Wednesday Hodgepodge

I am joining Wednesday Hodgepodge from my hotel room bed in The Big Easy while I sip Starbucks coffee and watch HGTV. Yeah, life is pretty darned good at this moment.

What's your best piece of advice for a newly married couple? I'm asking for a friend.

Set your budget and all monthly living expenses on the husband's income ONLY! That way if the wife wants to work, her income can go for savings, extras, etc. But then if she ever wants to quit work to stay home and care for her family, there is no financial adjustment to be made. This is the counsel we have given our daughter and her fiancé. And it has already worked out for them as she tries to find the right place for herself in her business as a stylist. She has the luxury of taking her time without major stresses of money because her fiance makes enough money to pay all of their living expenses.

Before we're too far into the new year I wanted to post a question Theresa submitted during the December giveaway. Teresa blogs over at Being Refined as Silver (http://beingrefinedassilver.blogspot.com), so everyone go say hi. Theresa asks, "What were you doing on December 31st, 1999?" and "Did you or your family make preparations for Y2K?"

Rick and I had just started dating a couple of months before. We joined my parents and all of their friends, my brother and sister and their significant others, a very large group of people, at a hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, for a great party. It was a lot of fun! The only prep I can remember for Y2K was setting our VCR (yes, VCR) to 1971 so that it wouldn't be confused!! LOL! Maybe we did that. I don't really remember.

According to Global Language Monitor, the most used word of 2014 isn't a word. It's the heart emoji. Huh? How can something that's not a word be the most used word, but I digress. What do you think was your most used word in 2014?

"Done". This past year I realized how "done" I was with so many things. I was "done" doing the things that took away from a simple life. I was "done" participating in many activities. I was "done" being bullied by others. I was "done" worrying about impressing others. I was "done" being lazy about healthy eating and exercise. I gave up several things and embraced others ... all leaning toward a simple, peaceful, and healthy life.

Speaking of words, it's that time again. Time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, and general uselessness) in 2015. This year's top vote getters are -- bae (before anyone else), polar vortex, hack, skill set, swag, foodie, curate/curated, friend-raising, enhanced interrogation, cra-cra (as in crazy), takeaway, and -nation (a suffering sports suffix). Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

Definitely bae! Did you know that according to Urban Dictionary it is the Danish word for 'poop'? Makes me laugh every time I hear some silly teenager talk about their bae. Funny! Another word I would do away with is along the same lines ... it's "boo". Being around teenagers I hear a lot of them calling each other their "boo". Oh, please.

January is National Hot Tea month? Are you a fan? Do you like favored teas? How do you take your tea? Have a favorite cup or teapot? How many cups of tea do you consume on a given day?

Oh YES! When I started having major heartburn and reflux issues, I stopped drinking coffee altogether and started drinking hot tea instead. I had always loved Green Tea, but it has a high acid content, as well, so I had to stop drinking it. I started drinking Chamomile religiously. Up until this point I could not stand any flavored hot beverage. But Chamomile has a slight flavor as it is an herbal. I got so used to flavor that now I love flavored teas. I am able to drink coffee in moderation now and even find myself adding flavor to my coffee! I still drink a lot of Chamomile, about 4 cups a day. (In fact, right now I am drinking a cup of Chamomile Citrus from PJ's Coffee of New Orleans.) I used to always drink out of my yellow travel cup. But now my favorite cup is the pottery cup my niece Angela made for me. It is perfect!! I love it!

Whatever happened to ____________?

Julia Roberts? She was mentioned in my book I am reading The Introvert's Way by Sophia Dembling. She doesn't do a lot of mainstream acting anymore. She is a voice over for Nationwide Insurance, have you noticed her? But she has not been doing a lot of movie acting. She is an introvert. And now that I am learning what that really means, I can see that in her. I always knew I felt a connection to her as a woman. I would love to see her in a good movie sometime soon. Looks like she might have a good one coming up ... The Secret in their Eyes. It's based on a book, but neither of my libraries has the book. I might have to buy it.

What is the one book on your must-read list this winter?

I don't really have a "one" book on my list, although I am making reading books about introverts a priority. I want to understand myself and my introvert family better.  My must-read list changes constantly. I am a voracious reader and there are so many things I want to read and not enough time. I love historical fiction! I am looking for that one author who just keeps putting out amazing historical fiction. Any suggestions?

Insert your own random thought here.

I am very grateful for Kyndal and Dawson. Because they are great young adults, very responsible and loving, I was able to accompany Rick on a trip this week to New Orleans. They are taking care of Eli and Brynne, the house, the dogs and even Macie so that her mom didn't have to find a different sitter this week. Although I could have left the kids with my mom and dad, now they are able to stay in their own home with their own stuff and are being loved on by their two favorite people. I truly am grateful and I hope they know how much I appreciate and love them.