Do You Fondue Hodgepodge?

It’s not a Groundhog but it is a Moose! We saw our first Moose in Colville this past Sunday. We were very excited!

Wednesday’s Hodgepodge Groundhog version is today! Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions!

1. The Wednesday Hodgepodge landing on Groundhog’s Day sounds about right. Besides the Hodgepodge what else lands on your calendar just once a week? Is it as much fun as the Hodgepodge-ha!? 

The weekly regulars for me land on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Most every Sunday we meet with our church body for Sunday School and Morning Worship. On Monday evenings we have a Bible Study in a friend’s home. On Wednesday mornings we have a women’s prayer time at our church. They are worthwhile, encouraging and enlightening times with one on one, face to face communication happening. That’s the one thing the Hodgepodge lacks. Wouldn’t it be fun to do Hodgepodge around a table with coffee and treats, face to face!?

2. The Winter Olympics begin on Friday, surrounded by much controversy. Will you be watching? Why or why not? Have you ever been to China?

We haven’t discussed whether we’ll watch or not. The conditions surrounding the event seem oppressive. I have never been to China. Our oldest son and daughter-in-law have been a couple times.

Speaking of China…The Lunar New Year rang in yesterday, celebrated by millions in China and elsewhere! It is the year of the Tiger for them. A few years ago we decided to host a Chinese meal on Lunar New Year and this was the table I set for our meal. Dear had a conference in San Francisco in January of that year and a Russian/Chinese friend of mine gave me a tour of China Town in San Francisco where I bought some of the items to set the table. I found other things at Goodwill to round things out.

3. Something in your life lately that has felt a bit like an ‘Olympic event’? 

Walking to our garage and back has been like a Winter Olympic Event on Ice! I landed on my backside once and Dear landed on his backside and hit his head, too, sliding off the icy steps! Thankfully we both did not get hurt badly. We walk like penguins very carefully.

4. Do you like fondue? Sweet or savory? Restaurant only or do you own your own fondue set?

Yes, we do enjoy a good fondue. Mostly Savory but Sweet is good, too. We do own a couple fondue sets. I’ve been to the Melting Pot once with my sisters several years ago. I’m attaching a recipe in the random thought area for a Valentine’s day fondueish dessert you can make without a fondue set. This was a post I shared on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog back in February of 2012.

5. Give us five short (2-3 word) phrases to sum up your January. 

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday X3!

Let it Snow!

Slipping on Ice!

Fun with Grands! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Fondue
  • 1-1/2 cups half and half
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1-1/2 pounds bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (I used 2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips that I didn’t need to chop)
  • 1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur (If you do not want to use this you can substitute 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee)
  • 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (as always you can omit the nuts if you’d prefer)
Method:
  1. Place the half and half and heavy cream in a double boiler.
  2. Heat the creams until they bubble.
  3. Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the chocolate chips 1/2 cup at a time whisking while adding. When the chocolate is completely blended in, add the liqueur.
  4. Keep warm and sprinkle with hazelnuts just before serving.
  5. You can divide the chocolate into individual dipping bowls and serve with dipping fruit and other items or you can put the chocolate into a fondue pot at this time, too, to keep it warm.

Some dipping suggestions: cookies, biscotti, cubes of cake, dried apricots, pineapple, fresh berries, sliced pears, orange slices, and marshmallows.

This recipe easily served 8 people with leftovers. If you are serving a smaller group half the recipe.

Still Early Hodgepodge

Time again for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you Joyce From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions!

1. January 25th is National Opposites Day. ‘They’ say opposites attract…do you agree, and if so is that a good thing? Or do you subscribe more to a ‘birds of a feather’ philosophy? 

Getting really basic, in marriage opposites are a good thing, male and female. Our marriage started with a foundation of being the same spiritually, believing in God and being born again believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. After 47 years of marriage we have grown more similar than different in our likes and dislikes. We have different personalities and a different skill set, which works well. Although we don’t isolate ourselves with only like minded people it is nice to have a haven of like minded people in the world of ‘differences’.

2. Something you’re glad to have behind you?

Formal schooling from Elementary through College.

Something you’re glad is ahead of you? 

Continued learning experiences of life on this earth.

3. Your favorite hot food? Cold food? Are you a fan of breakfast for dinner? 

I love food! I’ll go with soup for hot food. I’ll go with a cold cut sandwich with all the extras for cold food. I am a fan of breakfast for dinner!

4. Are you someone who always arrives to appointments/events early or do you tend to run late? Last thing you were late for? 

Early, early, early. Hmm, hard to remember something I was late for. We did make it to a surprise party after the big surprise because the person who was being honored came early!

5. “What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?” John Steinbeck….Your thoughts? 

Every season has so much to enjoy all on it’s own and sometimes the huge contrasts do make us appreciate each season’s special characteristics more. I’m so happy to live in a part of the country where there are distinct differences in the seasons. Some here say we have a fifth season…mud.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We are in a distinct Winter here with temperatures below freezing, snow still on the ground, and treacherous icy spots to avoid! We are a third of the way through Winter.

Enjoy the rest of Winter hodgepodgers!

Speaking of Yellow Hodgepodge

Sisters wknd 076

My sisters in a field of daffodils in Mount Vernon, Washington State. We enjoyed a sister weekend back in March of 2016. I think it’s high time we had another sister weekend!!

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you Jo for the questions and the link-up!

1. It’s National Popcorn Day-my favorite! Are you a fan?

Yes

Sweet or salty?

Both. Give me some good Garrett Chicago Blend, cheddar and caramel!

A good or great movie you’ve seen recently (at home or in a theater, either one)? 

We haven’t watched many movies recently. I can’t remember the last time I was in a theater. We did watch ‘The Blind Side’ recently and it was good.

Some ‘great’ movies we’ve watched in the past: Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music, Lord of the Rings.

2. What’s something you didn’t realize was going to take so much of your time as an adult? 

Preparing all the things for the Tax man! We are now at a stage of life that this is not daunting anymore.

3. Your favorite yellow something? 

Daffodils, the flower that makes me smile because it heralds Spring!

4. Why do you write? 

I write to bring clarity to my jumbled thoughts. Things become clearer to me as I write. My thoughts can be so unorganized but when I write them out they make better sense. Writing out prayers is a good exercise for me.

5. Share a favorite memory associated with snow.

Christmas 2020 we had snow that was just right for building a snowman. Our whole family enjoyed creating Ami the Amish Snowman!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Happy Birthday to our firstborn son! He is God’s unique creation. He’s a great son, husband, brother, uncle, friend and boss. A great encourager who is giving, kind, dependable and hardworking.  We are so thankful to God that He gave you to us and that He saved you and continues to lead and guide you. We love you Joshie!

Give Me Freedom to Roam Hodgepodge

It’s Wednesday so here are the Hodgepodge questions for this week. Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond!

1. What do you wish you’d done more of last year?

More meditating on God’s Word, the Bible. Remembering what the Lord has done for us.

Less of? 

Less watching of mindless TV.

2. What’s the tallest building you’ve ever been in?
~chihuly-065
The Sears Tower was the tallest. The photo at the top of this post is of some of the Chicago skyline.
The Sears Tower is now the Willis Tower. Other tall buildings I’ve been in: Empire State Building, The Space Needle, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Statue of Liberty.
~
Do you have a fear of heights
~
No but I do have a fear of edges. Edges of cliffs, open edges on winding mountain roads.  A nice handrail or some sort of barrier between me and the edge is always comforting to me.
~
3. Do you have a word for the year? Elaborate if you’d like to elaborate. 
~
No word for the year as of yet and don’t know if I’ll choose one. I was considering Perseverance.
~
4. January 11 is National Milk Day…are you a milk drinker? What kind? Your favorite recipe that calls for milk (cereal doesn’t count)? 

I like milk but milk doesn’t like me. I can enjoy it in moderation. Give me whole or 2% please. Our family favorite, Swedish Pancakes, calls for milk.

5. What excites you most about the future?

That the Lord will return to gather us up to be with Him.

Seeing our grandchildren grow.

What do you miss about the past? 

Freedom to travel without masks and restrictions and having all the resources of travel available like open restaurants and attractions.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of watching our grandchildren grow. I will cherish all the moments like this one.

Thank you for visiting, fellow hodgpodgers and friends, you make me smile.

A New Year for the Hodgpodge

Hello Hodgepodgers!

It’s Snow Angel season around our parts and…

It’s time for a new year of Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you Joyce for coming up with the brain teasers each week.

1. Share one happy moment/memory from the holiday season. 

Seeing each of the three vehicles filled with our most precious cargo pull into our driveway on Christmas day!

2. Let’s be reasonable with our expectations going into this new year, k? What is one thing you’d like to accomplish/improve/complete/do in 2022? 

I’d like to stick to completing a 30 minute cardio workout most days in 2022.  Shoveling off the back deck with Dear on Monday qualifies as a cardio workout! Snowshoeing out my back door is on the agenda this week. After wrapping up this post I’m happy to report I blazed a snowshoe trail in our back acres on Tuesday.

3. 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 more about how the words are chosen). Here are the words/phrases they’d like to see banished in 2022-

wait, what?-no worries-at the end of the day-that being said-asking for a friend-circle back-deep dive-a new normal-you’re on mute-supply chain

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly?

‘No worries’ is the one phrase I’ve used most regularly, the others more randomly.  I do say, ‘did you mute your phone’ to Dear before the church service begins.

Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why?

‘A new normal’ is a phrase that strikes me negatively mostly because much that comes with this phrase are things that shouldn’t be normal, in my opinion.

Is there a word/phrase not on the list you’d like to add? (I misunderstood this question the first time around and added a phrase I like, oops) Here’s one I’d like banished.

‘Pandemic of the unvaccinated’ is the phrase I’d like to see banished because it is false from it’s root up.

4. Best thing you ate in the month of December? 

Our traditional Christmas dinner. Prime Rib, roasted veggies, creamed corn and Yorkshire Pudding.

5. January 5th is National Bird Day.

Are you a bird lover? 

Yes!

What’s your favorite bird to see in the wild?

Eagle is by far the favorite with hawks coming in at second. I have a strong desire to see an owl in the wild and if I ever do it might win the favorite spot!

Choose a phrase from the list that follows and tell us how it relates to your life currently…eat like a bird, bird’s eye view, early bird, bird-brained, free as a bird, a little bird told me, or kill two birds with one stone.

‘Early bird’ is a phrase that relates to my life currently. Sleeping in has escaped me. I’m up before dark these days. Our pop was always early instead of late and I’m a chip off the old block when it comes to arriving at a scheduled event early, too!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It looks like 2022 will not be a drought year in our parts! As of Tuesday morning January 4th we have about 20 inches of snow accumulated in our yard. More snow is on the way with temperatures that will not allow the snow to melt for awhile.

Only Joseph is still above the snow. We’ll see if he gets completely covered tonight!

To all my hodgepodging friends, I hope 2022 is a year filled with good things that draw you closer to the God who created you!

Young At Heart Hodgepodge

Our last Wednesday Hodgepodge of the Year. Thank You Joyce From This Side of the Pond for keeping this going!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Hodgepodgers!!

1. How young is young? In the past, according to various organizations who decide these things, age 60 was the ‘border age’ to old. The World Health Organization has done new research recently and divided up the categories as-0-17 (underage), 18-65 (youth or young people), 66-79 (middle-aged), 80-99 (elderly senior), 100+ (long-lived elderly). Your thoughts on this particular breakdown, and also your thoughts as to where you land?

That youth or young people section is a huge stretch and laughable!  In my opinion the WHO no longer lives up to it’s mission.

2. TIME magazine has declared Elon Musk person of the year in 2021. What say you? If you want to know more about how they choose you’ll find that info in the link here. If you were choosing, who would be your person of the year? 

He’s a very rich and very smart man, I hear. On the standards of Time Magazine I suppose he deserves it. I don’t buy Time magazine.

If I was choosing person of the year I’d choose Dr. John MacArthur, a man of God who rightly divides the Word of God. He and his church stood up to local government overreach in trying to shut their church down and take away a parking lot lease in retribution. The church won their battle in court and the city had to pay their legal fees and their parking lease was reinstated.

3. I read here ten habits of extremely likable people which include-they greet the world with a smile on their face, they ask questions, they’re consistent, they put the phone away, they remember names and use them, they keep an open mind and don’t pass judgement, they’re authentic, they’re kind and generous, accountable for their mistakes, and they send thank you notes.  

So, are you likable-lol? Which one of these habits could use some further developing in your own life? What is one habit/quality you’d add to the list? 

I’d like to send more thank you notes and be more careful in passing judgement.

4. One non-holiday related task/job/goal/dream on your to-do list that you hope/plan to make happen before the new year rolls in? 

Keep up my thirty minute a day cardio workout. I’m slipping during the holidays!!

5. Share with us some of your holiday plans. 

Church this Sunday which will include the Children’s Christmas Choir which is always fun to watch. I’m hoping for at least one nose picker. LOL.

Christmas Eve Candlelight service.

Christmas day when all our kids will gather here and we open gifts and enjoy our traditional Christmas dinner. If we knew before we bought gifts how much the Christmas Goose Prime Rib Roast was going to cost this year we would have cut down on the gifts. Yikes! But for the record we’ll enjoy it all and say thank you Lord for all you give us to enjoy.

The two days after Christmas we’ll spend more time together as a family ending our time off with a birthday party for our daughter Katie who was born on the 27th. Our westside kids will travel back home on the 28th.

10 days till Christmas!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Christmas in the country when you own 20 acres and find your Christmas tree on those acres. This is our son’s family and his land.

Be Merry Hodgepodge

Be Merry

It’s Hodgepodge Wednesday when Jo From This Side of the Pond asks the questions and we get our brains fired up to answer.

1. ‘Tis the season to be jolly….so are you? 

Yes, yes I am.

2. Do you trim a tree this time of year, and if so is yours all done?

I did and it’s done.

What’s something in your home-closet-life that needs to be trimmed in the new year? 

Oh boy! So many things including my body. I need to weed out my closet and drawers of things ‘I hope to fit in again’!

3. Are you ‘dreaming of a white Christmas’? Is that a possibility where you’ll be celebrating? According to this site the top ten places in the US you can count on for a white Christmas are- North Pole Alaska, Crater Lake Oregon, Yellowstone National Park, Winthrop Washington, Aspen Colorado, Ketchum Idaho, Mt. Washington New Hampshire, Whitefish Montana, Duluth Minnesota, and the Lake Tahoe town of Truckee California

It is totally white right now. It is a good possibility to be white again at Christmas.

Of the snowy spots listed which would you most like to visit? 

Whitefish, Montana is on my list. We have had a White winter experience in Winthrop, Washington back in the 90’s.

4. December 8th is National Brownie Day…will you be celebrating?

No.

How do you like your brownies-chewy or cake-like, frosted or plain, nuts or no nuts, a piece from the middle or give me the corner?

Give me a middle piece cake-like, plain, with lots of nuts.

As a child were you a member of a brownie troop? 

No. My parents were fresh immigrants from Iran after escaping out of Russia in the early 30’s. They did not trust any organizations involving children with uniforms. Too close for comfort (for them and their understanding) to Lenin’s Young Pioneer groups!

5. Share a favorite line or two from a Christmas carol or holiday tune. 

I have soooo many favorites and there are so many great lines. Here’s just one.

…”Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled” 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of snow…

We went to Idaho (Coeur d’Alene) for an overnight on Sunday to Monday. We returned to this view of our home on Monday, the 6th of December. The 6th of December was our 47th Wedding Anniversary. 

Our Christmas letter is tweaked and it’s ready to be copied. Time to address all the envelopes and get the cards in the mail. We have received some Christmas greetings already. So good to hear hear from far and wide. 

Hello December Hodgepodge

It’s Time My Friends for Wednesday Hodgepodge hosted by the lovely Jo From This Side of the Pond!

1. When it comes to gift giving are you more of a ‘create something from scratch’ or a ‘buy something in a shop’ kind of giver? Tell about a favorite homemade gift you’ve given or one you’ve received. 

I am a ‘buy something in a shop’ kind of giver. My favorite homemade gifts these days come from our little grands.

2. Do you have the ‘gift of gab’? Is that a blessing or a curse? 

Simple answer is no, I do not have the gift of gab. There are times when I’m worked up that I can go on and on but usually I can be pretty boring in conversation.  Coming out with one liners is more my style. A blessing would be that I might not say more than I need to say and end up offending.

3. What’s something you have going on that you need/want to ‘wrap up’ this month? 

I need to buy some items for the church kitchen before the end of the year and submit the receipts so the expenditures are taken out of this years budget.

4. A food you love that is ‘wrapped’ in some way?

Blintzes, burritos, tacos…

5. December is upon us…share something here (quote, verse, poem, song lyric, your own thoughts) related to the word hope. 

I’ve been going through a commentary on 1 Peter after reading 1 Peter for a month and this section of Scripture on Hope is where I would focus my meditation.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

And from the commentary on this section of Scripture;

“Peter goes on to declare that regeneration results in believers receiving a living hope. The unbelieving world knows only dying hopes (Job 8:13; Prov. 10:28; Eph. 2:12) but believers have a living, undying hope (Pss.33:18; 39:7; Rom. 5:5; Eph. 4:4; Titus 2:13; Heb. 6:19)  that will come to a  complete, final, and glorious fulfillment (Rom. 5:2; Col. 1:27). It is hope that Peter later described when he wrote, “according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. This hope is what prompted Paul to tell the Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain”. At death believers’ hope becomes reality as they enter the glorious presence of God and the full, unhindered, joyous fellowship with the Trinity, the angels, and other saints. (Rom. 5:1-2; Gal. 5:5)

The means of Christians’ appropriating this living hope and eternal inheritance is spiritual birth, and the power for that appropriation was demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. …Christ rose from the dead, forever securing the believer’s living hope in heaven by finally conquering death.

~The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1 Peter.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Slowly, slowly the Christmas decorations are being put up here. This week is starting out slow for me physically and mentally. I’m blaming it on the turkey! Welcome December!

Speaking of Painting Hodgepodge

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge where Jo From This Side of the Pond asks the questions for all to answer.

This week there are questions about paint/painting so the photo above shows our storage room where we have to store any good paint we plan to use so it doesn’t freeze in our garage or shop. Dear recently painted this storage room and we reorganized it. Our storage room is 10 x 11 with an upper deep shelf of storage space that we utilize, too. This room is right off our Master Suite and was originally planned to be a sitting area but because we don’t have a basement or attic for storage we are using it as a storage area.

1. It’s often said we should be grateful for small blessings. What is one small blessing you are feeling especially grateful for today?

Our electricity stayed on through the windy storm event we had on Monday! I’m always grateful if our power stays on!

2. How do you feel about leftovers, not just on Thanksgiving but after any meal? Favorite thing to make/eat using your Thanksgiving leftovers? 

I find leftovers enjoyable and convenient. My favorite thing to have with Thanksgiving leftovers are turkey sliders using the leftover rolls, turkey and stuffing with a little cranberry sauce.

3. Sherwin Williams unveiled it’s 2022 Color of the Year-Evergreen Fog.

Are you a fan? Yes, it’s a decent color I could live with.

Would I find this mid-tone gray green shade anywhere in your house?

No, the interior of our home has all been recently painted and we went with a medium brown tone everywhere except for our Master bathroom and laundry room. Those rooms have a pewter tone. The whole house has white ceilings and white accents against the brown.

Does your house need painting? Inside or out?

Outside needs painting which we plan to do next summer and Evergreen Fog could work nicely but time will tell what we pick. Dear recently painted our front and back door in Dress Blue. Whatever we choose for the whole of the exterior will be complimentary to the Dress Blue doors.

What one space is most in need of a paint job?

Our exterior is most in need of a paint job. This past few weeks Dear has finished all the spare rooms of our house with fresh paint including all the closets except for the Master bedroom. We are going to install new doors on our closets so he will finish them up after the new doors are installed.

Are you a do-it-yourselfer or do you hire a professional? 

Dear is a professional painter, taught by his father who was a professional painter in Los Angeles County area in California. It was his job into the first years of our marriage before he worked in the mining/quarry industry running a front end loader and then in his mid 30’s he went back to school to become a Pharmacist. He is now a retired Pharmacist who is my resident painter. Woohoo!

I’ll do a little name dropping about Dear’s Father’s painting business. He was featured in an L.A. magazine as a recommended painting contractor. Here’s the name dropping…he painted many homes in Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Belair, including Peter Falk’s home (Columbo). Dear and his brother worked with their dad at these homes. They also painted at L.A. Baptist College which is now the Master’s University.

4. What is one aspect of the way you were parented that you are grateful for today? 

I am grateful to my parents who modeled repentance in seeking after God and walking with God. This was a priority with them. They knew that was the most important heritage to model for their children and grandchildren.

5. Write an acrostic for the word-thankful

Trusting
Him
Always
Not wavering
Knowing that
Father God faithfully
Upholds His own with
Loving kindness that endures forever.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Had to throw in a photo of my resident professional personal painter. I am a fortunate gal.

Hodgepodge History

Time to go back to the beginning of Hodgepodge with Jo From This Side of the Pond.

1. How did you name your blog and do you now wish you had thought about it maybe another five minutes before hitting publish? Would you change your blog title if it were not a huge pain in the derriere? 

When my brother told me he was going to start a blog for me I was a little afraid that I wouldn’t be able to handle the technology. He convinced me everything would be ok. We then started brain storming about what I should name it. We came up with a few fun names but the way I came up with my keeper is…

a. I’m generally a very happy person.

b. I’m also someone who wonders about a lot of things and have a deep need to know.

So as we were discussing point a and b my husband came up with The Happy Wonderer.

As far as the purpose of my blog I chose “to Honor and Encourage”. I’m an encourager to people around me and I wanted that reflected in the relationships I’d develop on my blog. It is very important to me to Honor Jesus Christ my King.  I want my words and posts to be things that will encourage people and be something that won’t reflect poorly on my King. My blog was born on March 3, 2007.

I would not change my blog name.

My blog header has changed over the years. The photo at the top of this post was my header for awhile. It was taken at a photo shoot for our 2nd Mennonite Girls Can Cook cookbook, Celebrations, that was published in 2013.

2. What bill do you least like to pay? 

Our Tax Bill.

3. What is your favorite word? Okay okay, calm down. How about one of your favorite words? 

Favorite word, Hope. I also like sweet, redeemed and cheers!

4. Is the glass half full or half empty? Elaborate. 

Half full and I’ll refer you back to my blog name for the elaboration.

5. Were you here for that very first Hodgepodge post? If so, were your answers then similar to what they are today? Tell us what was happening in your life in November of 2010? 

I’m a bit surprised that I didn’t join in to the Hodgepodge until August of 2016. I put a link to my first post in the random thought section.  I was a big ABC Wednesday participant from the early days of my blog.

Our lives were very busy in November of 2010:

Our daughter was engaged at the end of September and we started wedding dress shopping and making wedding plans that overlapped into November.

Our son came home from a 6 month training in Arizona and was establishing his new digs with his new job in Northeastern Washington.

We had an early Thanksgiving celebration before our son moved to Eastern Washington.

My brother Tim and Letty flew up for Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving day we had our meal with 40 others at a friends home.

On Black Friday we had our annual tea day with my sister, sister-in-law, and daughter-in-law and shopping at Goodwill and Country Village. Laura took this photo.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I believe this was my first Hodgepodge post.

https://happywonderer.com/2016/08/08/summer-olympics-hodgepodge/

Thank you Jo for all the years and all the questions!