Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

May 17th is National Pack Rat Day. (Sidebar-should we be celebrating this? Hmmm ....) Are you a pack rat? Even if you're not a full fledged pack rat, most people have one thing or another they struggle to part with. Tell us what's yours.

Yes, I'm a pack rat. I just can't get rid of things I think I might need in the future. I mean, I held onto a particular pair of shoes for years and then the second I got rid of them they came back in style (or a version of them) and I had to buy brand new again if I was going to wear that style. I am not a hoarder ... yet. No, really, I'm not. I do get rid of lots of things, especially clothes. But I do hold onto lots of things, especially clothes. My problem is when we have too much storage space, I store things.  Having a full basement for storage is not, necessarily, a good thing.

What are two things you know you should know how to do, but you don't?

Change a flat tire. Bake a good homemade chocolate chip cookie.

Do you crave sugar? Do you add sugar to your coffee and/or tea? Do you use artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes? When dining out is dessert a given? Are you someone who has slain the sugar dragon, and if so tell us how you did it.

I do not crave sugar in the traditional sense. I only use liquid stevia for sweetener or honey in a recipe. I do not avoid sugar in cooking, I just do not typically crave it. However, I am a carboholic. I love and crave carbs. And carbs gets converted to sugar in the system. So, really, I probably do crave carbs but in a different way than most.

What's a trend that took you a while to come around to, but now you can't imagine living without?

My iPhone. I fought it and fought it and fought it. I did not want that much technology at my fingertips because I knew I would abuse it. But when Kyndal and I were at a Backstreet Boys concert and I brought out my dumb phone to make a phone call and then a real point and shoot camera to take a photo (gads!), I felt like an old lady. So it was time to break down and get a smart phone. And, of course, I love it. I use it more than I would like, definitely, but I am able to put it away and enjoy my life instead of always staring at my phone (mostly).

What's a song that reminds you of a specific incident in your life? Please elaborate.

Today we are going to an amusement park called Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. When I was in junior high I went on a church trip there. My three friends and I met four super cute boys and hung out with them all day. That evening the park had a dance "club" with a DJ and it was there that I had my first kiss dancing to the song "Heaven" by Bryan Adams. For weeks afterward I would lay on my bed and wait for that song to come on the radio. To this day I think of that night when I hear that song. (And, yes, I was on a church trip, met a boy, and had my first kiss. Oh my. But what a memory!)

Insert your own random thought here.

There is so much randomness going on in my life right now that I could write a book. And I haven't uploaded photos to my computer in at least a month so I don't have a recent photo of any of it as a starting point. So I am going go to my photos and pull the last one I uploaded and write about it. Here I go.

Ahhhh ... that's a good one! These are my two nieces. They are both going to be five this year, three months apart. Ashtyn is the dark-haired one and Bell is the blonde. You will not find two little girls who are more different! But look at how beautiful they are! Bell lives in Oregon so we only get to see her a couple of times a year. Ashtyn lives just a few blocks from me, and I saw her just last night at Brynne's softball game. I love these girls, so full of spunk and sass! Such fun! I am so glad I get to be their Aunt.