Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Thank you for all of your responses to my big news yesterday!
1. What do you love most about March?
Spring! The feeling that spring is almost here! I also have always loved St. Patrick’s Day; it’s my middle sister’s birthday! I also love the color green; it just makes me happy. Also, I just started attending our St. Patrick’s Day parade a few years ago. It’s really fun!
I want to make Jen’s Irish meal and I think Sunday, March 16th would be a good day to have that going in the crockpot.
Of course I started out the week wearing my green. I am having a green week or having a green week as much as I can.
2. Hey! Did you know March is National Celery Month? Do you like celery? What’s something you make (or like to order out) that calls for celery?
I love celery with buffalo sauce and ranch. I love it with Laughing Cow and everything bagel seasoning. I love it with peanut butter. I love it as a sub for bread with egg salad or tuna salad.
But…please do not cook celery or put it in a hot dish. Gross!
3. _______________ is the soundtrack to my life right now.
I really don’t know, but I do have Pink Pony Club stuck in my head!
4. Share a favorite motivational quote for overcoming challenges.
“The storm will pass. You are stronger than you think, and you will weather this.”
My regular readers know what I am going through right now. I lost my mom and now I have no living parents. This feels big to me. No one loves you like your parents do. I feel a responsibility to be the rock for my sisters who are both younger than me. We have to be each others’ safety nets now.
I know I am not the first to go through this. Right now it feels like a storm of emotions. But, I have already seen how we are all stronger than we thought. I hope we can weather this together and create a new family normal.
5. The Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday this year. Do you participate in Lent in some way? If so tell us more.
I didn’t really grow up giving up anything for Lent as a Methodist. I always want to be better and do better. I would like to give up negative talk this year.
Louisville is a huge Catholic city with tons of fish options on Fridays and we have lots of Catholic friends. We eat fish with them in solidarity.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
It’s even more important to me now to celebrate all the little things in life. Celebrate the big and small holidays, milestones big and small – anything, really. Let yourself be celebrated, too. You better believe I am going to celebrate my 31 years of teaching. I miss hosting people at my house. We had a lot of people visit Eddie Otis back in the spring but since then I have not done much hosting.
What is on your mind this Wednesday? Any Hodgepodge responses? Random thoughts?
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
I am pretty opposite you with regard to celery- I use it in a variety of soups that I make. Cooked in soup is definitely how I prefer it. I don’t care for it raw. I didn’t grow up recognizing Lent either. We were three time a week church goers and devout (of course we celebrated Easter just not Lent) but I was never and am still not in the habit of participating in Lent. You will have lots of time to host when you are done teaching! One of the many benefits that you will love about not having a full time job :). Have a great day!
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I was just thinking that I need to get my corned beef next week!
Soon, you’ll have all the fine to do whatever you’d like 🙂
Trav loves a fish fry. He’ll say “it’s first fry Friday” haha
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Can’t take the Louisville out of Travis!
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Haha so true!
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I am making corned beef this week! I love how easy it is.
Seeing that picture of you with your friends makes me think of Erica – how is she handling your news?
I’ll be wearing all the green this month!
xo,
Kellyann
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Yes! I’m excited to have an easy meal and I have crockpot liners!
She is very sad, but knew it was coming soon. She tried to talk me out of it!
KD green!
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I love the idea of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day but it’s not a big thing over here. Hmmf.
I’ve had Pink Pony Club stuck in my head for the last couple of months. lol
Sending love and hugs. I am sure in time you will find a new normal.
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I love the thought of celebrating all the things- whether St. Patrick’s day or new traditions, it seems fitting for life right now, right? I can’t imagine how you feel with no living parents, but I totally get wanting to start over with a new normal for you and your sisters. I feel confident that you’ll accomplish this, friend. I think you’re doing a great job of giving yourself grace and allowing all the feelings to happen as they come. You’re strong! I would also love to start hosting more and hope to do that this month.
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Congratulations on your retirement!
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Love that quote and how very true it is- I am all for celebrating the little moments too- they are what make us appreciate life for sure 🙂
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I almost said the color green as my answer to my favorite thing about March. I love it in nature and in my wardrobe both. I make the corned beef meal, it’s a once a year thing here, but we all love it. No parade in tiny town, but some years there’s a party to attend. I’m excited for you for retirement. It’s a new chapter that requires some figuring out, but it’s nice to retire young if you can and enjoy some new experiences and places too. Have a good day!
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It’s just such a fresh and happy color!
I think it will be so weird come
August!
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First, congratulations on retiring! Now plan a trip to Memphis :). I love the fun you and your sisters have. I hope your bond grows even stronger. I love what you said about celebrating the little things. That is such a good reminder. I tend to celebrate with food, but should celebrate by exercising, ha!
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I did grow up going to church to get ashes on ash Wednesday and giving something up for lent– the key is that it’s supposed to be something you’d miss/love so it’s a sacrifice reminiscent of Jesus sacrificing his life for us. It isn’t suppose to be something like giving up cigarettes or bad attitudes that you should already be doing to improve yourself… but I really was awful at sticking to it. Probably because I forced to do it and it really meant little to me. March is still too much like winter for me to get excited about the change in calendar but April– now that is when our spring weather starts to feel like winter is finally ending.
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After the kids left the house, we really got out of the habit of hosting and having people over. I need to work on that! I grew up Catholic, but our current church doesn’t emphasize Lent. I usually give something up like social media and it really does refresh my mind and spirit. This year I took Instagram off my phone.
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March is my oldest son’s birthday so that’s something to celebrate. Then, a week later is my little brother’s which also happens to fall on Spring! I’m looking forward to planting lots and lots of flowers, both perennials and annuals, so March is when I start looking at that. I grew up Methodist but became a Lutheran over 50 years ago. Lent isn’t a big deal, but we do recognize it. For many years, I did the reverse Lent project when you take something out of your closet to donate at the end of Lent. But, it became more about meeting the deadline than really observing what Lent is about. I can’t come up with the right words to comfort you as far as being the oldest generation in your immediate family. Just know you’re definitely not alone. It’s a sad and strange position to be in.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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Fun picture 🤩! What negative talk if I may ask? You come across as a happy and enthusiastic person. I think everyone has their moments. That’s human and ok 😊.
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