Wednesday, April 23, 2025
It’s Wednesday and hodgepodge day with Joyce!
1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Picnic Day…will you celebrate? Do you enjoy picnics? Dining out of doors picnic or otherwise? What are three or four things I’d find in your picnic basket?
Well, I did not even know! Now is the best time for picnics before the bugs get really bad. I love eating al fresco. I don’t know how much I enjoy sitting on a blanket anymore; I would prefer a table. I just love a sandwich! Make it fancy and even better – pickles and some unexpected element – brie? Maybe a bottle of wine, some chips, some fruit, some wipes and hand sanitizer!
2. A time recently where you felt ‘antsy’?
I feel antsy a lot and I think it’s a form of anxiety. I worry about certain deadlines. I feel like I have to be in charge in so many areas of my life. I have to check and make sure things have been done.
You would not believe all the little errors and annoyances from my mom’s estate business. People messed up little things and caused more work for us.
Tom even says to me, “remind me to _____” and I have started to tell him I already have enough stuff in my brain. Remind your own self!
3. As the saying goes…’when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’ Do you like lemonade? When did you recently need to make lemonade out of lemons, figuratively speaking?
I think I do. I try to make the best of the situation. I have definitely gotten better at this as I have matured. I used to get very upset when things didn’t go as planned.
I like lemonade especially with vodka or in a cocktail! I will never choose lemonade over water for a non-alcoholic drink. I just love water.
I think my sisters and I made lemonade when we had to cancel our weekend in our hometown due to the flood. We shifted everything forward one week and it was a good call. We were so happy to see my mom’s gravestone done and maybe it wasn’t done the weekend before?
4. Recently five ‘celebrities’ made a brief (ll minute) foray into space aboard Jeff Bezos Blue Origin rocket. Did you hear about this? Your thoughts? If money were no object is this something you’d like to do someday?
I have no interest in doing this myself. I think the money they paid was insane and could help so many people instead, but money don’t mean brains. There was no point to the trip other than to flex and say they did it. But, this did cause me to read up on it because I really didn’t know anything. Apparently they only went to the edge of space! I like bringing stuff like this up to my students to see what they think. Who am I going to talk to about all the stuff in my brain when I retire?
5. Favorite thing about the ‘space’ you’re sitting in right now?
I guess that it’s mine and we have comfortable furniture. Tom sees to it that we buy quality things and he looks at details that I wouldn’t look at like the height of the couches – he made sure our outdoor sectional was high enough to be comfortable on the old back. I really appreciate that about him. He is thoughtful and detail oriented. I have a nice couch upstairs and one in the basement that is comfortable. I like my dining room chairs and my outdoor chairs. I do still want a reading chair in my bedroom. I need to put my feet up in all the spots!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I can’t believe we are already at the end of April! Time is really flying! I told my students that I was retiring at the end of last week. I am glad they know now and I think I did it at the right time. I have so much to do still- we are having food days in all classes, I have the AP Spanish exam coming up, we have final presentations in Spanish 3, and more. I found out they are not replacing my position which makes me feel better for some reason. We have 6 Spanish teachers and they will only have 5 next year. The language numbers are down which I think is due to the STEM and pathway (medical, engineering, media arts) opportunities but it makes me sad because Spanish has enriched my life so much and two years doesn’t cut it.
It’s starting to feel more real, but I don’t think it will hit me until next August. I think I should stand near the turn in to my school and yell “Suckers!” at all the teachers. Lol.
Thanks for reading!
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
I think feeling antsy is definitely related to anxiety since those times I feel most anxious are when I’m stressed. I get annoyed that living with 4 males I’m often asked “remind me to..” but when I try it they all tell me they’ll never remember to remind me. Why can’t it work both ways?! I think I’m going to try your reply!
I can’t believe your language department is that big! Wow! All CT high school students are required to take 2 years of a foreign language or they can’t graduate… and most of school barely have 1 teacher.
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I do love a picnic and eating outside as long as the bugs stay away.
So sorry you are having to deal with people messing up when it comes to your moms estate.
Yes, that was my thought about the space trip! So much wasted money!
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You are irreplaceable! I hope you are feeling relaxed about the weekend ahead. We can all for sure make lemonade out of lemons if we need too. Can’t wait!
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I like my lemonade with tequila and a salted rim! Your answer to that one made me laugh, and this was the thought I had after I read it. 🤣🤣 I love what you shared about Tom; you know who was like that and I always appreciated that quality as well. It really is all about the little things in life! I also love having my feet up in all the spots and right now my favorite spot is the chair I sit in that is in my living room. I always prefer a chair if I’m alone, but I like to cuddle on the couch while I watch tv with a significant other…provided there’s a fan on overhead to keep me cool! I get to see you in two more days!! I’m so excited that I feel borderline obnoxious.
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Ok, your comment about yelling out “suckers” in August made me laugh out loud! That would be hilarious. I put a chair and ottoman in our bedroom for reading and am so glad I did! I use it all of the time. You should look into getting one! I’m going to try vodka in lemonade. Sounds very good!
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Tom sounds so much like my husband. He is all about the details and me? Not so much! I guess that’s called balance.
I have to have my feet up – at all times. I used to prop my feet up on my desk in my office at school and my principal would always tease me and say, “hey, make yourself comfortable!” Now I sit on my reclining couch to work all day.
Your retirement is getting real and I am so excited for you!
xo,
Kellyann
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So the donut analogy was given to my daughter by a counselor after a very difficult season and a particular circumstance, and we use it all the time. I like to control all the things too, which is crazy and I’m much improved. All my friends use the donut saying now too. The center of the donut is your area of responsibility, things you have to deal with like marriage, children, jobs, bill pay, etc. The area around it is your area of concern. Things you care about but are not in the end responsible for. And then there are all the things that don’t belong on our donut. My hubs often tells me to remind him or help him remember something and I honestly sometimes feel like my brain cannot possibly hold one more thing. I tell him to text himself and that works. Blogging is a good outlet for all the words we have. You’ll find your new rhythm…it’s a process and you’ll figure it out in time. Have a great day!
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I agree about learning a language…so valuable! I took Spanish in high school and college. Even though I don’t really feel comfortable speaking much now, it is invaluable here in Texas with our large hispanic population. And for travel too! Both kids took it in high school through AP level, and then Grace switched to German in college. I know what you mean about feeling better about them not “replacing” you!
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I think we have the exact same outdoor furniture (did you get yours from Wayfair??). My husband is the exact same way- so detailed oriented and thinks of everything. Your high school sounds really large! Our high school is big but they don’t even offer German which I think is a shame but whatever.
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I am not a picnic person. I don’t like the worrying about things blowing away and bugs coming and all that. But, I do like eating on the patios of restaurants. Go figure! I love lemonade, but I have to water it down because it’s too lemon-y. I am still trying to decide how I feel about that flight. At first, I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. Then Gayle King came out with her tone-deaf comments. Then, I started thinking, “Would I think the same thing if it had been a group of men?” The answer to that one is yes. I think it was and is an enormous waste of money, time, and resources. It makes me wonder why it took NASA all those years to get astronauts in space. I guess the technology is so much more advanced. I hope you’ll talk to us all the time when you retire!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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That is super annoying. What if there is zero wind? lol.
I will have to talk to you all! I will need you!
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Love the throwback picnic pic!
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Thank you!
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