Wednesday, September 3, 2025
It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time to link up with Joyce for Hodgepodge – let’s do it!
1. Next Sunday is Grandparent’s Day. Share a favorite memory, photo, recipe, or something you learned from a grandparent.
Sadly, my Dad’s dad passed before I was born and my mom was pretty much estranged from her Dad because her parents divorced when she was 8 and he got remarried and had another set of kids. I had a maternal grandma who passed when I was in 4th grade and a paternal grandmother who I saw a couple of times a year. Neither women remarried and I think they were pretty lonely. My Dad’s mom was a great southern cook. She taught me how to make mashed potatoes. I have memories of her laughing a lot. She would give us a giant candy bar and money for Christmas each year and we had fun shopping with that money.
I sometimes feel bad that I didn’t get to have a Grandpa relationship. That sounds bad, but I think you know what I mean.
2. What’s a quote from a book (besides The Bible) that has stayed with you?
Oh gosh, I love quotes but I rarely remember where I heard them. I will quote Gretchen Rubin from The Happiness Project “Be Gretchen”. But, I will not be Gretchen; I will be Amy. It’s so important to not try to be anyone else. Sometimes I wonder why I want something. Is it because someone told me I should? Do I even like that something? It’s exhausting to try to be someone you’re not.
3. What’s your number one food pet peeve?
I swear I’m not a snob, but I really appreciate nice glassware, plates, and cloth napkins. I hate syrofoam! Wasn’t that supposed to be banned? I rarely buy paper plates to use at my house. We use cloth napkins because I already go through so many paper towels cooking and cleaning. My mom thought it was weird that I didn’t buy napkins for everyday use. I do like little cute cocktail napkins.
4. What’s one thing about you that is still the same as it was when you were young?
There’s a really cool book called The Artist’s Way which I guess you could say is a workbook about tapping into your creative side and the part that stuck with me was a question about what you enjoyed doing when you were 9 years old. So many people don’t let themselves enjoy beloved pastimes. We cram our schedules with non-important things and we miss out on the creative side of our personality.
I recently asked my super creative “little” cousin Curt in Michigan how he fills his creative side and he loved that question. Curt was born way later than the rest of the cousins and we loved him. He was like our little toy. He has a serious safety job now and didn’t go into a creative career. He told us that he designs the boat decor for the boat parade on the lake each summer and makes funny videos with his dog and the family’s dogs.
Back to me…
So, I always loved reading and my parents could hardly get my attention if I was reading. I still love reading.
I loved writing, directing, and acting in plays. You better believe teaching is a lot like acting, and stand up comedy.
I loved making up songs. I made up songs for teaching things.
I loved baking. I still do and I love cooking even more now.
And, this might come as a surprise, but I rap. I wrote and performed a divorce rap for my sister.
Hahahahaha!
No, I will not be sharing it here. You’re welcome, Kate. And, there’s too much that is inside joke material and it’s not rated G for all audiences.
5. September is National Preparedness Month…does your family have an emergency plan? Do you have some sort of preparedness kit you keep on hand? If so, tell us one thing that’s kept there.
Um, no. I need to work on this. I mean – we have lots of things we could scrounge up, but not a dedicated kit unless Tom hasn’t told me about it.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Give me all the apple recipes! I bought this apple butter at Kroger this weekend. Apple butter always reminds me of my girl scout troop because we made it homemade one year! Also, I made it in my crockpot while I was teaching online during the pandemic. I forgot all about that. It smelled so good all day while it was cooking away.
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
I didn’t have much of a grandpa relationship experience either since my mom’s dad died when she was a teenager and while my dad’s dad was alive he was a cold, distant disiplinarian that all us grandkids mostly avoided. I had 3 fabulous grandmothers though (my step-dad’s mother came into my life when I was just 5).
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It’s sad, right? I always wondered what it would be like. 3 grandmas is quite nice!
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How can we be expected to focus on anything after you mention you wrote a divorce rap? And not sharing it – which I totally understand – makes my imagination run wild! I bet it was fabulous and made Kate smile!
xo,
Kellyann
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I’m sorry! Ha! It was full of inside jokes and it was not very PC. He was horrible to her also so it made that easy. I would rap it for you over the phone but only for you!
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Your glassware is so pretty! I like my dish china a lot but I also use paper napkins for every day use…I made applesauce once in the crockpot years ago. It made the house smell really nice! Have a great day!
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That was from a restaurant but I do have my similar hobnail glasses. I really love the texture of a cloth napkin better. Is there anything more fall than the real apple smell?
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Love your pet peeve. I truly appreciate glassware and dishes and china. I just get lazy sometimes and serve apps and desserts with paper plates- ahhh!
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I do, too. I will use the little appetizer plates and cocktail napkin the most. I love the seasonal ones. I don’t entertain much so it’s not something I need to worry about having a great impact with.
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I don’t buy paper towels or paper plates either! I do buy napkins, though. I would love to use more cloth napkins; where do you buy yours? I have some that Mom made me for Christmas that I use each year. I love white plates and my glasses that I use daily; they’re clear with a royal blue rim. I’ve had them forever! My sister gave me my first set at 18, and two of them are still whole! This is one reason why we’re friends. I love what you said about being yourself and wholeheartedly agree about thinking about why we want certain things. Great food for thought!
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I do buy paper towels – only Costco Kirkland – with the select a size. I use too many of them. I hate that but they are so convenient for cleaning/cooking. I think my best cloth napkins came from World Market. They get better as they get washed. We keep them in a wooden bowl. Now, if I were having guests over I would need to buy some new ones probably. They are all different colors.
Ha – thank you!
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I like pretty glassware and for a few years just used cloth napkins. I got a huge stack of paper napkins leftover from an event, so I use those now. When I run out though, I will go back to cloth. Girl, the rap? It may be time for us to hear this next time we see you. Have a great day!
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Maybe my retirement calling is divorce raps like singing telegrams?
But, I did have lots of details about my sister’s relationship that I could use – very intimate details.
I just love that about restaurants – when they put thought into the glassware and dishes, too.
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What lovely memories of your grandmothers. I had the Grandfather but no grandmothers in my life and feel the same.
I hate Styrofoam cups too, I was sure they were getting banned but they are still about.
I am glad I’m not the only one not prepared for a disaster.
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Maybe you could make an invitation only group to hear that rap because pretty sure we all want to hear it. I am 100% with you on disposables! I love a pretty table, nice dishes and real napkins. I do paper plates sometimes outside but even for those meals I bought nice melamine. I despise a hot drink in a styrofoam cup in a venue. If I’m outdoors and that’s the option then okay, but if I’m sitting in a coffee shop I want a real cup please. Honestly I think the Europeans are better at this than we are. I am not a fan of plastic cups either but we use the Tervis outside. We don’t want glass on the dock. Hope you have a great day!
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We use cloth napkins daily in my home. I keep a basket of them on the side table in the dining room (we don’t have an eat in kitchen) and I have two baskets: one for Spring/Summer and then one for Autumn/Winter and then extras for Xmas. I do use paper napkins that i keep on hand for when we have alot of people over in the backyard. But that’s rare these days.
We NEVER buy paper plates. In fact, I still have some from a party about 20 yrs ago hahaha!! it’s so bad for the environment!!
LOVE your quote!!
and yay for apple butter. A local farm produces that here in NY and I just bought some from their farm stand. It’s SO good. I may make some muffins this weekend. I love apple recipes this time of year.
HAPPY WED!
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I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting nice glassware and such. That glass is absolutely gorgeous!
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Styrofoam is now banned in my schools’s cafeteria for all students and adults. I don’t mind a paper cup if I am driving through a drive through for coffee, but if I am at a coffee shop, I want a glass cup of coffee.
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What a warm, heartfelt Hodgepodge this week! Your grandma’s mashed potatoes and that holiday candy/shopping memory made me smile…those simple memories stay with us, don’t they? I’m ready for all the fall recipes!
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Much like you, I prefer actual dishes compared to plastic or paper plates and cups. I just think it makes our family/guest appreciative of the effort you put into preparing and serving a meal. I didn’t really have much of grandparent life due simply because two of my grandparents (one from each side) passed away and I did not have the opportunity to know them. Enjoyed stopping by to visit this hodgepodge post .
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My maternal grandparents lived with us from the time I was in sixth grade on – my mom was an only child. My grandfather passed away when I was 23 and my grandmother lived with my parents until she passed at 93 in 2005! Sadly, my dad only lived two years longer. I definitely had a special relationship with my grandparents and I have lots of memories of them! I know what a blessing that was. Now – I am SO intrigued about the divorce rap you composed… I’m guessing/hoping it brought a smile to your sister’s face!
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Yes, and amen to cute glassware especially with a good drink in it and dishes and napkins and tablecloths. I have a ton. I was setting the table once and our little granddaughter noticed I hadn’t placed a cloth napkin on her high chair. She asked, “Baba, where is my rag?” She knows all about rags/napkins because of eating here now! I’m glad you have some nice memories of grandparents. Can’t help you out with the apple butter!
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I had a pretty good grandpa experience with my mom’s dad. My dad’s dad passed when I was in 2nd grade, but I really had lots of fun with him. My kids didn’t have a grandpa, either. My dad died when I was 16, and Mike’s dad died when our oldest was about a year old. My brother, though, was the cool uncle and did everything with them. I don’t use napkins, but I will keep the paper napkins from drive thrus and use them as needed. I don’t like styrofoam, either. I’m cheap and don’t use paper plates or cups, either! I always use a glass or a reusable cup. My dining room table is set all the time with real plates. Right now, they’re plates from my mom. They came in Duz detergent! I don’t put those in the dishwasher so when I’m serving dinner, I pull out the ones that will go in the dishwasher (you converted me). I cannot rap because I have really bad rhythm. Maybe you could make one up about the evils of paper napkins! Love the smell of apples baking or making or whatever…it’s just the best smell!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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