Wednesday, February 15, 2017

HODGEPODGE WEDNESDAY


Midweek and time for the Hodgepodge again....join the others by clicking on the pic...ENJOY



1.  What did/do you call your grandparents?  If it's something unusual tell us the story behind the name?  If you are a grandparent what do your grands call you?  Who chose your moniker?  I called my grandmother on my dad's side Grandma Merrick.  Not sure why the last name was attached to her name, as the other one's was not, lol.  We called my grandmother on my mom's side Gram.  Never really knew either one of my grandfathers.  My grandkids mainly call me just plain old grandma. Sometimes, when BOTH of their grandmother's are present, then they might call me grandma Debbie.  Which means of course two sets of my grands call both of their grandparents the same thing. Melody's kids though call me grandma, and her husbands mom Grammy.  I think way back when I got started on the grandma road someone might have asked me what I wanted to be called, and for me it was simple....Grandma.  lol
Carmel, CA

2.  Ever taken a road trip along the California coast?  If so what was the highlight of your trip?  If not, any desire to do so?  If you were to take a trip along the coast, what's one attraction that would be on your must see list?  Well living in California pretty much my whole life it seems as if I have been up and down the coast too many times to count.  I do remember one trip we took when our boys were young up to San Francisco.  There is a spot in Pismo Beach where you can drive your car right onto to the sand up to the water.  My boys LOVED this.  We also saw Hearst Castle which was fun.  But Carmel remains one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.  We didn't do anything or see anything spectacular any time we have ever been there, but the just the beaches, and the countryside, and the little town, and all of it are BEAUTIFUL in my opinion.  I could go there anytime and be happy.  

3.  What are three things you don't know how to do....well, lol, this will be easy.  There are MANY things I don't know how to do.  Let's see...I don't know how to knit or crochet (does that count for one or two?) and I'd really love to learn.  I don't know how to use a serger.....BIG time on my bucket list, lol.  And I don't know how to water ski.  There was a day when I wanted to learn, but that day has definitely come and gone.

4.  Tom Peter's is quoted as saying...Celebrate what you want to see more of.  If that is true, what will you celebrate, and how will you celebrate it?  Well I haven't ever really thought about this like this before, but I think it's true.  I think this is the question this week that I will "overthink" because there is always at least one, lol.  What I want to see more of honestly is just seeing people treat each other well.  How or when I would celebrate such a thing I honestly don't know, but it is what I think the world needs right now.  If we are taking it at a very personal level, I thought back over my life these last few years, and I am pleased with the fact that I managed to learn to quilt.  It was always a lifetime (or so it seems...at least most of my adult life) goal, and I'd have love to have celebrated that somehow with my mom.  But I didn't learn how to till after she passed away.  "MAYBE"  if I celebrated that more, I would make some more.  

5.  Thursday (February 16) is national Almond Day.  Do you like Almonds?  What would you prefer..an Almond Joy or a macaron?  What's something that you make that calls for almonds?  I LOVE almonds.  I'd definitely prefer an Almond Joy, and I can't think of anything right now that I make that calls for almonds...though I do like them slivered and sprinkled on oatmeal.  Does that count?

6.  What does Sat. morning look like at your house?  Sat mornings at our house have been very, very similar for years and years it seems.  It started back when we had a house full of kids and my husband and I looked frantically for a time and place to catch up with each other.  We bought ourselves two giant rocker recliners (that we STILL own and use every day!) and put them in our bedroom, and then made our coffee and breakfast and brought them to our room where we ate together ALONE and chatted and talked until we felt we had caught up.  Our kids knew better (they were a little older by that point) then to interrupt us, lol.  To do so usually meant being put to work somewhere.  These days the recliners are in our living room, I've switched to herbal tea instead of coffee, and our breakfasts are WAY smaller and healthier, lol.  But we still guard this time together and "catch up" on any untold stories we might have.  There aren't as many these days, but we almost never don't have "our time."

7.  Share with us a book you have read this winter...Hmm, I haven't read but two, but I loved them both.  Both by Karen Kingsbury....Brush of Wings, and A Baxter Family Christmas.  Both of these books are just the kind of books I love.  A love story, but told from a christian perspective.  I don't know if I could honestly say which of these I enjoyed more.

8.  Insert your own random thought....My head right now is full of sewing....for anyone who reads or knows me well this is hardly shocking, lol.  But I have had a few things on my list that I have wanted to learn to do or make for a while now, and I decided THIS YEAR I am going to make at least a stab at them.  And with "goggle" and tutorials, you can honestly teach yourself almost anything I have found.  One of the things on my list was to make a bathing suit.  I knew the only thing of any real difficulty would be the attaching of elastic to the suit.  Soooo I watched several tutorials and set out yesterday.  The first one was kind of a nightmare I won't lie, lol.  The fabric slid all around (my least favorite kind of fabric!) and there is a definite right and wrong way to stretch the elastic while putting it on.  The suit was merely OK.  lol.  But forever stubborn, I pressed on today and looked at a couple of other tutorials, and found a couple of tips I thought would be helpful.  Plus, I searched through my sewing machine manual to see if there were any attachments or stitches I didn't know about that would help.  And yes! there was.  No, attachments, but a stitch that was made just for this.  Attaching elastic to both swim suits or lingerie.  Who knew?  Anyway, I made another one today, and it was a completely different experience.  WAY WAY easier, and came out not bad at all, lol.  So hopefully it will fit her.  I've made this for my grand daughter Claire.  I feel an obsession coming on.  I might be making a few more!  lol

FRONT OF SUIT...THIS SHOP HAS THE CUTEST FABRIC

BACK OF SUIT....THE NECKLINE COMES DOWN A LITTLE LOWER IN THE BACK

COMPARED TO YESTERDAYS, LOL....don't look too close as yesterdays, lol


Hope you are all having a good week!  Blessings to you all!  Debbie
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12 comments:

  1. Treating each other with honesty and respect is what the world needs now.

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  2. I am so surprised that you don't use a serger. Not that I have one, mind you, but anyone who sews as much and as beautifully as you do, deserves a serger! I do admire anyone who has the patience to do quilting. I love seeing other people's work, but have never done it myself. I'm still trying to make myself finish knitting a sweater I started. It's sitting in the basket. Quite lonely by now. I hope you have a wonderful day!

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  3. Agreed, people need to treat each other better!
    Good for you learning to quilt! That is an admired skill for sure!!

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  4. I think both suits look adorable. I just put "A Brush of Wings" on hold at my library. I've found several good recommendations this morning, but none were available at my library, so now they are all on hold. Hope they don't all come in at once. haha

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  5. All the grandgirlies are going to have a bathing suit or two by summertime! Love that you found an answer to your dilemma for the proper stitch. Your Saturday mornings sound wonderful...what a blessing!

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  6. You need to get more mermaid fabric and try that one again. It is too cute to not use. Such a sweet story about your Sat. morning routine. You are such a sweet, loving couple and I just love hearing about your doing things together. Yes, Carmel, CA! I could look at the first picture of the coastline on blog today, all the time and never tire of it. I remember taking that gorgeous winding, sometime scary drive, but when we got to a stopping point, looking back and capturing where we had been. For those of us who may only experience it once or never, please don't take it for granted. Looking forward to stopping in for another visit next week.

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  7. Very cute swimsuits. I made some for my girls in their teens, if you can believe it. Just simple tank suits with varying embellishments. They actually loved them.

    Oh, those Saturday mornings ... that would be in the "wish I'd thought of that" category. But then, now that I look back, my husband worked every Saturday back when the kids were at home. It was supposed to be just mornings, but that translated into most of the day.

    No, knitting and crocheting do not count as one thing. They are very different and entirely separate. I can crochet fairly well but not knit. No desire to learn either.

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  8. I enjoyed reading your Hodgepodge. The suits are adorable. I love the idea of that quiet time for you and your husband on Saturday mornings.

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  9. I'm a Californian, too. Enjoyed your answers.

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  10. Those swimsuits are so cute as is most everything you sew. I think more parents today need to make time for each other, all too often they become strangers in the child rearing yeas. Yes, Karen Kingsbury is one of the BEST!

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  11. The husband used to live in CA and loved Carmel. He lived in Monterey. I have been to CA though I was quite young when I went. I don't have a desire to go out there again however, I could be convinced to check out northern CA. I get too much sunshine and hot weather here on the coast of SC. LOL Enjoyed your Hodgepodge answers! Have a wonderful rest of the week!

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  12. Well you might not knit, but you're a fabulous seamstress! I would like to learn to knit, but fear I already have more hobbies than I do time to enjoy them : ) Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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I am so glad that you would take the time to comment on my thoughts and feelings, it is such a blessing to me!