Wednesday Hodgepodge: Fringe Benefits

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

Mr. Fixit and I had a rare night away, at a hotel where we had the swimming pool all to ourselves.

What, you were expecting something actually Christmas-related?

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? 

Oh, there are some huge things.

But let's keep it simple.

I hope to be able to remember my library PIN code this year, when I have to sign in to renew books. Because I don't, usually.

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? Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? 

I don't see much wrong with "asking for a friend" or "wait, what?" (maybe I missed something?); but some of the others can deep dive right into the dumpster.

Wait, what, was I on mute? Sorry.

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

That I made, or that somebody else made? That's always a tricky one.

Well, I thought the brown sugar button cookies turned out pretty well.

5. January 5th is National Bird Day. Are you a bird lover? What's your favorite bird to see in the wild? 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.

We like watching and trying to identify birds, but bird-feeders are discouraged here due to rodent issues, so (other than robins, who nest enthusiastically under our deck or anywhere else we let them, and the tiny little birds who try to squeeze through any possible holes in the siding) we don't get many birds out back. Most of our birding activities take place on walks, or sometimes in the car when a flock of something swoops by. I like seeing any particularly colourful ones, as many of the birds we see (or don't see) around here are more into camouflage.

I occasionally often do bird-brained things. But I try to make up for it.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We went thrifting yesterday, and for under ten dollars I came home with five Brother Cadfael mysteries, two bags of file folders, and a floral scarf with ugly fringe made of embroidery floss knotted at intervals along the hem. I snipped off every clump of fringe, and poked out the little thread ends that were stuck in the hem, and now I have a very nice scarf.

So I guess you could call that Beyond the Fringe?

Linked from The Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.