Wednesday, January 28. 2026

It’s Wednesday and Hodgepodge with Joyce day in blogland.

Also, my mom passed away a year ago today. It’s hard to believe a year has gone by. I want to celebrate my parents on their birthdays rather than their death days, but I still think it’s important to reflect. My sisters and I decided we would do a TJ Maxx shopping trip to honor my mom and then share our hauls. My mom loved TJ Maxx so much and loved to buy and return things from there, too!

This is my view right now:

It would be prettier without the footprints and the recycling bin.

This is the ugly side of snow in the Kroger parking lot:

1. I live in the south so we’re pretty much only talking about the weather right now. Give us a weather report from where you live. Does the kind of weather you’re having today affect your mood in some way? 

It is winter so snow can be expected. I just feel like I got what I wanted this year and I’m done. Doesn’t Mother Nature know that I only needed snow days when I was a teacher? Ha!

I think we had about 8 inches and not much ice so that is the good news. But, when the temps are this cold the snow sticks around for way longer than I would like.

It absolutely affects my mood. I just want to hibernate, bake, snack, and not do much else.

2.  Avocados, kale, cauliflower and cottage cheese have all had their time to shine. 2026 brings us the year of the cabbage. Is this a vegetable you like? If so, what are some of your favorite dishes that call for cabbage?  

I like all of the above foods. I do like cabbage in vegetable soup and cole slaw. I probably like cooked cabbage more than raw cabbage.

3. Was a Cabbage Patch Doll a part of your childhood? Or maybe your children’s childhood? What’s a toy trend from your childhood you remember wanting for your own? 

Oh yes! I was a child of the 80s! My sisters and I all had one. I didn’t get the one of my dreams, so I had to settle. My mom found me a boy named Samuel Alexander and I wanted a girl, so I added a bow to her/their short hair, put her/them in a dress, and changed her/their name to Samantha Alexandra.

4. Something you’ve spent a lot of time doing lately? 

Enjoying this fire. For years we didn’t make fires upstairs. We only made them downstairs in our basement with our gas log. Well, Eddie Otis is still not granted access to the downstairs and I prefer wood anyway. So, this has been a delight this season.

I keep making myself a hot drink – winter spice tea or hot chocolate with heart shaped marshmallows.

5. Somehow it’s the last week of January…sum up your month in just three sentences. 

Well, I have been trying to enjoy January – the longest and most unexciting month of the year in my opinion. “30 days have September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 excepting February alone and leap year, blah, blah, and January which has 31,332 days and makes you feel every single one of them.”

Being retired has helped me. I have gotten to be out in the sun when it comes out since I’m not trapped in a school building from dark to almost dark.

Also, I have learned to be an indoor reader! For years, I could only read outside and that meant in summer, mainly. I got my neck light which helped a lot. I also can do do daytime reading indoors. Anyway, it’s a big deal for me.

My three sentences:

  1. I cooked a lot; it was the month of microwave eggs, sweet potatoes, and avocado. I ate pretty healthy.

2. I was pretty social. I ate dinner out on Saturdays with Tom and had several coffee dates or happy hours with friends.

3. I read a lot. At the time of this post I am on my 7th book of January.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I am pretty proud of not boredom shopping for clothing too much this month. In the past, that is what I did. I resisted a warehouse sale – even when they went to $5 and $10 racks! Don’t feel too bad for me because I still bought plenty. I bought a vest, two t-shirts, a blouse, two pairs of shoes, a baseball cap and a sweater. I think that sums it up! I guess I better hope that I don’t find anything at TJ Maxx!

What would you say to any of these topics today?

Amy

32 thoughts on “Hodgepodge”

  1. I do think sunlight makes a big difference in our winter mood. I hate the dirty lingering snow piles. When we lived in North Jersey I snapped a picture of the edge of our driveway on the first of June one year and there was a lingering small pile of ice! It was along winter and the pile from plowing our driveway took months to melt. I don’t miss that. I’m glad I had a pile of books checked out over the snow days here. Ice days really. Stay warm and cozy!

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  3. I like that your mom liked TJ Maxx. I like it, too, but very rarely go there. (I rarely do in person shopping of any kind.) One of the girls wanted to go there in early January so we did and I bought items that are kinds sorta still in my car. I need to get those out today… I didn’t mention it in my answer but I did get a CPD. Mine was a boy, too!! Mine stayed a he for sure even though I wanted a girl. I was kind of aging out of dolls so it wasn’t that big of a deal. I do still have Stu Gary and I have a funny story about him. Have a great day!

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  5. We have lots more snow… but perfectly clear roads by now even with the super cold temps. I don’t know how they do it but it’s nice that I can at least get out and about. I did run a few errands yesterday. I still remember my first Cabbage Patch doll but within a few years I had lots of them… I even had a set of preemie twins!

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  6. Sending love and hugs. Thinking of you and your family today.
    Snow is so pretty until it gets piled up, dirty and hangs around for more than a couple of days.
    Aww! That is a cute story about adding a bow and dress to your Cabbage Patch Doll.
    I have made a point of keeping myself busy over the last month just so it doesn’t feel like it drags as much. Boredom shopping is such an easy thing to do.

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  8. Amy-

    Thinking of you and your family today.

    Your reading and library hauls inspired me to get another library card and start with 3 books for January. I read 1 of them.

    Please share the recipe for the microwave/Pyrex eggs. I made a breakfast egg casserole with cottage cheese in it and I liked it. I used to make scrambled eggs in a mug in the microwave, with just egg, milk & butter, but your sound creamier and fluffier.

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    1. Thank you.
      Good for you for using the library!
      Spray Pam in your Pyrex and then add one egg, liquid egg white, 1/4 cup cottage and mix all up with a fork. Add salt and pepper if desired and cheese if desired. Cover. Microwave for 1 min and then check and I usually do another 30 secs.

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  11. I cannot believe a year has passed since your mom passed away. I think it’s important to reflect as well, and I did that last year when I got to year mark of Dad entering into Heaven. I remember writing in my journal and going to the cemetery. I did that on his birthday, too…and on mine. I never knew I was a grave visitor until I became one. I feel close to him there, even though I know it’s not him there…but he loved being in that cemetery because of how beautiful it is, so I know that’s why I like to go there. I don’t talk to him, but every time I leave, I say “bye, Daddy. I love you.”

    I loved your three sentences, and agree about January feeling soooo long. But look at us! It’s almost to the end. In my humble opinion, there’s nothing else like a woodburning fire. I’m proud of you for reading so much! I read four books this month and am starting number five today. It’s an older Melanie Shankle one- Nobody’s Cuter Than You. It’s about the beauty of women friendship.

    Happy Wednesday! I hope you get out soon…I’m going to get out today around lunch.

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  12. Glad to hear you got mostly snow- as much of a nuisance as it is, it is easier to deal with than the ice. Thinking of you and the anniversary of your mom’s passing- you have done a wonderful job honoring your parents- wishing you all the warmth and coziness!

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  13. January didn’t shape up to be the peaceful and happy month I thought it would be – to say the least. Its almost in the books, tho, and I will start anew in February! Meanwhile, waiting for the ice to melt so I can go have coffee with a friend and buy groceries!

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    1. I am trying to figure out a way to share all of them – I started a 2026 book post but I am thinking about also sharing at the end of each month. Let me think…
      Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams!

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  16. You are reading so many books! Maybe the snow is finished for the year? I’m ready to go back to my regularly scheduled weather programming of sunny temps in the 60s! My mom passed away on Jan 23, 2015, and I always think of her around this time of year.

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  17. I loved my cabbage patch doll …oh the 80’s… you do an awesome job getting out and about.
    I’m just now reading this …but I shopped at TJ Maxx today! Thinking of you all on this year anniversary.

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  18. I love the way you and your sisters chose to honor your mom! I imagine her up in heaven smiling down on you three as you shop away! Such days are tough and this is one of the last firsts you’ll face – this anniversary date. Sending hugs your way!

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  19. I think having a yearly tradition to remember your mom is a good idea! She would love that, no doubt.

    If I felt like figuring out how to work the fireplace in our rental, I’d be sitting in front of it too. I just don’t care for the one month it’s really cold enough to use it. I love our pellet stove in Missouri.

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  21. I enjoyed the story about your mom and TJ Maxx especially how she liked buying and returning things. Its fun to do things in honor of those we lost. I enjoyed your answers. Yay to reading indoors. I do most of my reading indoors, but have always wanted to just go sit on my porch and read. Not sure why I never do.

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