Wednesday Hodgepodge questions that Joyce From This Side of the Pond asks each week are not surprisingly Christmas themed in December. Here we go…
1. What do you think it means to have the holiday spirit?
Going deep on this one and deferring to my hubby:
“It’s having the Spirit of Christ, who convicts of sin and enables faith in that Jesus is who He says He is and has done what He has says He has done. Without the work of the Spirit of Christ we would have no hope for forgiveness, for eternity with Him, for glory.
Romans 5:1 (ESV)
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
2. What’s one thing you’ve baked this month?
I baked a Chocolate Decadent Bundt cake last week for our card night.
Have you eaten the finished product?
Yes, at the card night last Friday night. It got very good reviews from those who ate it.
How much baking do you do around the holidays?
This varies from year to year. Some years I don’t make any cookies…shock!
What baked sweet something does your family insist is on the menu during this season of the year?
Roolyet is a Russian treat our mom would make every Christmas. A yeast dough rolled with a walnut filling (walnuts, sugar, egg whites and vanilla). Now that my sister and I perfected the recipe I should make it every Christmas, too.
3. Your most recent ‘half-baked’ idea?
How about thoroughly baked. In January I clicked on the buy button for plane tickets from Seattle to London for September of this year. Then COVID-19 struck us all. Plane tickets, Air BnB deposits and many plans made that had to all be cancelled. Thankfully all was refunded.
4. Where were you the last time you ‘baked’ in the sun?
In my own backyard pulling weeds.
The top ten sunniest destinations in the world (most sun from January-December according to this site) are Dubai, Bali Indonesia, Los Angeles CA, Miami FL, Barbados, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Mauritius, Antiqua, and the Canary Islands Spain. Have you been to any of the cities listed?
I was born in East Los Angeles and raised in the “burbs” of Los Angeles and spent many summers baking on Southern California beaches slathered in Coconut Butter. Craziness!
Which one on the list appeals to you the most?
We do not choose sunny destinations these days. We do not lay in the sun. We look for shade and head straight to an umbrella when the sun is out and the air is hot. The only reason L.A. is appealing these days is because of our loved ones who live there and who we enjoy spending time with.
If the world were not upside down crazy and you could lie on a beach anywhere right now where would you go?
Never mind lying on the beaches, I would choose Jolly Old England any time of the year, walking down a lane instead of lying on a beach!
Now that said, we do enjoy walking on the beach at dawn in the summer and any time of day in the Winter.
5. Today I wish I had more _____________________.
Options for shopping in my little town of Colville.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
This past Sunday to Monday we enjoyed a 46th Anniversary night at the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Idaho on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Dinner at Beverly’s on the 7th floor made us feel like normal before all this craziness came upon us all.
Our complimentary Anniversary dessert! Vanilla ice cream wrapped in cotton candy with some fruit and dessert bark.
When the Christmas cards are all signed, sealed and delivered to the Post Office I feel like I should get an award. Do you still send cards?
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
…we don’t bake much and that’s a good thing for me!
Tom, our sweet tooth has waned…
Love your hubby’s definition of holiday spirit! I remember the years of slathering on baby oil (!!) and lying out in the sun. Makes me cringe to think of it now! Cookie baking and card writing both take a lot of time. I like the idea of an award when the task is complete! 🙂
Hello,
Your Roolyet looks delicious. I do not back often since hubby is not supposed eat sweets. I prefer walking on the beach more than sunbathing. I hope you are able to take your England trip soon. Take care, enjoy your day!
You made me chuckle with the no lying on a beach for you. Lying on a beach ranks very low on my list of fun things…close to last. Good heavens! Your hubby went very deep on the Holiday Spirit question. He was definitely being foundational.
Looks like a gorgeous anniversary spot! And that Roolyet looks delicious. Course I don’t need any new sweet treats added here right now : ) I’d gladly spend a holiday across the pond too. Once things are open of course. Merry Christmas!
oh my goodness – that dessert!! happy anniversary! Your Roolyet looks delicious!! Since you said you were deferring the answer to #1 to your hubby, I have to ask – is he a minister? Just wondering. I work on a church staff and since he quoted scripture, I was just curious!
Hi Lisa, my hubby is not a minister but he is a servant of Jesus and he studies the Bible. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a message!
What a great anniversary celebration! The view is beautiful and that dessert looks delicious. Amen to #1, so well said by your husband. I usually send photo Christmas cards but I think I am stopping this year. I noticed the past couple of years I have received less cards, maybe the price of postage or people just do them online. My husband may ask me to do them though in which case I will 🙂
Amen to question number 1.
I’ve been baking quite a bit. Good thing we have a freezer. Usually give away a lot of baked goods for Christmas but won’t be seeing people this year.
Good answer to #1. I agree with your hubby.
That roolyet looks yummy and not too sweet.
Happy Anniversary to you two! I’m glad you got away and enjoyed some great views.
So glad you had a very nice anniversary get-away! That place sounds amazing. Your answers are always great to the hodgepodge questions. I have to say that I love the beach … not so much for laying in the sun but for walking along the shore. I have been doing some “half baking” – lol! It will be a half baked Christmas I guess. Hugs.
It sounds like your anniversary celebration was wonderful. Congratulations to you again. I baked my first date not bread in several years and the baking soda must have been bad because it didn’t rise. It just looked like a brick in a loaf pan, felt like one too! Once I am over my cold I need to bake some sugar cookies and frost them. My kids look forward to them every year.
Ellen – we have been to the outside of that resort – looks like we need a return trip to see the inside!!! You warmed my heart when you said you would prefer to go to Jolly Old England than to any of those sunny destinations! My hubby approves!