Squeezing in on the Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. Something you learned from your father? 

* that neighbours matter

* that flea markets rock

* that you can never plant too many daffodils (if you do, but I don't)

* that you can never have too many Christmas decorations (if you do, but I don't)

* that Lawrence Welk is the man

* the genealogy of the British royal family

* how to be punny

2. Do you like onions? Raw or cooked? How about onion rings? What's something you love to eat that calls for onions? 

Well, not my dad's favourite liver and onions, sorry.

Onion rings, a rare thing, but I do like them. The flea market we used to go to as children (following my dad around looking for royalty teacups) had a food booth that perfumed the whole place with the smell of frying onion rings.

Onions in potato soup: definitely.

3. It's officially summer (in the Northern hemisphere)...your favorite and least favorite things about the season?

The heat and the heat.

4. When you think about the summers of your childhood what are two or three things that come to mind? 

The heat and the heat.

5.  A hot mess, the heat of the moment, beat the heat, if you can't stand the heat, catch heat, in a dead heat...choose a 'hot 'phrase and tell us how it applies to your life right now.

Probably not the most apt phrase, but prices here (and everywhere) are heating up and we're trying to beat them, especially foodwise. Or at least not get apoplexy every time we go to the supermarket. We have a favourite slow cooker beef recipe that combines soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and honey...but the price of honey has shot way up, so I'm probably going to adulterate the next batch with (cheaper) brown sugar.

We're also experimenting with growing a few veggies on the back deck. Our hamster particularly likes the parsley.

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

It Could Be Here or it Might Be There (Summer Travels)

Over the next day or two or three, she and her spouse might be going to a bigger city to take care of a couple of errands, and if so, they'll use the chance to visit the big art gallery, or do something else fun while they're there.

However, if that trip turns out not to be necessary, they're going to head the other way and spend a day or two in one of their favourite beach towns.

Or maybe they'll figure out a way to do both.

But how should she pack? Just for a short urban road trip? Or a shorts-and-sandals overnighter? Should she worry about which clothes are clean, or just take what's there? What if it turns cold or rainy? She's trying not to get jarred by too much uncertainty.

So she goes back to her Age of Aquarium page, which started with an imaginary road trip. And she looks at some of the Six Pack archives on the Vivienne Files. (That means, generally, three pieces of clothing to wear, and six in the bag.)

The original plan of a white linen pullover, sleeveless white top, and navy shorts is still fine. 

She decides to leave out the blue jeans, though, and add in a navy top and pants. They don't technically match, but they both have the same sort of embroidery, and in a pinch they could pass for a jumpsuit.

Read the rest of the page here.