Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Last year’s backyard decor – love that knobby pumpkin I found!

Hello October! I am linking up with Joyce for Hodgepodge today.

1. What’s your favorite fall scent? Would we find this in or around your home right now? 

I got to smell lots of fall smells in this cute store in my hometown and I am excited to go back and see what else they have. I love pumpkin, vanilla, apple, cinnamon, and any combinations of those smells. I really love the Mrs. Meyer’s acorn spice hand soap. I love the smell of a fire. There’s nothing like smelling a fire in the distance in the crisp fall air.

I have the trio of little glass jar candles from Trader Joe’s in my house along with the acorn spice hand soap. I have a couple of candles on the patio that are a bit stronger and better for outside. I have become more sensitive to artificial smells in the last couple of years, so I am quite picky.

2. October is Country Music Month…are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville? In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse? 

I am not really a country music fan but I like most live music of any genre. I just don’t fan girl or really know anyone or their songs very well.

We took a little family trip to Nashville a few summers ago. We stayed at The Graduate which was so cool. This was the trip I discovered boutique hotel means “small rooms” and that I realized that we had outgrown one hotel room for our family of four.

This photo makes me laugh!

I would say I am a suburban mouse. I can do a bit of country and a bit of city but I am most comfortable in suburbia!

3. How about ‘country cooking’? (loosely defined as rich flavors, familiar foods, large portions, often fried, and often associated with the southern region of the US of A)? 

My mom’s family was from Chicago so no country cookin’ there. My Dad’s family loved their fried chicken, mashed potatoes, apple pie (Southern Indiana). We didn’t really eat fried foods growing up, though. The fried chicken was a treat at Grandma’s house. My Dad was health conscious from my childhood. We didn’t even eat much red meat except for ground beef. We had a lot of chicken. My mom made this bone in chicken breast with powdered parmesan on it with canned or frozen vegetables. She also didn’t like to cook potatoes. We had a lot of corn.

Nashville hot chicken in Nashville:

chicken and dumplings-fried chicken-shrimp and grits-biscuits and gravy-mac and cheese-fried green tomatoes-cornbread-collard or turnip greens-deviled eggs-‘barbecue’-gumbo-banana pudding 

We did have deviled eggs once a year after Easter. Tom loves collard greens and gumbo. I have not yet attempted either.

Which of the foods listed is your favorite? Any on the list you haven’t tried or would say a firm no thank you to if offered?

I only eat it about once a year but I love biscuits and gravy. I probably had it for the first time in my 30s. Growing up, I only knew canned biscuits!

4. What’s something that always has a positive impact on your mood? 

Being around water! A sunny day! A bright blue sky! New shoes! A good hair day!

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you. 

Noun – sun

Verb – reflecting/to reflect

Adjective – slow

We had a truly gorgeous September with so much sun and very little rain. August still felt like summer but September really had me feeling like I was retired. It was a gift to have a September at home without the pressure of school.

I spent much of the month reflecting on where my life is now and how much it’s changed in a year. I am a reflective person so this was a good thing. I miss certain aspects of school life, of course. I had a former student send me a message to ask if I would be at Prom. He is a senior now. Awwwww.

It was slow in many regards (and fast in other) and I wasn’t in a hurry. I mean slow in the best of ways…as in relaxed. Sometimes being too relaxed isn’t a good thing so I am trying to find that balance.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I feel happy in this photo. It’s good to feel happy after feeling sad!

What would you say to any of these questions? Thanks for reading my deep thoughts!

Amy

31 thoughts on “Hodgepodge”

  1. That is a funny picture of Tom! He rocks the angel wings!! My mom home cooked everything but it was very northern midwest style, ie meat and potatoes :). I am suburban mouse, too. I unabashedly love the ´burbs. Enjoyed reading your answers! Have a great day!

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    1. Isn’t it? He really does. Yes, I can imagine the northern midwest cooking. So good! Some of my Dad’s family lived in Renssalear and further north. My Dad was really meat and potatoes and a big eater until he started his fitness kick in his mid-30s. He ran religiously for 40 plus years. You too!

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  2. Agree with you – water and sunshine will ALWAYS have a positive impact on my mood! I’m so sad we didn’t make it out to the lake more this summer – between the weather (it rained the ENTIRE month of July) and our schedules, we didn’t make it happen enough. Luckily I will get to go to the SC coast later this month so I’ll get another “fix” in :). And I LOVE that picture of you at the end – you DO look happy. And isn’t it nice to have that one picture that you look at and say, “this is ME”??? That’s how I feel about my link-up profile pic. I’m glad this September and retirement is working out so well for you!!

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    1. Yes! So healing! We didn’t use the boat much either – it was just a weird year. Yay for SC! I need a beach soon. It is nice to feel happy and see it in a photo. It’s rare for a woman maybe?
      Thank you so much! Have a great day, Jenni!

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  3. That picture of Tom is hilarious! Honestly it should be a meme or gif or something!

    I am hoping to get to Nashville soon to see Lisa and your post is making me wish I was going tomorrow!

    How sweet that your former student asked you about prom! That has to make you feel so good – you are gone but not forgotten!

    xo,

    Kellyann

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    1. Haha – that’s so true! He loves some aspects of Nashville, though, and is a big fan of music. He didn’t love Broadway!
      Awww, that is sweet that you are wanting to go soon. Do your husbands enjoy each other?
      That was so sweet, yes! But, also, that might be weird!

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      1. Our husbands do get along but since Lisa’s doesn’t live in Nashville, when I visit I go alone. My 2 nephews live there and I keep saying I am going to go visit them. It’s hard to schedule a trip but I do love Nashville. Definitely NOT Broadway though!

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  4. You’ve had so much change this year so far…I know what that feels like, and I think you’re doing a great job of handling it all, at least from what I see here most days. I think it’s sweet that your former student asked you about prom…would you do that? I think it’s a really sweet idea, and I’d imagine they wouldn’t turn down a chaperone. Maybe not, though…

    That pic of Tom made me laugh, and so did your experience when you found out what “boutique hotel” meant. I thought it just meant stupid expensive. 🤣

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    1. You have to, so yes you do know. I don’t know about going to prom that seems weird and like I’m a loser with nothing better to do but I would want to see their pics!
      Right! That trip was low key a disaster with our kids. They were in such a bad mood.

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  5. That store is so cute and I love the sound of the acorn spice hand soap.
    I love that photo of Tom. hehehe
    I never really ate fried chicken until I was an adult and now it is just a treat.

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    1. I agree with you on the fall scents. If they have an artificial smell they will give me a headache. Otherwise I have a couple of fall candles I love. I love your leopard top or dress you have on in the bottom picture.

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      1. Totally! I am looking more for soy candles and less Bath and Body – so expensive anyway and you have to play their coupon games and I don’t want to.

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  6. We stayed at The Graduate for a wedding one spring. You don’t want a room just one or two floors below that rooftop bar either! I am also sensitive to very strong scents so am picky about what candles I’ll burn. I find apple and pumpkin can be too much for me unless they’re mixed with other scents. I’m glad you’re settling in and finding new rhythms and some peace after a difficult season. Have a great day!

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  7. Yes to all of the water and sunshine…love the happy pic of you! Treasure it- glad you time to reflect on your life and all of the wonderful work you have done

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  8. I 100% agree that all those fall scents are great! I don’t think I could eat biscuits and gravy; the look of it just turns my stomach. I also don’t think I could handle the texture of grits and banana pudding would be a HUGE hell no (I mean, a polite no thank you– but I’d definitely be thinking hell no). Honestly just about every food on that list would get a polite no thank you from me.

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    1. Yes! It does look like a dog’s breakfast but it’s so good! I like grits but don’t love them. I love banana pudding. That’s so funny! I don’t know if I have ever heard you get this angry! Love it!

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  10. You have had a lot to process in the last year, and it’s good that you’re taking time to reflect on things. I kind of thought everyone liked southern-style food since that is what I grew up with, but after reading lots of these posts, the food is not a fave for most people! I have heard that the graduate rooms are small and kind of poorly planned. They opened one at Auburn, and we haven’t stayed there for that reason.

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    1. Thank you – I feel like I need to stop talking about it. Fried food is rough on my stomach these days but I probably have it a couple of times a month. I know! The answers were interesting. Lou has such a diverse food scene. We are lucky here.
      Yeah, they were very small but the common areas are worth looking at next time you are there.

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  11. Yay for water (mountain lakes for me) and sunshine!! It’s been a beautiful Sept here in eastern NYS.

    I stopped eating beef in 2014 when I was 54 and my husband was 48 and had a sudden heart attack. THankfully we got to the ER in time but it was his widow maker. I said no more beef or pork and we don’t miss it at all! I do eat bison when it’s on sale (it makes great grilled burgers) and we eat chicken and salmon. We grill a lot or bake. I don’t put fried food in my body although once in a great while I will order french fries or sweet potato fries.

    I really enjoyed your answers. Have a good rest of the week!

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  12. I love the smell of vanilla. It’s so soothing! I also realized after reading your answers that I totally flubbed the fifth question. I just didn’t read it correctly. Sheesh!

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  13. With every post, I feel like I get to know you a little better. I am a candle hoarder. I have soooo many Bath & Body Works candles that I bought over the years. I have given gobs away to my daughter and son. But, I keep forgetting to light them. In fact, I think I still have Christmas ones out. I do need to get my fall ones out because they are my favorite which is my long winded way of saying I love fall smells! My husband grew up in a large, extremely poor family so he will never eat biscuits and gravy again. He won’t eat ham and beans, either. In fact, most of those foods listed were things they had all the time. Luckily for him, I can’t make gravy anyway! I knew, without a photo, what has a positive impact on you.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. Is that a good or bad thing? Lol! I am an open book pretty much. I read some peoples’ blogs and they feel kind of impersonal and that I don’t get to know them, but for most I do. I am starting to see you are a maximalist and not a minimalist! I do think our childhood guides our adult life more than we know. I have only tried gravy a few times. It’s more of an out of the house food and not a home food for me.
      Thank you!

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