This Time Last Year

I was just looking at some pictures and realized what happened last year at this time!

These were taken a year ago today - the morning after the big blizzard. Far cry from the 60 degree weather we're having this year!

 I just signed up for the A-Z of Blogging Challenge coming up in April!

Thursday is here again and it's time to do a little "pondering" with Brenda from Fiction With a Purpose.

Her rules are really easy:

1. Grab the Pondering with a Purpose Badge (in her sidebar)
2. Look at the week's prompt
3. Post something on your blog that relates to the prompt - it can be a story, a poem, a picture -- anything you want it to be.
4. Go back here and add the URL from your post to the linky list on Brenda's.
5. Go check out the other bloggers who have added their links to the list.
6. AND most of all.... Have fun!

This Week's prompt is:                            Traveling
My favorite mode of travel would have to be the one I am most comfortable with - by car. I have traveled by bus and plane but have never been on a train or a cruise ship.  I would like to do both of those at some point but just haven't gotten around to it. I have a friend that works for Princess Cruises and she is always telling me that it's the way to go and she can hook me up with a great trip. To date I haven't had the time or money to take her up on it, although I would love to do a cruise to Alaska. Right now I am planning a trip across the ocean - by plane - to see my first grandchild when he arrives or sometime soon after. It's kind of hard to plan a trip when you don't know exactly when you're going! As of right now my traveling experience exists mostly of places in the US - TN/VA/KY/OH/IN/MI/WI/AL/GA/FL/TX/NE/ID/MO/and of course IL.Really haven't been many places have I?

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch #28

It is once again time to head over to Patrice's from Everday Ruralty for our weekly chat.

Questions

1. Joyful Keeper asks, "What makes you smile a happy,content smile in the course of a day?"
2. My Kid's Mom asks, "Are you married, single, or divorced?"
3. Empty Nester asks, " Do you have any home remedies for allergy or the common cold?"
4. Stephanie asks, "How many different addresses did you have growing up?"
5. I've just recently realized_____________________.

My Answers

1. Seeing a post on fb from my son/dil, getting a call from my daughter, getting a good grade on a paper I've written, lots of things.
2. Divorced and on my own since 1991.
3. I've never had allergies so none there but for a cold there's nothing like a "hot toddy" - my grandmother used to give us a teaspoon of moonshine (real moonshine) for a cough which is basically the same idea - some tea, some honey, and just a little bit of whiskey.
4. Too many to count (my dad was a contractor) but home was always Granny's house.
5. I've just recently realized that the school systems, even universities, are not teaching our kids what they used to. Honestly, there are some students in the classes I take that cannot even write a proper sentence! When did we stop teaching ENGLISH? Nouns, pronouns, verbs..... and WHY do these kids think it's ever acceptable to use texting language in a paper?

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome back to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Be sure to add your link to the bottom of Joyce's post and then go visit the neighbors. After all, that's part of the fun!

1. It's that most wonderful time of the year...tax season! Do you complete your own returns or farm that job out to the professionals?

I always did my kid's return - they were just the simple forms - but I take mine to a professional - don't want any mistakes with the IRS.

2. This next question comes from Kansas Bob....he posed it in response to something Joyce asked in an earlier Wednesday post.

Which do you think has changed you more-love or pain?

Pain - I believe it has made me a stronger person.

3. Tangerine Tango has been named color of the year for 2012. Your thoughts? Would Joyce find this color anywhere in your house? How about in your closet? If not, will you be adding this color to your life in someway in 2012? If you're not sure what tangerine tango looks like click here.

No orange in my house, or closet since I painted the walls! The people that lived there before definitely liked color and LOTS of it!

4. Are you a collector? What do you collect and does it get admired, used, and/or dusted regularly?

I collect eagle figurines. In the wintertime here, the eagles nest by the river about 30 miles away. I love to watch them. They are one of the most majestic birds!

5. February is National Heart Month...besides a green salad what is one heart healthy dish you like to prepare?

Plank grilled salmon is one of my favorites!

6. When was the last time you had car trouble?

I've had lots of car trouble in my life but (cross my fingers) not lately. I think the last problem was with my 1995 Blazer that kept getting "carbon build up" and would knock like crazy. All they had to do was blow out some sort of line and it would run perfectly.

7. Have you been more demanding on yourself lately or less? Is that a good trend?

I'm always pretty demanding of myself - but not so much as in the spring/summer months when I have the garden. I love working the soil and canning my own vegetables but it can be a lot of work.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My mind must not have had enough coffee this morning because I honestly cannot think of anything!