Give it up for a borrowed Wednesday Hodgepodge

There is no actual Wednesday Hodgepodge this week, so I'm borrowing an old set of questions from the Hodgepodge archives.

1. What song reminds you of a specific time in your life and what is it about that song that makes you remember?

That could apply to just about any song, from something we learned in kindergarten or that my parents rocked us to, to the music that was played at campground dances in the 1970's, to the Christian pop I listened to in the 1980's, and the children's tapes and CDs that were our soundtrack in the 1990's. Or I can go the other way and think of hymns and Christian songs that were sung at different churches over the years. There are pieces I played in piano lessons, or in Stage Band. There are folk songs we sang at Brownies, or in our homeschool, and Christmas songs, and things that were sung in one choir or another. One summer I worked in a camp kitchen with a head cook whose preferences were the Rolling Stones and Killer on the Rampage. Non-stop.

But here's one that makes me think of my grandma. She used to sing it when we went to the beach. (Sorry the sound on this one isn't too good--you'll have to turn the volume up.)

2. What's something you've given up on?

Becoming the next Anne Tyler.

3. What's something you'll never give up on?

Books made of paper.

4. If you had to cook something from scratch in the next hour what would it be?

Does that include putting ingredients into the bread machine?

Well, stay tuned and maybe I will come up with something from the Pinterest Do-Vember files.

5. Have you started Christmas shopping? Decorating? Listening to Christmas music?

Music, no way; although a music-loving friend has been talking about a Christmas album by Josh Garrels that is coming out soon. Sometime I would also like to get hold of the Mitford Christmas album, just for fun.

Decorating, also, no way; I just got rid of the October pumpkin. (I cut it up and steamed it in a pot, but the smell was a little off so we decided not to eat it this year.)

Shopping: yes, if you count a bit of mail-ordering.

6. What do you know about your parent's wedding?

They were married in the neighbourhood church I grew up in, the same church where Mr. Fixit and I had our wedding thirty years later. At least two of their grandmothers were there, and both of those grandmas lived within a few blocks of the church. It was the middle of summer, and very hot. Everyone wore hats (well, the ladies anyway). My dad's brother was a florist, so he probably arranged the bouquets and corsages (he did our wedding flowers too).

7. I can't believe I ___________________....

...am this old, and not still chopping garlic to Eddy Grant, or singing "One Little Elephant Balancing" in the kindergarten classroom, or listening to Keith Green on my Walkman. Time all collides together, and here we are in 2016, the morning after a historic U.S. election, during a week of horrendous wet November weather, with my youngest Squirreling away for the day at high school and staying afterwards for Robotics club (she takes photos), browsing through Pinterest pinnings, and trying to figure out what music goes with this stage of life.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I thought that last bit was rather random already. I'm going to leave this space open for a possible random update later in the day.

The regular Wednesday Hodgepodge will return next week.