Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It's October so let's get this out there first thing...have you jumped on the all-things-pumpkin bandwagon? How so?

I have a can of it in the pantry, does that count?

Since Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend, I guess I should dig through the decorations bin already.

2.  "We have more power than will; and it is often by way of excuse to ourselves that we fancy things are impossible." Francois Duc De la Rochefoucauld  

What's something you once thought impossible, but in hindsight see as more a matter of lack of will?

Some things are lack of will, others are a lack of time or a lack of timing, or a lack of knowing; maybe you were just in training to do the impossible thing. I started publishing my Plutarch studies this year (that I had been writing and posting free online for over a decade), but it wasn't a lack of will that kept me from doing it earlier, it was just not the right time, and I couldn't visualize what I wanted them to be; I didn't know anything about self-publishing; and I decided I would rather just be an anonymous squirrel for a while longer. I didn't know how to do then as much as I know how to do now.

3. The rose is America's National Flower, but every state also has its own (click here to see the list). Are you happy with yours? If you were in charge what would you declare your state's flower? If you're outside the U.S. what bloom would you like to see labeled as your country's national flower?

Canada doesn't seem to have a national flower, although we do have provincial flowers and a national tree. I can't think of one flower that seems to symbolize the whole country.



4. What have you lost interest in recently?

A particular form of finding your personal style, after I got through the first couple of free videos and found out the next one was about identifying personal energy by the shape of your nose. I am well enough off knowing that I like purple and pink, don't like black, can't wear beige (it turns my face the colour of oatmeal), and that I shouldn't shop in stores where the music makes the hair crawl on my neck.

5. In your opinion, who's the best living musician?

Maybe Wynton Marsalis?

6. S'mores-love 'em or no? Ever make them indoors? Last time you sat around an outdoor fire? Are making s'mores and sitting round a fire pit on your autumn bucket list? Do you have an autumn bucket list?

No, no fires, no bucket list. We like these chocolate-topped cookies from Walmart, though, and they're almost like S'Mores without the marshmallow. What if you put a marshmallow between two of the cookies and melted it in the microwave, would that count?

7. Your favorite small town? Why?

How small is small? Probably Goderich, Ontario, "Canada's prettiest town." Where else in this part of Ontario can you find a harbour, a museum, and a homeschool store?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We had an unusually successful trip to the mall last night--one place we generally avoid, and even more so lately since there is a lot of construction around there. But Lydia needed a coat, and we were going to be somewhat near that end of town in the late afternoon anyway, so it made more sense that fighting rush hour traffic in the other direction to get home. We got some burritos and burgers, and then went to one of the stores mentioned in #4. They did have a good sale on teenage-type coats, and Lydia found one she liked, so it was a worthwhile trip.

Off to the thrift store in ten minutes with Mr. Fixit. 

Linked from The Impossibly Possible Hodgepodge at This Side of the Pond.