Wednesday, November 11, 2026
It’s Wednesday and Hodgepodge with Joyce day! It’s also Veteran’s Day.
1. Marilyn texted me something that inspired this question, so thank you Marilyn! Of the following sayings, typically associated with the (American) southern way of speaking, which do you most relate to right now? Explain.
Bless your heart~too big for yer britches~ madder than a wet hen~you’re preachin’ to the choir~
knee high to a grasshopper~oh my stars
I am probably thinking “Bless your heart” the most. I don’t envy or want to be that person. I am trying not to be judgy, but it’s hard. I am thinking of the case of someone I know that is in their 50s and still lives off of their parents. This is an extreme form of enabling, no? This person has never had a job or career and if they did it was for a split second after college. The parents bought their house, cars, paid for their kids’ college, international trips, etc. I was talking about this with someone and said “bless their heart” because that is very sad.
2. The Hodgepodge lands on (US) Veterans Day this year. Are you a veteran? Have a family member who’s a veteran? If you answered yes, tell us something about them. Will you do anything to mark the day in some special way?
My Dad and several other family members are veterans.
My Dad (and mom now) are buried in an Indiana Veteran’s Cemetery in our hometown which is very special. The flags they place are very beautiful to me. I decided I will donate to the Christmas wreaths in a nearby Veteran’s cemetery and I do that each year. They also place wreaths where my mom and dad are.
My hometown also did these banners that you could sponsor and my mom did that for several years. I will have to figure out how to continue that. Here are two nieces and a nephew several years ago:
3. Is breakfast for dinner a stroke of genius or a sign of total household collapse? Is breakfast for dinner a regular thing at your house? Are all family members on board?
Breakfast for dinner is more common for us now as empty nesters. I don’t know why I didn’t do it more when the kids were young. We like to have the frozen Pillsbury biscuits, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Sometimes I do baby Crescent roll dough cinnamon rolls for dessert. Breakfast dessert!
4. How do you see the world?
I think I am pretty optimistic. I think that most people are inherently good. I don’t think you should use your bad situation/circumstance as a crutch or an excuse in your life. Some people seem to be dealt a tough hand, and other people seem to attract drama in their lives and almost thrive on it.
I think it would have been harder to be a high school teacher for 31 years had I not thought that most people are inherently good. I had some parents that were tough to deal with. I think it was hard to be young and a woman at times. I had some parents try to bully me. I think it’s easy to become bitter as a teacher, but I didn’t become bitter.
In my early years of teaching, I had a parent tell me that it must be me that was the reason their kid had a D. He said that I must be harboring ill will toward not just his kid but all the kids and that I needed to look deep within myself. Okay… your kid has a D in Spanish 2. It’s not that deep. He can’t conjugate his way out of a box. I’m sure he is a fine 44-year-old today.
There were only a handful of bad things in the thousands of good things, though. I still love teenagers and honestly would rather talk to them than most adults. Find me at the kids’ table!
5. And this week’s gratitude question-what’s something about your surroundings (home, neighborhood, city) you’re grateful for?
Old big trees! Beautiful leaves in red, gold, orange! Sidewalks! So many locally owned places and not just chains! My library! Four distinct seasons! A reasonable cost of living!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
If you haven’t taken a country or country-ish drive, do it! It was so nice on Sunday to see the beautiful sunlight hit the leaves. This photo doesn’t do it justice.
Then, back to my backyard:
Amy
Your fall photos are so pretty– our trees are pretty much all bare now so those drives aren’t nearly so pretty anymore. “Bless your heart” just isn’t something we ever think or say up here in New England– I mean none of those sayings are but most have some form of equivalent but not bless your heart. The closet to hearing a story like that might be good grief but that applies to a much wider variety of situations.
LikeLike
Thank you! I know ours will be bare soon. No, that is not very NE. Good grief always reminds me of Charlie Brown and my cousin who was obsessed with him and said it!
LikeLike
It’s interesting to read how people view the world! I don’t think people are inherently good- I mean many people do good things consistently for sure. But I think man’s sinful nature precludes me from believing that people are inherently good. I’m also not an optimistic person by nature- maybe part of that stems from how I view people? I don’t know? I like the banner of your dad! I have driven through many small towns in Indiana and Ohio that have those banners in or near the downtown. So touching and patriotic. I didn’t realize someone had to sponsor/pay for them but it does make sense…
LikeLike
It is. Well, yes, I didn’t go that deep with it. I think it would have been harder to be a teacher if I weren’t an optimist, you know?
Yes, someone does have to pay. It’s not cheap, either! I need to find out about that in the spring. I think they have them up around Memorial Day.
LikeLike
Oh I love that photo of your backyard and the sunlight.
I use bless your heart in much the same way.
LikeLike
Thank you so much! Yes!
LikeLike
I loved all your answers! That banner of your dad is so cool. I love a Veteran’s cemetery! I love going to see Dad’s grave; those rows of perfectly aligned graves is absolutely stunning. I donate at Christmas, too! His wife puts a wreath on his grave each year, but I like the other ones better. I need to go visit him soon! Those trees are gorgeous. I wholeheartedly agree and need to take a country drive soon. Happy Wednesday!
LikeLike
Thank you! I need to go to the cemeteries and monuments more. I agree. I love a country drive and bonus if you have a seasonal drink!
LikeLike
I love the banners. A town near us does that and I think it’s a wonderful way to honor local citizens. I love how the veteran cemeteries care for those who rest there. They’re always pristine and the flags and wreaths are beautiful. We love a country drive here too. Most of my drives around here are rural and when I go in to the city I find myself annoyed by all the traffic. Have a great day!
LikeLike
I just know my dad would have been so proud of his banner/is proud of his banner along the river. I agree. I really appreciate how nicely they keep them. All of your drives are country! Lol! I am the same. I try to time my outings so I don’t get stuck at bad times of the day. You too!
LikeLike
Beautiful photos and now I am wanting bacon and cinnamon rolls (lol). Wishing you a lovely day.
LikeLike
Thank you! Bacon and cinnamon rolls – two of life’s pleasures!
LikeLike
That is really sad that someone in their 50s is still living off their parents. For the parents, not the 50 year old! They need to stand on their own two feet!
Those banners are such a special thing. What a great photo of it and your nieces and nephew!
I loved your answer for question 4.
You live in such a beautiful areas, those trees are stunning!
LikeLike
When talking about grades, I always use the word earn – so and so and earned a C, etc…putting it on them. Love all the pretty colors of the trees. The banners in your home town- how special!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes! I did that, too. I had forgotten.
LikeLike
My brother bought one of those pennant things for our dad. They put wreaths on the graves there, too. I use Bless your heart in the “Northern” way where you really mean it. I do love the “Southern “ way, though. Man, I wish my mom had sent me to college let alone Europe!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
LikeLike