First Hodgepodge of 2025

I am joining up with Joyce and friends for the Hodgepodge! I almost missed it this week because I'm on vacation and I literally can't remember which day it is!!

1. Oxford's Word of the year for 2024 is 'brain rot'. Are you familiar with this term? Do you suffer from the condition? Ha! This is a term used to 'capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media'. If you were choosing a word to capture 2024 (for the nation/world, not your own life personally) what word would you choose? I am familiar with brain rot haha! We watch a small amount of TV every night after dinner. We should probably be doing something else. I love to pass the time by scrolling through Facebook and Instagram – also should be doing something else. We actually live busy lives and accomplish a lot on most days and I often need that little bit of down time each night. I’m not sure what word would capture 2024. I imagine it would be like our own life – a mix of several words. For the nation, I hate to say it but I think “too much hatred” would be one phrase. Another phrase would be “times of insanity.”

2. It's National Polar Bear Plunge Day (January 1)...will you be participating in one of these events (or even your own)? How will you spend the first day of this brand new year? Do you have a traditional New Year's Day menu? I will not be doing a Polar Bear Plunge. I guess I could walk two blocks to the neighborhood pool and plunge in . . . but I’m not going to do that! I’m spending part of today typing these answers 😊. Mark is spending part of the day helping his brother move home. He is moving home on hospice. The combo of Parkinson’s and Lymphoma is a b*tch. (forgive me . . .but until you’ve seen the suffering, don’t judge my language.) Bill’s wife has been diagnosed with cancer, too, and it is a very nasty and aggressive kind. We can only guess at what is coming for both of them.

It seems weird to jump from such a serious sentence to my choice of menus for today, but here goes: I have a small ham I will cook. The sides will be black eye peas and greens. We always try to have a pork product, greens, and black eye peas. Last night, I said that it is not superstition, but tradition. Another thing I’ll be doing today is taking a load of “give-aways” to the Salvation Army and I’ll continue to work on cleaning our attic.

3. What's something that brings you joy and how will you do more of it in this new year? We had two friends who are our chosen family and two family members over last night for appetizers and beverages. Being with our friends and family brings us joy. I actually said these words last night: “I think we should be looking for joy and partaking in it when at all possible.” I guess that means we need to be spending more time with our people!

4. Do you struggle with the January blues? What's one thing you can/will do to keep them at bay? I do struggle with “winter blues.” Mark’s momma used to say that in January you’ve spent all of your money on Christmas; you’ve eaten too much fattening food so you need to diet; the days are short and cold . . .I don’t know about you, but those things will bring on the winter blues. I have found that doing for others and staying busy helps me combat the blues.

5. Will you choose your own personal word of the year for 2025? What about a goal, resolution, or maybe even a bucket list? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. Every year I think I will come up with a word and I never do because I can never narrow it down!!! Mark doesn’t usually make resolutions but he told me this morning that his goal for the new year is to not eat anything after dinner each night. I agreed with that goal, so I guess we will stop eating after dinner. We also want to travel some more!!

6. Insert your own random thought here. I tried a new charcuterie board/display last night. I think it turned out really well!!

I bought brown butcher paper and covered both sides of the island. I labeled where everything would go. Phella brought something and so did Susie so I left a spot for their items. When Mark saw how I had labeled everything on the island, he did a quick inventory of our beverages and asked me to make a drink "menu."  I tried out a new recipe for a pinwheel ham and cheese sandwich and the recipe is a keeper. Of course, I made changes to the original recipe.