighted on Sunday symbolizing our eagerness to celebrate Christ’s coming on Christmas and our anticipation for his Second Coming.


The readings in Sunday’s liturgy give us reasons to rejoice. The First Reading taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah (35:1-6,10) foretells the coming of Christ. Isaiah says that with the coming of the Redeemer, “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” (Is. 35: 5-6¬). This will give the people reason to rejoice for at last, the Savior has come to their aid – he has come to rescue them from what enslaves them.


The Second Reading urges us to be patient in waiting for the Lord. (James 5:7-10) There will be sufferings and trials on the way, but when the Lord comes, all of these will end and our sufferings will turn to joy for he comes to comfort us. The Gospel Reading presents to us another important figure as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus. He is no less than John the Baptist. In the Gospel, John the Baptist tells us that the one who will come is greater than he. He is Jesus, the one who will bring sight to the blind, recovery to the ill, and good news to the poor. (Matthew 11:2-11)



As we continue our preparations for Christ’s coming, let us not forget that the coming of Christ is good news for us Christians. Therefore, even as we repent from our sins, we must be joyful and glad for the Lord has come and will come again to bring forth goodness, justice, and love. Rejoice!

Peace and Joy,
Susan

1 Chronicles 16:10 (NKJV)  ¹⁰ Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

Monday Musings - Health Care Meets TSA

Airport Security full body scans and enhanced pat downs have become quite a hot topic. So has the health care law passed by our government. Here's a great compromise and an excellent use of resources.

AHAHAHAHA! Sorry. This showed up in my inbox this morning, and I couldn't pass up sharing it. Have a great week.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Matthew 2:4-6 (NKJV) ⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ⁶ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Catching Up on the Way Behind

How's that for a catchy title? I need to back up a few days. ANNOUNCEMENT!!! My great blog friend, Kurt aka KrippledWarrior at Some Things I Have Learned is the winner of my giveaway. Congratulations Kurt. So glad you won. He was notified last week, I just hadn't posted it yet.

My daughter and I baked about 15 dozen cookies. Yes, you read that right. 15 dozen. Why so many? My annual cookie exchange was Saturday. I needed six dozen for the exchange. A couple people had to back out at the last minute so I wanted to contribute an extra six dozen. We made Snickerdoodles and Walnut-Maple Drops for the exchange. We also made chocolate chip to eat. Yeah. We're crazy like that.

The cookie exchange was a great success. Seven of my closest friends came over. We shared laughs. Played Christmas trivia. Answered Christmas song questions. They won gift baskets. One lucky person won the cookie jar. We ate appetizers. We drank mulled apple cider. We played the Dirty Santa Gift Exchange. It was a lot of fun.

I was so busy hosting, I didn't take a single picture. Not one! Ugh.

Today was to be cookie baking day with the grand-boy. He wants to make chocolate crinkle cookies. But the weather turned crazy. Yesterday it was in the mid-40s and raining. Today it barely reached 20. It snowed. And snowed. Then it snowed some more. On top of that the wind was kicking. Not a very pleasant day. Definitely a day for staying indoors. Baking cookies with the grand-boy is rescheduled for next weekend.

Now my way behind is caught up with the rest of me. Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting. Have a fabulous week.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV) ⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

The Parson Brown HodgePodge

Who? Parson Brown. You know the guy....."in the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown...." That's the theme for this week's HodgePodge with Joyce From This Side of the Pond. Winter Wonderland:

1. Have you ever been on a real sleigh ride? How about the warm weather version - a carriage ride? Yes and Yes. ahaha. Surprised? Probably not. When I was in high school, my family and I traveled to Colorado for Christmas. A real sleigh ride was on the agenda. I still remember the feel of the cold air, the jingle of the bells on the horse's harness, the runners on the sleigh, the wonder of moving through the mountains in the sleigh. It was definitely magical.

2. What's your policy on 'chain mail'...you know, the emails you receive that are often some sort of poem/blessing/good wish that ask you to send it on to 10 or 12 friends? Do you delete without opening, read and trash, read and trash and then worry you won't be blessed/lucky/protected? Do you delete the sender from your contacts or just go ahead and send the love onward? I sometimes read them and delete them. I rarely forward them on.

3. Who is your favorite character in any of the Christmas movies and why? It's just to difficult to pick one. There are so many Christmas movies I watch over and over.....year after year. It's a Wonderful Life, Rudolph, Miracle on 34th Street, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Prancer, The Santa Clause series with Tim Allen. But I'd have to choose Linus when he gets on stage and tells what Christmas is all about. 

4. Share a favorite quote. You know I can't pick just one. ahahaha

Four things you can't recover:
The stone.....after the throw.
The word.........after it's said.
The occasion....after it's missed.
The time.........after it's gone.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, WOO HOO what a ride!

If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it. Chinese Proverb

Always put off until tomorrow what you shouldn't do at all. --Morris Mandel

A word to the wise does no good. It's the stupid people out there that need the help.- Bill Cosby 

5. What's your favorite holiday scent? Any cookie baking in the kitchen or apple spice scent.

6. Does the Christmas season stress you out? In what way? Sometimes. If I try to get too much done in a short amount of time. When that happens I take a step back, breathe deeply, and have a glass of wine. :)

7. What's the best thing about your life right now? That I'm approaching the five year mark of being cancer free. Yesterday's headline of Mrs. Edwards passing is one of those reminders to me that "but by the grace of God, there go I."

8. Insert your own random thought here. This is the time of year I would rather be home nesting, baking, entertaining, celebrating family, friends, and the birth of our Savior.

If you'd like to join in with your own hodgepodge, hop on over to see Joyce. She's got the lowdown. Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting today. 

Peace and Joy,

Susan

John 14:6 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Stirriing the Pot with a Cookie Recipe Exchange

 I'm having a Christmas Cookie Exchange this Saturday IRL so when Sara decided to hold a virtual cookie recipe exchange I was on board. There are several cookies I like to make every year, but these two are a must: Snickerdoodles and Walnut-Maple Drops. I acquired this scrumptious cookie recipe in 2002 from a Land O Lakes cookie recipe book. You know the kind. They sit at the end of the check out lane tempting you to look inside. So I did. lol It's the only place I've every seen this recipe. It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It has an unexpected flavor from the maple flavoring. Do try it. They're not your ordinary oatmeal cookies.

Walnut-Maple Drops
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup sugar
1 Cup Land O Lakes Butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspons imitation maple flavor
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats (I use old-fashioned)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 Cups chopped walnuts
60 large walnut pieces (enough for one large walnut piece on each cookie)

Heat oven to 350. Combine brown sugar, sugar, and butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2 to 3 minutes). Add eggs, maple flavor, and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Reduce speed to low, add flour, oats, and baking soda. Beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts by hand.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper). Press walnut piece onto top of each cookie. (Don't skip this step.) Bake for 9 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

The Snickerdoodle recipe comes from an older Betty Crocker cookbook. If anyone is interested in it, I'll be happy to post it too.

We'd love for you to post your favorite recipe and link up in the First Annual Cookie Recipe Exchange. How you ask? It's super easy. Just hop on over to Sara's and link up. Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting. Please let me know if you try these and if they were a hit.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)  ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,         And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Victorian Holiday Cerlebration

A couple weekends ago my pal, Jessica, and I met in the quaint community of Lebanon. The city not the Republic. lol. Anywhoo, this little town's claim to fame is the Mermaid House Hotel where Charles Dickens visited in 1842.

But the thing that drew us to this little town was their annual Christmas celebration. There was so much activity. Caroling. Carriage rides. Street entertainers. Food. Father Christmas. Beautiful window displays. A wedding party.

Here are a couple photos from the day. There are several pictures on my photo blog, Shutter Clicks.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Luke 2:15 (NKJV) So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Second Advent Sunday

Today, the Second Sunday of Advent, we light the second candle in our Advent Wreath symbolizing our eager anticipation for Christ’s coming into our lives. Christ is the light of the world and He lightens our path so that we may walk in the path of righteousness and peace. The candle too symbolizes watchfulness – an attitude all Christians must possess.
This Advent Season is indeed an opportune time for us to be reminded of the reality that Christ will come again and that He will judge us at the appointed time. However, fear must not rule our minds and hearts as we await His coming. We must look forward to His coming with joyful and renewed hearts. The readings today tell us how all of us can prepare joyfully and with hearts renewed.

In our First Reading, Isaiah the prophet tells us that the One who is to come is a great leader of God’s people. He is of royal descent and One who possesses the Spirit of God. He is coming to the world to fulfill a great mission: To bring justice to the poor, to punish the wicked, and to establish security (cf. Isaiah 11:1-10). The Second Reading, taken from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans (15:4-9) reminds us that as followers of Jesus the Christ, we must live in unity and harmony. Paul reminds the Church in Rome and all of us today that we should look up to Jesus as our model of one who desires unity and inclusivity. In the Gospel, Matthew narrates Jesus’ call to repentance: The “Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent!” Repentance means doing what is right and good and shunning what is evil.

In this holy season of Advent, the Church tells us that we must prepare for the coming of Christ because His coming will bring justice, love, and peace. The best way to prepare for His coming is to individually and collectively repent and resolve to always do the will of God for us. Sin causes disunity. Repentance heals relationships.

May the second candle of Advent that we light today be a reminder of our Christian duty to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

Philippians 1:9 (NKJV) And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

Last Day to Enter My Blogiversary Giveaway

I'm celebrating two years of blogging!!! I never dreamed I would still be posting or that so many of you would return regularly. Each of you is so precious to me. Thank you for your friendship, encouragement, and edification.

To celebrate you, CSN Stores is sponsoring a $35 gift code giveaway, and I'm throwing in a little something extra. All you have to do is be a follower and comment at this post before midnight CST.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

John 8:12 (NKJV) Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

TSMSS - Christmas with a Capital "C"

I heard this song for the first time yesterday morning. Can I just say..... I LOVE IT!!! Hope you enjoy this rockin song too.


I'm not sure how I missed this group, Go Fish Guys. These guys have powerful songs. If you're not familiar with them, check them out. The have awesome VBS materials and one of their projects might be just what a young person in your life needs today, This Day! Thanks for stopping by and visiting. If you'd like to hear more inspirational songs or participate, hop on over to Amy's of Then Sings My Soul Saturday.

Peace and Joy,
Susan

John 6:35 (NKJV) And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

A Cup of Hodgepodge Cheer!

That's right! It's a Holly Jolly HodgePodge! Joyce is off on another adventurous outing saying hello to friends she knows and everyone she meets. In the meantime, here's her hodgepodge questions of the week:

1. What is the most interesting thing you've done in the last year? This question leaves the impression that I have to choose just one thing. ugh! Who can choose? Let's see: I graduated. Great accomplishment but is it really all that interesting? hmmm. Probably not. How bout....oh, I know! I went on my first overnight motorcycle trip with my best pal, Jessica. We were gone for several days. Two gals. Out on the road. Sharing the motorcycle experience. Yep. I'm going with that one. Just call us The Wild Hoggettes. This pic is from a different trip we took, but it's the only photo I have with both of us in it and on our scooters.

2. What is your most meaningful family heirloom? Again. Choosing just one. ugh! I'd have to say my "Grandmother Clock." This clock was a gift to my maternal grandmother from my dad before I was born. My granny gave it to me a couple years before she went home to be with the Lord.

3. What food festival would you most like to attend? If you're not sure click here to see a list of possibilities.At first, I was going to answer the Southbeach Food & Wine Fesitval. But after seeing the ginormous list of food festivals around the world, who can pick just one? Are you seeing a theme? Maybe I need to change the title of this post. ahaha. Anywhoo, I'm going with a food festival in Italy. Food. Wine. Cheese. I'm thinking it doesn't get much better than that.

4. Snow...do you love it or is it considered a four letter word where you live? Snow I can take. But we live in that area of the country which borders the switchover from snow to rain; so we end up with ice.

5. Can you ski? Do you ski? Are you any good? I love to ski. Or at least I did in my younger days. I have not skied in years but would jump at the chance to go! Is that an offer?

6. What quality in your spouse or best friend are you most thankful for? Again with the pick just one option? Here's the list of qualities I'm thankful for in my hubby. Humor. Compassion. Patience. Integrity. Ingenuity. Ha! I'm such a rebel! 

7. Describe the coziest spot in your home. It's our living room. Except when it's the kitchen. lol

8. Insert your own random thought here. It's my two year blogiversary! To celebrate, I'm having a giveaway. Be sure to go here to enter.

Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting. I leave you with this:

Peace and Joy,

Susan

1 Chronicles 16:34 (NKJV)  Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.