About The River

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The First of 2016 Hodgepodge


The First of the Year Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions.
We answer the questions.





1. Are you ready for new? Is 2016 likely to be very different than 2015? Do you want it to be?

2016 will be new for our family in ways of our boys are growing up. Our oldest son will take his driver's test. He also plans on getting a part/full time job this summer. In that way, yes, 2016 will be different. 

My role as a mom is starting to change as well. A friend of mine gave me good advice. "We slowly start to cut the apron strings." Not necessarily easy for me to do. Yet, it has to be done. 





 Celebrating with Chinese lanterns.


 Up Up and Away

 2. January 6th is National Technology Day. Currently, what is your single biggest struggle or frustration when it comes to technology?

Change
Just when I have it! They go and change it!

3. It's that time again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, and general uselessness) in 2016. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's top vote getters are-

So (at the start of every single sentence), conversation (as in hotly debated topics where we're invited to 'join the conversation'), problematic, stakeholder, price point, secret sauce, break the Internet, walk it back, presser, manspreading (common in larger cities where some men take up the entire bus or train seat by sitting wide), vape, giving me life (refers to anything that may excite a person or make them laugh), and physicality

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add? 

manspreading
I have never heard this word used, and I do not think I would like to.

vape
FYI - our little town of Cameron had a Vape Shop open for about six months. I did not visit nor did I hear what happened, it simply closed after six months.

 
4. Share one of your current health related goals.

Drink more water!!

5. Let's talk fifty shades of gray. As in the color. Gray is currently a popular color in home decor, paint, wardrobes, hair, wedding party attire, and more. Are you a fan? Do you have the color in some variation in your home or wardrobe?  Gray hair, the old gray mare, gray matter, gray area...which gray idiom can you most relate to right now?
 
  I have some gray in my wardrobe. I have a beautiful gray wool skirt. I love it, but I never seem to wear it.

No, I do not have any gray in my home decor at this time. I did see a photo of a beautiful gray kitchen. It had me thinking.

Gray hair! I did not know it was popular...I have to take a peek about that....see #7. Tee Hee ~ Ha Ha

6. Certain foods are considered 'lucky' if eaten on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. Cooked greens to bring economic fortune, black-eyed peas or lentils also symbolize money, pork which symbolizes progress, fish for good luck, and if you're in Spain 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. Did you eat any lucky foods on the first day of the year? Is that a tradition in your home? Of the foods listed, which most appeals to you?

I made homemade caramel rolls for New Year's Day breakfast. It is a  yummy tradition. Not sure if lucky, but definitely yummy!
12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. I will have them in the morning with my caramel roll. 


7. What's the single biggest time waster in your life and what, if anything, will you do about it this year?

Computer time...Pinterest....looking at fun stuff on Etsy...looking up information on stuff, decor, gardening, now I need to look up gray hair being popular...
I limit myself to so much time.  I try to be good about obeying my time...but sometimes I am naughty!!

 8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
The weather folks say, snow for this neck of the woods the next three days. An inch or 5 would be very helpful for this cross country ski girl who is just itching to get out and ski!

 

19 comments:

  1. I love those Chinese lanterns...what fun! I never liked the color gray but since I went 'silver', I wear a silvery gray pretty often and love it. Still don't like a dull gray though. Enjoy your week...let it snow where you are! heehee! Hugs, Diane

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  2. You know I love these! Always fun to get insight on what's going on in your world!! I'm right there with you regarding them growing up - we hate to but we have to buy you're right, baby steps! I too despise those words especially, "vape" just a gross habit and a new trend - we have a shop that opened and it just looks...seedy. Also, I love gray and have a lot of it in my wardrobe but not too much in my home. Lots of pink and purple though ;)

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  3. Those lanterns are beautiful! I've only done them once at a graduation party in the summer. They are fun (but a little scary too). Those words are funny. I don't like manspreading either(or vape)! I love grey and I have a grey kitchen. I do have lots of grey in my wardrobe too. I know what you mean about the kids growing up. My "baby" is driving and just started a job. She doesn't her license yet. We are taking our time on that.

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  4. I love the Chinese lanterns! We did them at the river one summer and they were beautiful. I hope you get your snow. I am hoping for dry weather here, as all the rain has created so many delays with our build. It's cold here now though, and feels more like winter. I don't mind. Happy new year!

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  5. Love the Chinese lanterns. Wow, hard to believe your oldest will be driving and working. Time flies! I sure hope gray hair is popular since I have it! lol My niece recently bought a condo in Atlanta and she used shades of gray throughout. It's very pretty. I hope you get the chance to ski soon!

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  6. Oh yes, Carla, gray hair is way popular. If it weren't, I wouldn't be coloring my hair gray, but would just let it be it's own natural dark brown. ;-)) Your boys are wonderful and I know you'll do a great job cutting the apron strings slowly. You don't want them living in the garage at age 30. Lol May it snow a lot, just for you, after we return from taking our Texas daughter to the airport today.

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  7. I am in the apron string cutting phase myself. I cut and then sew it back on. I'm not ready.

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  8. One of my goals this year is to drink more water too. I put the hydro app on my phone and it notifies me every so often to drink... it really works! My son is getting married this year, my daughter is moving away to college.... hope I can handle all of this :)

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  9. ((Hugs)) on the changing parts of life as our children grow up. Love the lanterns, I would love to try that someday. Glad to hear that your Vape shop closed. The caramel rolls sounds yummy! I'm with you on the computer time, have to do less of it however I do enjoy checking out Pinterest each day.

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  10. The Chinese lanterns look so pretty. I had to look up vape because I didn't know what it was. I hope your get the snow you are looking forward to. Enjoy :)

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  11. I just love the Chinese lanterns but I always worry they will set something on fire after they are launched.
    I would consider myself lucky if I tasted your homemade caramel rolls on New Year's Eve...

    Hugs,
    JB

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  12. I forgot to mention that I love that photo of the lanterns!!

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  13. Just last night I was telling our telling our pastor's daughter (who went prematurely gray and started coloring her hair at a young age) that gray is "in." Young, young, young people are dyeing their hair that color!

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  14. Those lanterns look great.

    I think most mums will completely understand your sentence ... We slowly start to cut the apron strings. Not necessarily easy for me to do. Yet, it has to be done...

    I've yet to come across any mum / mother who has found this easy. The bond with your children is so strong. I do think dads too find this, but of course some tend not to show it so much ...

    Hope your week is going well, it seems to be flying by.

    All the best Jan

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  15. Those lanterns look great.

    I think most mums will completely understand your sentence ... We slowly start to cut the apron strings. Not necessarily easy for me to do. Yet, it has to be done...

    I've yet to come across any mum / mother who has found this easy. The bond with your children is so strong. I do think dads too find this, but of course some tend not to show it so much ...

    Hope your week is going well, it seems to be flying by.

    All the best Jan

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  16. Thank you for visiting my blog page and for your kind thoughts for my beloved SWMBO. Happy New Year to you and yours! I wish you all the best in the new year!

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  17. New snow for you? It is warm here, and we had a light rain most of the day. We will need our ice skates pretty soon!
    Manscape? Vape? I have never heard of these terms. I obviously don't leave my small town life very much. Ok, I gave in and googled vape to see what it was. Nothing we have in the Virqoua area!

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  18. Most of my 2015 resolutions are virtually untouched. I'm sure I would have held to them if the year didn't fly by so quickly. My resolution for 2016 is to slow time.
    Amalia
    xo

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  19. I enjoyed reading your Q&A. My stepmother gave us lanterns for Christmas, and we were planning on lighting them on New Year's Eve, but we had high winds and I didn't want to catch the Talladega National Forest on fire! ;P

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High Fives from Wisconsin!