Wednesday, September 10, 2025
It’s Hodgepodge with Joyce day!
1. What gives you energy? What takes it away?
Laughing with people I love and deep conversation and connection with people gives me energy. Toxic people take my energy away. Stupid stuff takes my energy away. People that make things more difficult than they have to be truly drain me. You know those “you had ONE job” memes? I think I am a fixer and I look at a situation and want to do it a better way. This was the problem I started having with how my school was run. It was frustrating that the higher ups didn’t do things the way I would have done them. Are you like that, too? Sometimes I wish I could just chill.
2. How often do you shop for clothes? What accessory do you always wear?
I am doing really well with not surfing online or shopping for recreation. If I see an ad or someone recommends something I do think about it and shop if it fits my needs. I do like to shop in person as the season changes and just see what trends are out there, see what I have in my closet, and go from there.
I am realizing that I just don’t need as many clothes now.
I am trying to do less fast fashion and chose quality over quantity.
My last purchases were shoes and jeans.
I love sunglasses and bracelets the most and want to try a scarf ponytail or half up style with a scarf.
3. What’s something free that you feel grateful for?
My library!
Sunshine!
Fresh air!
4. Breakfast, lunch, dinner…which meal of the day do you enjoy most? What’s your go-to comfort food?
I love breakfast food. I can eat it at any time of the day. My comfort food is probably mashed potatoes or a baked potato. I also love macaroni noodles with just tomato sauce and that was a fave of my mom’s. She hated breakfast food and often had leftover spaghetti or a typical dinner food for breakfast – lol. My Dad loved breakfast food.
5. This week the world remembers the tragic events of 9/11. Do you mark the day in any way? How do historical events shape your perspective on your personal challenges?
9/11 is also my Dad’s birthday and he would have been 83! My mom’s birthday is 9/13 and she would have been 83, too. My sisters and I talked about marking their birthdays by doing something but they are so busy with their teacher jobs and kids so I don’t think it’s going to happen this weekend, but maybe we can do it later.
I was teaching when 9/11 happened. My principal came on the announcements and said “Teachers turn on your tvs to channel 3 (that was back in the day when we had the small tvs mounted high up on the wall near the ceiling and had the universal channel for broadcasting things) as there is something that is happening in our country right now” or something like that. We actually saw the second tower get hit live. The rest of the day was a blur and we did nothing academic, obviously. Students got picked up by their parents and I went home at the end of the day and put a VHS tape into my VCR and recorded the Spanish channel. It was just Tom, me, and our dog Archie. I didn’t get pregnant until February of 2002.
I feel like I keep referencing pre-pandemic things and post-pandemic things now.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I had a calzone last weekend and I can make this better. It wasn’t that good. The dough and the sauce were mediocre. I’m going to use my Budget Bytes stromboli dough recipe and just buy the Kroger brand pizza sauce which is a bit spicy.
It’s both exciting and disappointing when your food at home is better than restaurant food.
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
Your last line is true though for me, excitement definitely prevails over disappointment. I feel like a baddie when I make something better than I’ve had at a restaurant :). On 9/11, I worked for a large information technology company (that I referenced in my post today though not about 9/11) that had offices in NYC. They sent us home that day out of respect for those who knew people who were impacted. Your meme about refillers is good and true. Have a good day!
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So true! It is exciting! I love that meme!
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I’ll never forget 9/11 nor the pandemic. Such a sense of unease and feeling vulnerable.
I’m not shopping for recreation any more either and it feels so good! I love seeing beautiful things but leaving them behind and realizing I don’t need to buy them!
I hope you do something to honor your parents this week, even if it’s just toasting them or enjoying a favorite meal.
xo,
Kellyann
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Same. Same. I feel both 9/11 and the pandemic so deeply still.
I feel like I’m finally a grown up with shopping.
I agree – I need to do something in both of their honor this week.
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I like to shop in person for the purpose of seeing trends as well; I also like to feel the material, because some fabrics bother me. Obviously, I still shop online, but I do enjoy that more. That’s so funny that your mom would eat food like spaghetti for breakfast; my son Drew does this out of necessity. He just always has leftovers, but he does also like breakfast food. I remember him spending the night with me on the night before his birthday this year, and I got up to heat up his leftovers for breakfast that he requested. He’s funny like that! I hope you enjoy your day, my friend!
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It’s really fun to get yourself gussied up and go out with the purpose of looking at the trends. I kinda like to go alone. It could be fun with the right friend. I am so particular about fabrics.
He seems sweet and low maintenance. Love that!
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Happy Heavenly Birthday to your dad and your mom on the 13th. Sending big hugs to you and your sisters ❤️
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So true about food out and food at home- such mixed feelings about being able to make things better- hmm 😉
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I love that quote! I want to be a refiller. I feel like I have been a drainer lately. My truth is so draining :(. I see/hear that scarves are definitely making a comeback.
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Your answer to #1 was spot on! I almost always have sunglasses and earrings. I’m on my way to the library right now (Ben’s driving) . Aside from nature that’s probably my favorite free thing. I’m not a breakfast food eater but if have a hard time picking between lunch and dinner as a favorite.
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Cute shoes!!! and jeans. When 9/11 happened, my principal turned off the TVs in the classroom!! I like breakfast food, but don’t eat breakfast ( I skip breakfast).
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I like efficiency and can get frustrated dealing with businesses where I can so easily see how things would be better and easier for them and for me lol. Don’t get me started on the NHS. I often use the ‘pandemic’ as a time marker. Did something happen before or after that period of insanity is a way for me to come up with the right year. My picture you mentioned was probably 1992, maybe 91. The style is unmistakable. I think that shirt may have had tiny little shoulder pads. Gotta love the 90s! Have a great day!
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Such cute shoes – love the color! As a retired senior adult who can pick and choose my activities, I find I am wearing a smaller selection of clothes, and most are less formal than previously. I found it interesting that your principal said to turn your TVs on, and another Hodgepodger wrote that her’s announced to turn all TVs off. Different perspectives.
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When you said toxic people take your energy, the first thing I thought of was a term called kryptonite people. Some people just zap /drain your energy, and I think that term perfectly describes it. I had a similar experience on 9/11 – teaching, but we didn’t even have the mounted tv’s! I was also pregnant with Grace. I think I’m going to repost about it tomorrow.
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Yes! I think I have also heard “energy vampire”! Lol!
I read your 9/11 today. I can’t believe Michael was gone for so long. That is so hard.
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Oh, that first bit reminded me of those every Wednesday before school meetings we had to have because the higher ups demanded we do it! I hate wasting time when there are things to be done! Love your Mary Janes!
My husband was on a plane in NYC on 9/11 and saw the first tower on fire. The second one hadn’t been hit yet. He didn’t know anything about the jets hitting them until he had left the airport. The guy at the car rental place told him to get out of the airport ASAP because they would soon be shutting it down. I was frantic trying to get hold of him because I knew his connecting flight was in Pittsburgh. He finally called about noon. He was there all week and drove home because planes still weren’t flying. A week (or maybe two weeks) later, he was back in the air. He said he wasn’t going to let that stop him from doing his job. I will never forget that day. My students comforted me as I cried not knowing whether he was alive or not.
I think the only thing I’ve ever made that was a restaurant dupe was the Zuppa Toscana soup from Olive Garden. And, yes, mine was just as good! I think I need to make some in a couple of weeks.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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Ugh – meeting for meeting’s sake.
That is crazy! I bet you were so scared. My Dad was flying a private plane that day.
That sounds so good right now!
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Ahh, yes! I get frustrated when I can see an easy solution but those higher up have to do things their way. Ugh!
Those red shoes are so cute!
I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday, it was so surreal watching it happen on the news.
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Right?
I really like red shoes. Is that weird? I do, too.
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