Hodge Podge

1. In your opinion what's the most important job in the world? Oh, and parenting is a given so besides parenting, what's the most important job in the world?

The warped society we are, you’d think the most important jobs are athletes and celebrities followed closely by politicians and corporate CEOs. In my opinion, they are all the most overrated jobs there are. Well, at least with a corporate CEO they’ve worked their way to the top, usually, but even with that to get to the very top, it is either willingly or unwillingly on the backs of lots of other people who don’t get rewarded for carrying you.

I think the most important jobs are doctors and teachers. My opinion, everyone has a right to a healthy mind and body and the people who dedicate themselves to those two things are the ones who make this a better world one student and one patient at a time.


2. Share a favorite or not so favorite memory from a childhood birthday.

My absolute favorite childhood birthday memory is bittersweet, but when you say childhood birthday it’s the memory that jumps out in my mind and warms me, usually with a tear or two.

When I turned 6, my grandfather was at home after they had done everything they could at the hospital for his cancer. He was fed through a tube directly into his stomach and Noni prepared his meals in the blender. We had my 6th birthday party at their house so we could see Nono. I adored my grandfather and as the first grandchild, it was pretty much a mutual adoration. When it was time for cake, I asked Noni if she could put a piece of my cake in the blender so Nono could have some too. Everyone was saying “no,” but a voice, suddenly stronger than it had been, came from the bedroom, “YES!” Nono wanted cake. Noni put a small piece of cake in the blender for him

I vividly remember asking and hearing him say “yes” louder than everyone who was saying “no.” The other part I remember vividly is after cake I went to his room again and he hugged me and in his broken English said “Best birthday cake I ever eat.”


…And I‘ll answer the next question after I regain my composure; it always happens when I tell that story.


3. Peanut butter-crunchy or smooth?

PB2!

I’ve traditionally always loved crunchy for PB&J sandwiches or just eating by the tablespoonful right out of the jar. That explains the need to fins lower fat alternatives and the plus size clothing catalogues now! I use creamy peanut butter to make Krisp Kringles at Christmas and now that’s the only time there is regular peanut butter in our house; 1 jar a year.

PB2 is real peanuts with most of the fat taken out. Just add water and it has real peanut butter taste and texture. I often have my toast without jelly when we eat out and I’ll take home a single-serve grape jelly because it matches perfectly with PB2 when I need a little childhood comfort food.


4. William Butler Yeats is credited as saying, "Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth, We are happy when we are growing." Your thoughts?

I don’t think that describes happiness. It describes satisfaction which can be one of the things which creates happiness, but it’s not the end all and be all of happiness. Happiness is a choice; a state of being that comes from everything and anything you decide will make you happy.


5. What's something that makes you cringe?

The phrases “It is what it is” and “bucket list.” The former is an excuse to be lazy and the latter putting an expiration date on yourself. They are both incredibly pessimistic and I cringe when I hear them. To me they both sound like a cry for emotional help.


6. Name a song that always puts you in a good mood?

One Step At A Time by Jordin Sparks



7. The answer is yes. What's the question?

“Would Nani like some chocolate?”


8. Insert your own random thought here.

I had a winning August. In the peel sticker Olympics thing at McDonalds, I got 2 free snack wraps and a free small smoothie. The snack wraps are things I actually eat there from time to time and the smoothie was something new. I had a pineapple-mango smoothie. I loved it! Wonderful flavor and a good points value for an occasional snack, but at the price tells me I’ll wait to win another one or find a large sum of money on our doorstep to have it again. It was still very good!

As part of my winning August, I also won a book! I read Pam’s review of The Divorce Girl, by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg at Empty Nest. It sounded like a good book and she was offering a free copy to a random commenter, so I left a comment to be entered into the drawing. I got an email telling me I’d won! The book came in just after I’d started Blood and Bones by Austin Camacho. I love the hero; Hannibal Jonas and I’ve collected all the books in the series to read. I finished Blood and Bones a couple days ago and decided to read The Divorce Girl next.

I’m only 21 pages in, but I like it so far. My greatest challenge with the book is that it’s a paperback; I’ve been using an e-reader for the last 2 years with the wonderful benefit of no dyslexia! I had forgotten how much slower I read when the background is bright enough to draw my eyes into the problems I have. I’ve taken a couple semesters off from school too, so for the last year, reading on paper has been newspaper and magazine articles, much easier than a book. But this book is definitely interesting enough to keep me making that effort!

I wanted to make a point of publicly saying “thank you” to Pam and every blogger who has freebies and random draws for gifts on their blog. It adds a little tangible fun to our community! I’ll give my thoughts on the book when I finish it!