Wednesday, July 8, 2026

It’s Wednesday and time for Hodgepodge with Joyce!

1. What’s something you enjoy now that your younger self would never have appreciated? 

Gosh, this is a hard one because I feel like I haven’t changed much! Adult Amy and 9 year old Amy both liked: cooking/baking, reading, writing, being outside in nature, making up songs, poems, and silly rhymes, shopping, putting together outfits – see? I haven’t changed much.

Maybe a game like mah jong. I loved euchre and some other games, but I probably wouldn’t have had the patience to learn mah jong. Did I tell you one of my sisters is kind of mad that I like it? She said, “I can’t believe all the games you rejected in the past that I wanted to play”.

2. What was peaceful about today?  I will answer this for Tuesday (yesterday)…

My slow mornings with my devotional, water, coffee, blog writing and reading, and my dog lying peacefully beside me (after his initial excitement where he tried to unplug my laptop, bring me a couch pillow, and mouthed a shoe of mine).

3. It’s National Blueberry Day (July 8). Will you celebrate?  You can have one of the following right now-a slice of blueberry pie, a warm blueberry muffin, or a stack of blueberry pancakes…which do you choose?

I prefer frozen blueberries to fresh, I think. I would pick a blueberry pancake.

This or that-blueberries or raspberries? blueberries or strawberries? 

raspberries

strawberries

I don’t think fresh blueberries have much flavor. What am I doing wrong?

4. Do you need a break? From what? 

I think it’s good to break from routine and get a change of scenery when you can. I probably need a break from house chores and then I will be fine again!

5. What has surprised you most about getting older? 

I think the confidence it brings that you know more who you are, how you want to spend your time, and who you want to spend it with. You feel less apologetic about who you are. You stop trying to fit in as much. You aren’t everyone’s cup of tea and you are finally ok with it.

If someone consistently makes you feel bad when you are around them, that might be on you because you continue to be around them. Bye bye. If the person is someone you work with or that you are related to, it makes things a little bit harder, so I would say small doses and prepare yourself that it will be that way.

As I get older, I don’t want to become rigid and inflexible. So, I do try to go outside my comfort zone from time to time.

My friend was talking about how some older people she was around were complaining about everything and it was a very draining time that she had to spend with them. The food wasn’t right, the drink wasn’t right, they needed this, and they needed that. I don’t ever want to be that way.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

NO is a powerful word. It’s flattering to be asked to do something but ‘no” is a valid answer, as well. You can say, “thank you for thinking of me, but I am unable to commit”. If it isn’t a “heck yes”, then it might need to be a “no”. As lifelong people pleasers, we are used to always doing the thing, right? And, we need to stop saying we are sorry when it’s not a “sorry” moment.

So, as school gets ready to ramp up, you might be asked to coach, be on a committee, join a group, etc. It’s very flattering, but does is line up with your values and how you want to spend your time.

In education, they were very good about flattering you to get you to coach, sponsor, lead, do one more thing, etc.

Lots of food for thought today, no?

Amy

27 thoughts on “Wednesday Hodgepodge”

  1. I tend to pick most other berries over blueberries too as many store ones tend to be quite big and tasteless. The good berries are actually the tiny ones and they are just a bit tart and sweet but I really only notice blueberries tasting great when we pick them ourselves (and even that can depend on the growing conditions- a really rainy year tends to have very bland berries). I remember coaching my mother in law in the art of saying no last summer. It was like she had an epiphany when I suggested she reply with “Oh I’d love to but I can’t.” and just walk away or something similar to your suggestions. I did promise her it gets easier with practice.

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    1. That’s what my frozen wild blueberries are – the tiny ones! I bought a container of big ones and they taste like nothing.
      Good for you and good for her for coaching and being coached. Tom has helped me with that. He says I don’t owe a long-winded explanation and says I have “over-explained” why I can’t in the past.

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  2. I think you’re not wrong about blueberries- at least the ones in stores. I agree with Joanne- picking ones yourself at a blueberry patch tend to taste much better. My mom always used to go to Michigan to pick blueberries (she claimed they were better there??) and the ones she got from MI did, indeed, taste good. It’s great you’ve gotten more confident as you’ve gotten older. I don’t think that I have necessarily though I’m not less confident, either.

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    1. I need to do that! I think I have before – in Michigan! I really like this frozen bag of wild blueberries I found at the store.
      I think I was always confident but I was too worried about pleasing people and now I don’t care as much. I try to please the people I love but not everyone anymore!

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  3. I really love strawberries the most. I can take or leave raspberries – they aren’t my favorite. I’ve never been good at saying “no” . . .but I think I’m better about it now.

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    1. Strawberries are the best! The little raspberry seeds are weird. I think saying no is a learned skill. I feel like the current young ones are better at it!

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  4. We pick blueberries from our neighbors crop and they’re super sweet. One thing I love about the lake is people are do-ers. They travel, try new skills, continue learning, read…I am with you on the complainers, particularly about the ‘younger generations’. We did some stupid stuff too lol. Plus, like so many things in today’s world, we need to pay less attention to the things the media feeds us and more to what we’re seeing with our own eyes. Didn’t the World Cup teach us that? : ) The young adults I know give me hope for the future. Have a great day!

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    1. That’s so nice! I love that mentality! My friend described this lunch that was supposed to be a nice gesture and the ladies acted put out that she took them to lunch!
      So true. Turn off the news and just go to your local grocery store. Get out in the world. I love the 20 somethings in my life, too. I’m enjoying my friends’ kids right now. They are so fun and seem to enjoy talking to me!

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  5. I loved all of your answers and how deep you went with the last two questions. I am a life long people pleaser! I’m trying to break that habit every single day, and I’m so much better than I used to be. I’m also learning to let my “no” be no. End of story, kaput. I don’t have to explain myself or justify my reasoning behind it being a no from me, either. Just last week I had someone ask me something and I said no to it, but she didn’t accept my answer. I didn’t exactly know what to say after that, so I told her that I would try to think of someone else who could help her. That seemed to appease her for the time being, because she stopped asking me. I can see how flattery would happen in education to help with extra things!

    I enjoyed reading all of your answers today. I hope you have the best day, my friend. Happy Wednesday!

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    1. Thank you!
      It’s not often that someone doesn’t accept NO. Wow – that must have been hard. Tom has helped me with the “no” is a complete sentence and I don’t owe people long winded explanation.
      I think churches can do this, too, as well as schools. I have been roped into so many things where they downplayed the commitment.
      I hope you do, too!

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  6. You’re the first hodgepodger (is that a word??!) to be positive about the getting older question. LOVED your answer and I’m right there with ya!

    I love raspberries, bluberries, boysenberries, blackberries…basically all berries except strawberries but that might be because I had an allergy to them when younger and now just don’t like the taste or scent at all although the allergy isn’t as bad.

    I hope you continue to have wonderfully peaceful mornings.My mornings are much the same now that i’m retired from teaching

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    1. It is now! Ha! Right? I feel better mentally I think?
      I think blackberries are underappreciated. My Dad used to make blackberry cobbler. I need to do that.
      I think teachers appreciate the slow peaceful mornings more, perhaps! I hope you are enjoying retirement.

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  7. I love that Adult Amy and 9 year old Amy enjoy the same things! Your mornings do sound peaceful apart from Eddie Otis being a little excited. hehehe Yes to your answer to question 5! I agree with all you said! I am learning to say no more when I don’t really want to do something.

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  8. Oh, I love this! Being a people pleaser is a hard habit to break, isn’t it? I really liked your advice about ‘small doses’ for difficult people. It is such a simple idea but it makes a big difference. 

    Getting older is definitely a relief because you stop caring so much about what other people think. It took me a long time to learn that I don’t need to be liked by everyone. Your point about not becoming a person who complains about everything is a great reminder, too. I want to keep an open mind.

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  9. I am with you on the complainers. I have a dear friend who is a complainer and to be honest, I don’t talk to her much anymore because she just brings me down! You are spot on when it comes to others trying to flatter me into being on a committee or coach a sport in education—saying “No” is a word that is used more often from my mouth.

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  10. I am with you on the complainers. I have a dear friend who is a complainer and to be honest, I don’t talk to her much anymore because she just brings me down! You are spot on when it comes to others trying to flatter me into being on a committee or coach a sport in education—saying “No” is a word that is used more often from my mouth.

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  11. So true about confidence and really, after 50, not giving as many F’s- ha!! Wouldn’t you agree? One of the best parts of getting older for sure 🙂

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  12. We had the same thoughts on blueberries. I agree that complaining seems to increase with age. When I am around someone like that, I confer with Michael afterwards and say “Please don’t let me get like that!” Hope you have a great day!

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  13. The older i get, the more i realize no is a complete sentence 😂 Im a bit annoyed with some school things and then I was asked to be PLC lead. I’m sure this was a compliment/ way to sooth some of my thoughts that I shared at the end of the school year but I politely declined. It’s a no for me 😂

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  14. I once read a book, “Don’t say Yes when you want to say No.” It just made so much sense during a time when I was overwhelmed with saying yes. (back when I was a mommy) I have become quite proficient in the NO answer, of course. I always say it nicely, and I have become very good at sticking to that no, no matter what. (There are always exceptions) That’s what I love about the mature me.

    I’m with you on the blueberries. That’s why I prefer them in baked goods.

    Anyway, enjoyed your answers.

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  15. I enjoyed your answers. I think I find as I get older, I also just don’t care as much about what people think. Yes to breaking from routine, though I’m not always good at that.

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  16. Those are some very good points! I guess I’m not old yet because that confidence that so many people talk about hasn’t hit yet- I still have way too many people pleasing tendencies and need to learn to say no more often- especially in the context of school when I’m asked to volunteer!

    https://www.suzannehines.org

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  17. I like the encouragement to get outside my comfort zone so I don’t become rigid and inflexible as I age. Thank you for that wise advice.

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  18. Loved reading this, especially the last 2 answers. No is such an important word, even though it is fun to be a yes person. The confidence of being older is such a good thing and something I think I will continue to work on as I grow older. This has hit home for me in some areas this week. I need to catch up with you on the phone!

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