Tag Archives: Strawberries

Those Were the Days Hodgepodge

It’s time again for Wednesday Hodgepodge and Joyce is challenging our brains to remember high school among other things.
Happy Flag Day for those of you who live in the U. S.A.
1. What does productivity look like to you? 
We are retired so our putting in effort for a yield is different from the true definition of productivity. Right now our weeds are the most productive thing staring me in the face because our weeds are taking over and they are being much more productive than me. On the positive side of things our Clematis and day lilies are being very productive, too, thankfully. I can look above the weeds in some areas of the yard. 🙂

2. What was your fondest (or one of your fondest) memory of High School?

In the Spring of my first year of high school tryouts were held for the different cheer squads. We had Yell leaders, Song Leaders and Flag Twirlers. Historically Juniors were Flag Twirlers and Seniors were Song Leaders or Yell Leaders. I wasn’t great at twirling a flag so I made the bold move to try out for Song Leader. We had grueling tryout sessions where we learned the routines that we’d have to perform in front of a panel of teachers who would narrow down the field to perform in front of the whole school and then put the vote to the student body for the final team and alternates. I remember how hard it was to walk up stairs after those training sessions. After the first tryout I made the cut and then the decision went to the student body. When the votes were counted they put up a sheet of paper with the results in the main hallway at school. I was thrilled to see my name on the list as one of the six! There were also 2 alternates. My future sister-in-law was one of the alternates. The other Song Leaders weren’t as thrilled as I was that I made the team. Oops. Lest you think I was sooo popular with the student body let me explain that I had a brother a year ahead of me and a sister 2 years ahead of me who were popular and our family name was well known in school so I’ll give lots of credit to that fact in my success in getting the popular vote! 🙂

My Junior year with the other Song leaders who were Seniors.

In this photo my future sister-in-law is behind me. This was our Homecoming rally and she is wearing a homecoming corsage that my brother gave her.

You had to try out every year so in my Junior year I tried out and made the cut again for Song Leader in my Senior year. This photo above is in my Senior year with my good friends who moved from being Flag Twirlers (as Juniors) to Song Leaders (as Seniors).

We’d probably lose 3-5 pounds every Friday night from all the aerobics.

3. What did you do the summer after High School? 

I worked and got ready to go off to college at the University of Redlands.

4. June 14th is National Strawberry Shortcake Day…are you a fan, and if so will you celebrate? How do you make yours? Have you been strawberry picking? If so what do you do with all those berries? 

We enjoy Strawberry Shortcake with sugared strawberries that have made a little of their own juice and we’ll have them with different bases like angel food cake, pound cake, or our Russian Easter Bread, with whipped cream or at Easter with Seernaya Paska (a sweetened cheese).  I have been strawberry picking but didn’t pick more than we could enjoy within a couple days. In California when we lived in Camarillo we had Strawberry fields close by and what a treat it was to go and buy baskets of fresh strawberries to enjoy. So good and sweet unlike some of the grocery store variety.

5. What’s something you always splurge on? 

Besides our kids and grandkids? We’ll always splurge on Birthday and Anniversary meals and/or nights away during those events.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our master shower project is underway.

Happy Flag Day everyone! Our flag is waving!

 

Smell the Hodgepodge

Time for Wednesday Hodgepodge where Jo comes up with the questions and we come up with the answers. Thank you Jo From This Side of the Pond.

1. What are some memories you associate with spring?

Strawberry Stands in Southern California. Fresh strawberries right from the fields were so juicy, sweet and delicious! Both of our grandchildren were born in the Spring and that is a very special memory being at the hospital waiting to hear about their entry into this world. Addy was born on the first day of Spring. Easter celebrations are also high on the list of things I associate with Spring. Easter is a favorite of mine to celebrate with joy. After we moved to Washington State a trip to the tulip fields in April make for a wonderful visual picture of Spring!

2. April showers bring May flowers…was that saying proven true where you live? Snapdragons, anemones, carnations, lilacs, sweet peas, tulips, lily of the valley, orchids, roses, gardenias…which one on that list is your favorite May bloom?

If I have to choose one I’ll say lilacs!

Here’s a lilac memory from April 2010 of my niece and grandniece at Descanso Gardens in Southern California.

3. What are your top three distractions and how do you deal with them?

Noise, Empty chatter, devices as in smart phones.

If I can’t get away from the noise I have my headphones.

If I can’t get away from the chatter I try to tune it out. I do tend to sigh when the chatter stops.

Devices, I turn them to silent, or turn them off.

4. Do you eat beef?

Yes!

In the course of a week, how often is beef on the menu?

I would say at least 3x’s a week.

A hamburger, steak, prime rib, or a roast beef dinner…which beef entree would you choose and yes you have to choose. Unless you’re a vegan, and then you may pass.

In a restaurant I would most likely choose Prime Rib if it’s on the menu. If not then I’d go with a hamburger.

5. In what way were you creative during the month of April?

I was creative in planning, organizing, recruiting, cooking and serving 58 pastors last Thursday and Friday. We served dinner, a dessert social, lunch and dinner.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

 

These grabbers are a favorite with our grands. Toys just don’t hold as much interest. They were trying to grab uncle Andrew’s feet.

Friday’s Fave Five ~ Tis the Season…

…for the beginning of MLS Soccer 2010!

 

I was so pleased to get my Season Ticket Holders 2010 Package. I’ll be sporting the new scarf to all the games. Last night was the season opener and my son, DIL and I went together. Our friends Beau and Bridget met up with us there, too.

 

And the best way to start a season off is with a win and I’m happy to say we beat Philadelphia 2-0! Way to go Sounders!

I just have to share one more photo from the game last night. This was a Seattle Motorcycle Policeman that we spotted during the “March to the Match” Love the fact that he’s sporting a Sounder’s Scarf!

 

 

And now to the other favorites!

~My pear tree blossoming.

~Strawberries being in season.

~ Duplicating at home the Fried Polenta in Creamy Gorgonzola and mushroom sauce that we had at Nell Thorn Restaurant in La Conner. I’ll share my recipe soon.

~ Making my mom’s rice with raisins. It’s been so long since I had made it and it was good to have that taste treat again. Recipe will be at the Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog soon.

~ Finding a great purse at Goodwill, a $45.00 baggallini for $5.95. It was perfect for the Sounders game.

Now please visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in with your favorites or to see more. Thank you Susanne!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.