Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Sweet Memories



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.  How do you feel about the transition from lazy summer days to a busier fall routine?
 
My routine doesn't change all that much, except for Wednesdays, so my feelings are pretty neutral on it. I take a slightly different route on my morning commute to work that isn't as affected by school bus routes and school zones, but I don't have to allow much more time so that's nice. I have noticed there's definitely more traffic in the morning now that schools are open though. Our church goes back to our weekly Wednesday night activities starting today, so my Wednesdays will be busier and I'll have to consider whether it's better to go straight to church from work sometimes. I like having that weekly dinner with friends as part of my routine, but wish I didn't have to feel like I'm rushing from one thing to another so regularly, so that's why I'm on the fence as far as how I feel about a "busier" fall routine.
 
2. Your favorite cookie?

Favorite mass produced cookie is the Fudgee-O. I'm not aware of anything quite like it made in the US, so it's among the Canadian grocery items we always bring back. Fudgee-O and Canadian Oreos which are different and superior to American Oreos. The Mr Christie brand Maple cookies are superior to similar ones made in the US as well. Canadians do a good job with maple flavoring in general!
a Canadian grocery run from 
years ago

 


Favorite homemade cookie is a lot harder to narrow down! Oatmeal raisin. Maybe an unpopular opinion but I love them. Shortbreads. Peppernuts. White cookies (these are hard to define because the name is really generic. It's a soft cookie similar to a Lofthouse, with a very simple white icing. My Aunt Linda was famous for baking these and peppernuts). Molasses cookies. I could go on and on. I love cookies!


Peppernuts and other Holiday Sweets and Treats on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com - A collection of some of our favorite recipes for holiday cookies and other seasonal sweet treats!

See my post Holiday Sweets and Treats at Homeschool Coffee Break for my family's Peppernuts recipe.

Holiday Sweets and Treats on Homeschool Coffee Break @ kympossibleblog.blogspot.com - A collection of some of our favorite recipes for holiday cookies and other seasonal sweet treats!


3. What's something you've learned from a culture different than your own?

 Now that I've got cookies on my mind, that's the direction I'm going with this question! I've learned about bread and sweets from other cultures. I'm a picky eater so often ethnic and traditional dishes from other cultures don't strike me as appetizing. But bread, on the other hand . . . bread is pretty universal and while I definitely like some flavors and types better than others, it's a safe bet that I will like bread. So that's my starting point for trying international foods. I also like to try coffees from other cultures. 

I know there are wise and good things I've learned about living well, but I can't come up with something specific enough to describe.

 

 4.  Food critic, film critic, book critic, art critic . . . which hat would you most like to wear? Tell us why.


 Probably a book critic. I could read more if it was my job! Right now I'm just not finding the time to get much reading done and I'm disappointed in myself. But I do think with a little practice I could offer helpful critiques and reviews of books in a few genres, and book critic would be most in my wheelhouse of those choices. I did a lot of product reviews back in the days of my homeschool blog so I would have to revive that reviewer's mindset. I think I could do a decent job as a food critic too, but only if it was limited to the foods that I generally like anyway. My tastes aren't broad enough for me to be really comfortable in that role.

5.  What's a small, random thing from your childhood that you still remember clearly?

 When I was little, my Grandpa had a couple of scrapbook type albums of birds and animals. Sort of like field guides, with a little information about each bird and animal. The pictures were stickers, and I bet they were the kind that you collected at gas stations or something along that line, but I don't know where Grandpa got them. I just remember loving those two albums, especially the one with birds, and studying them whenever I visited my grandparents. 


6. Insert your own random thought here.

Join me in praying for comfort for our sweet hostess Joyce and her family as I just saw on the anchor post that her mother passed away earlier this week. I had already chosen the following for my random thought and it seems more meaningful now. 

RIP Dolly Parton


What sweet memories are you savoring this week? 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 - The Value of Rest. 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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Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

The Flower Hour - Late Summer Blooms



Some cheerful late summer blooms spotted on the weekend.

I think these are known as tickseed, part of the Coreopsis family.


I didn't mean to intrude, but when I got home and got a closer look at the photo, I realized I had inadvertently taken a picture of a private moment between a couple of goldenrod soldier beetles. Awkward!



Black-eyed Susans


And milkweed seed pods, complete with a Monarch butterfly.







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Sunday, August 23, 2026

Sunday Stills - This Bugs Me


One of the things I don't like about summer (there are only a few) is the bugs. Well, insects in general. Flies getting in the house, a nice evening outside but then the mosquitoes or other biting bugs try to ruin it, those annoying little gnats, yellow jackets and sweat bees trying to get in your drinks. And stinkbugs, am I right? Horrible things! 

I can appreciate some insects though. Butterflies and honeybees, obviously! I love fireflies (when they stay outside) and I enjoy the sound of crickets, cicadas, and katydids (again, when they stay outside). The Sunday Stills Animal of the Month theme is "Summer Bugs" so here are some bugs I found interesting enough to photograph. I'm afraid none of these are true bugs - just insects and a few creepy crawly creatures that most of would call 'bugs'

This is a False Potato Bug. Closest thing to a true bug you will find in this post.


Honeybees at work:








At our place in Maryland, we found praying mantises on the side porch almost every year. 


I feel like butterflies deserve their own post, so I will limit myself to just the photo of the lowly caterpillar today. A Monarch butterfly caterpillar, specifically.


These are examples of the kinds of bugs I'm okay with - David Rogers' "Big Bugs" art exhibit. It's currently at Franklin Park Conservatory, but we saw it a couple years ago at the Dawes Arboretum. 






We had fun getting photos with the Daddy Long-legs and Spider!






Do bugs bug you or are you fascinated by them? Leave a comment and let me know!




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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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Scripture and a Snapshot - Let Peace Rule



Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

~Colossians 3:12-17~





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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Wings Over the Wednesday 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.  August 19th is National Aviation Day . . . do you like to fly? Last time you were on an airplane? The date is chosen in honor of the history and development of aviation, and celebrated on the birthday of Orville Wright. Have you ever been to the Kitty Hawk area of North Carolina? the city of Dayton in Ohio (their birthplace)?
 
I guess I like flying. I don't particularly like the 'hurry up and wait' and the airport experience, but flying itself is fine. The last time I was on a plane was in April 2025 when I went to visit my family in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I haven't been to Kitty Hawk, but I have been to Dayton, specifically the Wright Brothers National Museum that is part of Carillon Historical Park.



2. In what area of your life do you tend to 'wing it'? Is this an area you should be winging?

Goodness, what area don't I tend to 'wing it'??? This is my tendency more often than not. Which isn't to say I don't do any preparations or practice before doing things, but I do tend to fit it in where I can and then trust that it's good enough. So maybe that doesn't count as winging it, technically. One area that would be much better if I didnt' wing it so often is meal planning. I definitely don't plan and think that through well enough ahead of time.

3. A favorite book, song, or movie that relates to flight in some way?

 I obviously thought about Top Gun as a movie related to flight and it is a really great movie that I enjoyed, but I wouldn't call it a favorite. A song that comes to mind is Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra. I love it, it's one of my favorites from the Chairman. I'm sure that once I start reading other Hodgepodge responses I'll see lots of other songs I like too.

 
4.  Soft serve, gelato, sherbet, frozen yogurt, or good old fashioned ice cream . . . what's your pleasure? Your favorite flavor? How often do you indulge?

 First choice is old-fashioned ice cream, but I also love soft serve, and I wouldn't say no to any of these! Favorite flavor that is my go-to is Cookies and Cream, but if I'm at Whit's Frozen Custard I'll be getting the Rose Run which has raspberry and macadamia nuts and fudge. I don't indulge in frozen treats nearly as often as I'd like to. We don't typically keep ice cream in the freezer at home, so it's a special treat to stop at an ice cream place like Whit's or Graeter's or even Dairy Queen. The last time I had ice cream was at the end of June. We all got ice cream a couple times while on vacation, and we also went to a 50s style diner near our place in Ohio and got ice cream there. 

5.  I never get tired of ____________________.

 I never get tired of good music, whether listening or singing or playing. I never get tired of spending time with my family.


6. Insert your own random thought here.

Random question: what kind of trash can do you have in your kitchen and where do you keep it? I realized that this kitchen really has no ideal place for a trash can because anywhere you might put it there is a cupboard door or drawer, or it's kind of out in the middle of the room. I'd like one of those small trash receptacles that fits on the inside of the cabinet door under the sink. Do you remember these? It's basically a frame for a small trash bag, with a lid, that hangs on the inside of the cabinet door. And what's weird is that I can't find such a thing on Amazon and so far haven't found it in a store either. 

The trash can is the black object kind of hiding by the table.
That spot works but it's not ideal. But you see what I mean
about the drawers and doors?


Same thing on this side of the sink. A trash can also wouldn't 
fit inside the pantry closet - we considered that and rejected it.

What are you winging this week? 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 - The Value of Rest. I host the Everyday Images photo link-up every other Thursday. And find the Scripture and a Snapshot link-up here every Sunday.



 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.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat