Get Your Snow Shovel Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday again and that means Wednesday Hodgepodge.  No, it isn't snowing in my neck of the woods, although it is a bit chilly this morning.  I copied Joyce's title over at From This Side of the Pond since she generates the hodgepodge.  Go say hi to her by clicking on the link above.



1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to mis-use, over-use or just general uselessness and they receive over 1000 nominations. Here are the fourteen words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2011-viral, epic, fail, wow factor, a-ha moment, back story, BFF, man up, refudiate, Mama Grizzlies, The American People, facebook/google when used as verbs, I'm just sayin', and Live life to the fullest.
What word or phrase would you like to see banished from our everyday vocabulary in 2011? You can choose one from the 'official list' or you can get creative and come up with your own.

My least favorite word is "Whatever."  It's so overused and when you say "whatever" to someone, you are dismissing what they are saying as unimportant.

2. Do you consider opportunity something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?
Both.  I think God presents us with opportunities and those seem to just come our way and it's a great thing.  I also think though, that there are times you have to create opportunities for yourself.  We all have free will and must constantly ask the Holy Spirit for discernment about which opportunities to take and what to do with them.

3. Since we're all eating healthy this month, ahem, what's included in your favorite salad? Is there dressing?
I love salads, the more colorful the better.  My favorite dressing is blue cheese, but it isn't the most healthy.  My favorite dressing when I am trying to be healthy is fat free raspberry vinagrette.

4. The fourth Monday in January is said to be Blue Monday...aka the most depressing day of the year. The date was calculated using many factors including weather, debt level, time since Christmas, time since we've failed at our new year resolutions, low motivation and feeling a need to take action. Do you get the blues this time of year and if so what is something you do to lift your spirits?

I don't think I get the blues this time of the year.  I am happy that it is a slower time of the year and I can relax a little more.  When I do get the blues though, I like to be with close friends or talk to them on the phone.  I also like to play praise and worship music...it lifts my spirits to sing and praise God.  How can you still be blue while singing "I'm trading my sorrows, I'm trading my shame, I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord."?!

5. Do you wear a watch? Any other everyday jewelry essentials?

Yes, I wear a watch.  When I forget my watch I feel naked.  Also, most days I wear a necklace, earrings and my pandora bracelet.  Of course my wedding rings are a must and they almost never come off of my fingers. 

6. What is something useful you learned in high school?
How to have great bangs?

OK, maybe not.

I learned lots of useful things in high school...I just can't think of anything specific right now.  I learned in biology that brown eyes were dominant and blue eyes were recessive.  Remember those punnett squares?  Turns out, that's not true.  Both of my children have blue eyes and neither Hubby nor I do...mine are brown/green and his are green.  Go figure.

I learned how to walk backwards and wave my arms in the air in band.  Learned that "all cats are grey in the dark" from AP English...
I did learn the value of being social.  That was my high school motto "Be Social."
I don't know...you are asking me to remember what seems like another lifetime ago and I think I've blocked a lot of it out.

7. Do you use an accountant when completing and filing your income tax returns or do you attempt to muddle through all by yourself?
My preference would be to buy one of those Turbo Tax programs to do our taxes ourselves, but Hubby insists that we hire it done.  It isn't a battle worth fighting to me, so we hire it done.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It seems all of my thoughts are random lately.  and short.  This week I've had a hard time getting out of bed in the mornings and need to get to sleep earlier at night.  I think getting back into the routine from Christmas vacation is finally getting to me.  Diet Coke, I need more Diet Coke!