Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Home For the Hodgepodge



A hodgepodge is a jumble or assortment of things that might not appear to belong together. Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly link-up called Wednesday Hodgepodge that is a little collection of questions for bloggers to answer just for fun and to get to know each other. I always look forward to chatting with friends over coffee, so pour a cup of your favorite and let's visit for a few minutes!



Here are this week's questions - and my answers - for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1.  What's one piece of advice you would give a recent or soon-to-be graduate?
 
Choose your college or career path based on what you feel called to spend your life doing, and don't feel pressured to go to college just because that's what's expected of you. And don't feel rushed into making those decisions if you're not sure yet. Now is the time to really "guard your heart" as you're starting to strike out on your own, and that doesn't just mean to be careful who you're dating! It's about guarding your mind and thought patterns and influences, because that's what will shape your life choices. 
 
2. May 15th marks the birth date of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At this point in time are you more in need of brains, courage, heart, or a trip back home? Explain.

I could use some courage to fortify me for the task of packing up and preparing for a move. It's not that it's scaring me, but it seems overwhelming. And I'd always be up for a trip back home, but at the moment, I'm just over a month away from being together with all my kids and my parents, and the move happens first, so courage it is.

3. "There's no place like home" is an oft repeated line from Baum's book. When was the last time you felt the truth of that statement?

 Probably on our last trip "back home" to Maryland. It's so good to be there in the house where we raised our family, and where our son is now raising his family. So good to be with the family that we love so much and wish we lived closer to. But it is also good to come back home to where we live now, which is also home. It brings to mind another oft repeated line: "Home is where the heart is" and is a reminder that home is more than just a place, and can be more than just one place too.

This is home . . .

and so is this, for now . . .


4.  May is National BBQ Month . . . do you own a grill? Who does the grilling at your house? What's your favorite thing to throw on the grill? What's the last thing you grilled?

We sure do own a grill, and generally we use it quite a bit during the warmer parts of the year. My hubby is the grill master, but we tag team on a lot of the grilled meals. I prep the food, marinate or rub the meat and then hand it off to hubby to actually throw on the grill and tend while I do any meal prep that needs to be done in the kitchen. Ours is a pellet grill that is also a smoker, so we very often smoke meat as well. My favorite thing to do on the grill is burgers, because they're quick and foolproof, and I think I could eat cheeseburgers every other night and be perfectly happy. Don't get me wrong, I love steak, and kebabs (especially lamb kebabs) and brats or dogs; and I love smoked meats, but you just can't go wrong with a simple cheeseburger. I'm pretty sure burgers were the most recent thing we did on the grill, actually. We haven't had a whole lot of nice days for grilling so far this season.

5.  What's a memory you replay in your head when you need a little joy?

 I don't know that I have one specific memory I keep going back to, but happy memories like having the whole family together for a special occasion or at a vacation house doing something fun. In keeping with the theme this Hodgepodge has, the potential bittersweet of savoring those happy memories is that it might also make me a little homesick for my people.






6. Insert your own random thought here.

This past weekend the family here let me choose our Saturday adventure in honor of Mother's Day. We went to Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs and wound up on a slightly more challenging hike than we'd anticipated, but it was a lot of fun, and I think there was a sense of accomplishment that we did all that climbing and stream-fording. We wished there would have been a spectacular view at the apex of the trail, but that wasn't the kind of route we were on. Dinner was at Ye Olde Trail Tavern, which I'm told is the oldest restaurant in Ohio. 






What does "Home" mean to you? Leave a comment and let me know!



From this Side of the Pond

I host the Wednesday Quotes link-up every other Wednesday. Stop by and share a few thoughts and quotes on the current topic here: WQ - Family Ties. I host the Everyday Images photo link-up every other Thursday. And find the Scripture and a Snapshot link-up here every Sunday.



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 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

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Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

WQ - Family Ties




With Mother's Day just past (in North America anyway) many of us have been thinking about our own mothers and our families, and hopefully reflecting on the positive experiences and feelings associated with those very important people in our lives.

Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family. ~Virginia Satir





In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony. ~Eva Burrows



Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter. ~Brad Henry


I come from a great family. I've seen family life and I know how wonderful, how nurturing, and how wonderful it can be. ~Sidney Poitier


The family. We are a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms . . . and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck


If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been. ~Robert Brault

Mother's Day 2019


It doesn't matter how old you are, or what you do in your life, you never stop needing your mom. ~Kate Winslet



Everybody wants to save the Earth; nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes. ~P.J. O'Rourke



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Wednesday Quotes is a bi-weekly opportunity for bloggers to share their writing, poetry, photos, or stories inspired by our theme. We've chosen the themes as a starting point for your creativity, and the only requirement is that your post include at least one related quote. Feel free to combine or "double-dip" with other writing or photo challenges as well. Of course, we'd appreciate a link back to us, if you'd be so kind. Add your link and please visit others and leave a comment! The link is open for two weeks.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Thanks to Marsha at Always Write for introducing us to the Wednesday Quotes challenge, and for passing the hosting duties along so we can continue sharing great quotes! Wednesday Quotes is co-hosted by Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee and Sadje at Keep It Alive


Quoting reminds me there are other people in the world besides only me. 
And other thoughts besides mine, and other ways of thinking. 
~Gregory Maguire~

Wednesday Quotes 2026 Themes

January 7 - Resolutions
January 21 - Motivation
February 4 - Eating Out/Restaurants
February 18 - Being Responsible
March 4 - Libraries
March 18 - Perseverance
April 1 - Simplicity
April 15 - Conquering Fear
April 29 - Making a Difference
May 13 - Family Ties
May 27 - Courage
June 10 - Teachers/Mentors
June 24 - Connecting with Nature
July 8 - Milestones
July 22 - Sunrise
August 5 - Patience
August 19 - Taking a Break/Rest
September 2 - Learning from Mistakes
September 16 - Best Friends
September 30 - Elegance
October 14 - Reaching Goals
October 28 - Dreams/Nightmares
November 11 - Integrity
November 25 - Generosity
December 9 - Beauty in Nature
December 23 - True Love

 This post is also linked at the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party hosted by Grace-Filled Moments



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 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. 

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Sunday Stills - Pinks and Pastel Colors


The Monthly Color Challenge is pinks and pastels, which requires me to dig into my archives for some photos. It's not that I don't like pink or pastel shades, it's just that I don't make a point of having those colors in my home or wardrobe. 

When I think of pinks and pastel shades, I think of flowers:











I have one bright pink sweater, and I was wearing it last year when I went to the Tulip Festival at Timbuk Farms (along with a shirt with a pink tulip print), and had to have my photo taken with the pink tractor.







I also think of pinks and pastels seen in the sky ― sunrises, sunsets, and rainbows.

I loved the delicate pink tint in the sky on this snowy morning.





Because today is Mother's Day, I enjoyed my evening coffee in a mug I got for Mother's Day a few years ago, and it happens to feature a pink flower.


What your favorite pink or pastel things? Leave a comment and let me know!




Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email

 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

 This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.