A new year for Wednesday Hodgepodge.
Here’s to aiming higher in 2026!
Starting off the first Wednesday of 2026 with a new set of questions that Joyce From This Side of the Pond wants us to ponder.
1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2025?
Feet: In January I developed Plantar Fasciitis for the first time in my life so a lot centered around my feet and getting around the pain. Purchases of shoes, socks and inserts were contemplated. I did not do any walking trails, hikes, to speak of in 2025.
Plans: Lots of plans for travel and parties and carpooling and gifting in 2025. A lot of those plans are for 2026, too. I keep sane with my lists.
Yo-Yo: Up and down and up and down and up when it comes to my weight…again. I’m working on the down trend as I type.
2. I ask this question every January, and I always get comments about how we shouldn’t be banning words. This is fun and games so just play along : )
Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they’d like to see banished from the Queen’s English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse, or just general uselessness (go here to read about how the words are chosen). Here’s the list for 2026-
67 • demure • cooked • massive • incentivize • full stop • perfect • gift/gifted • my bad • reach out
Which one (if any) do you use most often? Which one of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word you think should have made the list?
I did a word search on my blog to see what if any of these words I used. Since I talk about the Lord Jesus Christ on my blog and share verses and hymns that center on Him there were a lot of posts with the word perfect in them since He is the only perfect person that has ever lived on this earth. It was not the same kind of perfect people use these days, though. Just this last week I got a response to a text message that said ‘perfect’. When we’ve made restaurant choices the wait staff have responded with ‘perfect’. That’s not the form of perfect that I’ve used.
Gift and gifted have popped up in my blog posts, too, but they are appropriate to what I was expressing.
I have talked about what was cooked but again I don’t think that’s the ‘cooked’ they are talking about here.
I vote for 67 getting the ax.
3. What are your nightly rituals? Is that different from your ‘ideal’ nightly ritual? If so what’s your ideal?
If you talk to our grands, they’ll tell you (even though they don’t spend evenings with us) that we sit in front of the tv eating ice cream every night. They might not be too far off.
Ideally, I’d like to read more and be done eating by 6pm.
4. January 6th is/was National Bean Day. Do you like beans? Which one is your favorite? Last thing you ate made with beans?
Yes, I do like beans. Pinto is probably my favorite and the kind I have most often since Mexican food is comfort food for us. We had refried beans with our Mexican meal on this past Sunday.
5. Are you easily embarrassed? Elaborate.
Not unless I’m caught naked! 🙂 I’ve done embarrassing things in my life that I’m ashamed of. I have been forgiven for those things. I’ve learned over the years to avoid embarrassment whenever I can. In general, I’m not easily embarrassed.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I was impressed with the way our daughter-in-law, her mom and our grands started out the New Year. They walked the Rotary Trail. Check out that temperature!!
I also need to share this sweet embroidery that our grandson JJ completed and his mom made into an ornament for me. I love it!
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Awww, JJ did a great job with the embroidery project- what a wonderful ornament for you! I have used the word ¨perfect¨ in the sense that the wait staff did at your restaurant. I know of a young person who uses it this way and I have definitely copied it! I don´t mind using it that way; I hope no one else does either, lol. I said 67 as well. Just NO! I´m sorry to hear about your feet. Are you pain free now? Have a great day!
Pinto Beans, there aren’t many of us who like them. Growing up they were my least favorite food. Now, they are a crock pot favorite once or twice a month during the winter.
…I’ll settle for aiming and hitting the target once and awhile.
Walking in those temps is no joke so good for them! A lot of my year featured my fracture, and we had some fractured relationships we’ve had to navigate as well so that word fit in both the literal and figurative. Hope you have some fun travel on the books for the coming year!
Great job JJ!
I am easily embarrassed! I tend to get embarrassed for other people who don’t have sense to be embarrassed for themselves. LOL!
I really like Pinto beans, too, but Mark is not fond of them. I really love them when they are refried! JJ did a great job with the embroidery!! You now have a keepsake!
I really like Hodge Podge Day. I also use “perfect” and “cooked” as you describe, but I must confess I say”six se-e-ven!” to my grandchildren whenever the occasion arises, and they love it! What a funny pair of words to create such hilarity!
I love JJ’s embroidery. I got one grandchild a little embroidery kit for Christmas, and she’s working on it. I hope it turns out as nice as JJ’s.
Good Morning, If Addy and JJ knew the phrase six-seven, I’d use it, too, just to see their reaction. 🙂 Maybe I need to ask them if they’ve ever heard it?? Hmm…
Hello, Happy New Year! I love the photo of the brave hikers.
My grandma did embroidery, a true art JJ is learning.
xx oo
Carla
Ellen, that ornament is so precious and what a wonderful job JJ did.
What a clever grandson. That’s a real keepsake. Love all those words to ban. I’ll have to check my blog to see if I use any. Possibly the word perfect lol!
Hello,
I like to take a New year’s Day walk! Great post and photos. Take care, enjoy your day!
I should have started my year off with a walk! Because yo-yo could fit into my 2025 words, too. But, hey, that nightly ritual with ice cream doesn’t sound half bad!!:)
Such a cute ornament. I can’t sew or do embroidery! I, also, chose pinto beans as a favorite. Too cold for me to walk at 27 degrees!!
That is a sweet ornament! Walking at 26 degrees — maybe we walk faster then it’s that cold?!!!!
Yes, several of the words in that question are used easily by me, but certainly not in the way people intent these days!
I’m impressed. JJ did a great job. What a treasure!!
Generations of love captured in a single ornament – so sweet!
That’s a very special gift from JJ, a sweet ornament. I remember first coming to the states and using words that had totally different meanings here than they did where I grew up. I learned quickly! I remember getting embarrassed very easily at my first dinner with hubs’ family. I didn’t realize I could get so red. Loved the Hodgepodge, thanks Ellen! Happy rest of the week to you.