Wednesday, September 17, 2025
This might be my favorite set of questions ever from Joyce! Let’s go!
1. Are you more life of the party or more party pooper? If your answer is somewhere in the middle which side of the middle do you lean towards more?
I am more of the life of the party until I’m not. My sisters make fun of me for having grand ideas and thinking I can do all this stuff socially and then I get tired. So, I would say I can be the life of the party until my social battery runs out and I get tired and in the right setting. I always say I am the life of the party at brunch. I just get tired at 8:00 pm. I don’t think retirement is going to make me a night owl. Who said parties need to start so late anyway? The young kids do day parties or “darties” I have heard. They need to workshop that term but I also love day drinking and then going to bed early. Don’t judge.
Birthday party, beach party, cocktail party, dinner party, charity fundraiser, surprise party, costume party, garden party, Christmas party, reunion...what’s your favorite kind of party?
I like celebrating birthdays quite a lot. I also like Christmas parties. Beach parties – I live in Kentucky, plus sand is really annoying. Costume parties can be fun but also a lot of pressure and sometimes you don’t know if people are really going to dress up. I would be like Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde and be the only one who went all out.
I have learned that you have to say what you want to do on your birthday or you could be disappointed. I have learned you also sometimes have to just plan your own and there’s no shame. Tom never thinks to get me a cake so sometimes I even do that myself.
Speaking of Christmas parties…
My friend Beth made her basement so cool last year for her Christmas party! I wonder if she will do this again? Beth?
2. Cheese, wine, and balsamic vinegar all improve with age. What would you personally add to the list?
Oh, I don’t know. I love cheese and wine and I love balsamic glaze to put on things.
I planned and did all the work for my 50th birthday in my backyard. It was still Covid-ish times. Here is my drink set up:
It was Day of the Dead themed and I made lots of apps and ordered a taco bar. I started questioning why I was doing so much work but then it turned out to be really fun with lots of good memories.
This was a really fun birthday. We ate dinner and then went to a private karaoke room place to sing. Look at my mouth open and they were hogging the microphones!
This year we picked our college kids up and went to a nearby Mexican restaurant in an old church:
3. How do you feel about your birthday? How do you want to be celebrated? Or don’t you?
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love my birthday! I love everyones’ birthdays and love to celebrate people, by the way. I am usually asking people what they plan to do to celebrate.
4. What remarkable feat, interesting piece of trivia, or historical event occurred on your birth day and month? Not necessarily your same birth year, just the same date/month.
I was born on Tuesday Election Day. My birthday is November 2, 1971. That’s all I’ve got.
5. Share two good things about your life right now.
I’m enjoying having more time to read! I’ve read some really good books over the last month.
This has been my favorite:
I’m doing pretty well with cooking dinner and not overthinking it.
I made my first batch of chili a couple of weeks ago:
Then, we had turkey sausage, potatoes, zucchini on a sheet pan, spaghetti, and tilapia and broccoli with potatoes. For lunch I have soup or salad usually.
I keep a memo on my phone of what I have ingredients for and then just pick:
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Tom eats out for lunch every.single.day and brings home leftovers at least 3 times a week. I took his leftover chicken salad, pickle, and delicious little cookie from Chicken Salad Chick and made egg salad and added crackers along with some pita chips and hummus and had myself a nice little lunch one day.
Mason usually eats Tom’s lunch leftovers which is great!
Ok, wrapping up the Hodgepodge, what would you say to any of today’s topics?
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
I love that pic of you and Tom- beautiful and he is smiling again- wow- ha!! 😉 that basement Christmas party is genius- it is inspiring me- should I do the same? hmmm….your meal planning is on point too!
LikeLike
This basement was based on this really kitschy bar we have here where you feel like you’re in your grandmother’s 70s living room. My friend went there and thought she could do it and she ended up loving it for her kids, too. They kept it like that all season. You should totally do it!
LikeLike
That’s funny, that you “loved” this set of questions – I don’t really have answers for most of them – ha! Reading through your answers, though, I “get” it – parties, birthdays, themes – they light you up. . .I can see it :). Funny thing is, I really do love hosting a party or even attending one, but I’m not “fun” so karaoke, costumes, carnival games – not for me. I used to love hosting dinner parties but we don’t really do that anymore, except for birthdays and holidays with our family. . .maybe I need to consider trying that again? These were fun to read!
LikeLike
You look like Jennifer Coolidge´s younger sister in that first picture of you and Tom. All the pictures of your celebrations and your friend´s celebration look really great. Pulling off parties/celebrations is a lot of work and not something that I do often; I appreciate it when I see that work when others do it. Have a great day!
LikeLike
Oh gosh – not sure that is a compliment! Lol! It is so much work. When I look at the pictures from my 50th I can’t believe how much food I made myself and how many places I went to buy all the food and decor, too, makes my head spin now.
LikeLike
I love birthdays, too! I think they’re a big deal, and it’s our one day a year to celebrate us. I always look forward to mind each year! I’m already thinking of what mine will look like this year, and am trying to think of something different to do. I don’t want a repeat of last year, as it seems like I’ve grown apart from a couple of the friends who were there last year…unless that changes back again, it would be awkward. This makes me sad, by the way! One of them is my best friend…we never talk/text anymore. I keep having to do all the reaching, and I don’t love that. Maybe it’ll change back to normal again…
Well, I hope you have a great day, my friend with another delicious looking lunch! xoxo
LikeLike
I will be thinking of some ideas for you. I get that. But, you could also cast a wide net and just see who can come? What about a festival or a winery or something like that? Something different from a dinner.
LikeLike
I am the same, I love a party as long as it finishes early! lol That Christmas party looks so cool and your 50th birthday too! Yay to the drink set up!
Well done to Tom for supplying the leftovers, that looks like a great lunch!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Thank you so much! Happy to eat good leftovers!
LikeLike
I love the party pics and would come if you invited me. We can wrap it up by 8…I’m also good with that. I forget about a taco bar, but it’s great for a group. I always say my hubs is the reason places turn the lights on at the end of the night lol. It was so nice to meet Marilyn. I told her your blogger reunion should be in my nearby city one year..so much to do and I could crash it : )
LikeLike
I am definitely more of a party pooper; I don’t really like parties. Social situations in general make me anxious and with a party there are just far too many unknowns. I’m usually fine once I get there but I will complain so much until we walk through the door. I absolutely hate costume parties though. I am just not a costume person; I love seeing everyone else’s but I hate dressing up myself.
LikeLike
I love theme parties..The Christmas Party looks so fun. If I have a few adult beverages, I am usually up till 10:30, if no adult beverages, I am ready for bed by 9.
LikeLike
I love your answers! Those upside down cupcakes look amazing! What will they think of next? Those Christmas decorations are so cute and the cigarettes are impressive!
LikeLike
I feel the same way about parties in general – I like them until I don’t! Also, what great pictures of you and Tom. Birthdays and Christmas are my faves.
LikeLike
I like parties as long as I know almost everyone there. If I’m the odd man out (like at Mike’s company Christmas parties), I am wallpaper. I think birthdays are very important though I am the only one who does. So, I have planned my own birthday party and haven’t invited any of my family! It’s with my new docent friends, and I think we’ll have a blast.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
LikeLike
Love the pics of you and Tom. I like by bday too! But it can be a lowkey celebration:)
I like celebrating others too.
LikeLike