Wild Bird Wednesday Hodgepodge...

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY
Sidebar Linking
Thanks to Stewart for hosting...





WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE
Sidebar Linking
Thanks to Joyce for hosting...

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 misuse, overuse or just general uselessness. Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2014-

selfie, twerk/twerking, hashtag, Twittersphere, Mr. Mom, T-bone, ____on steroids, the suffixes-ageddon, and -pocalypse added to anything and everything, from the world of politics the words-intellectually/morally bankrupt and Obamacare, and from the world of sports the words-adversity and fan base

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? Well, I just learned in the last Hodgepodge what selfie is, and I saw a bunch of photos online of our President taking 'selfies' in an article. Okay...so I'm tired of that word already. Obamacare...I wish it'd go away permanently!! Both the word and the laws pertaining to it!! And hashtag...dunno what that is at all --had to look it up on Google. Well, that explains it then, something to do with Twitter?!! I'm not a member, nor will I ever be. I'll leave the tweeting to the real birds!!!  Or Rockin' Robin.

2. What one unfinished project nags at you begging to be completed in this new year? There is a low spot in our side yard and it's always flooding during rains/neighbors watering heavily. I want to get some fill dirt and some sod...build it up in that area so we don't have a pond that attracts those nasty egg layin' mosquitoes!!

3. When did you last have a bowl of soup? What kind? Homemade or from a can? What's your favorite soup? Just last night for dinner. Bear Creek dried soup mix [it's kinda expensive, and a mix where you just add water, but the cost is well worth the extra tab, 'cause my favorite deli -Jason's Deli- serves it for $2.99 a cup / $3.99 a bowl!!]: Cheddar and Broccoli. Mighty delicious and oh so easy to prepare.


...and my favorite soup is my homemade Chili Verde. I was taught to make this by my sister in law of Mexican decent. It has the most delicious aroma when cooking in the slow cooker, and so fine and tasty!! She added pork loin chunks when she taught me, but I often add cubed chicken breast to mine instead. Served with homemade flour tortillas, and a salad with a salted margarita and you have a great meal.  Or sometimes, I thicken the Chili Verde and make a hot spicy burrito sauce as shown.

4. Snowed in, snowed under, snow job...which one most applies to your life in recent days, figuratively speaking. Actually none. But if I had to choose, I guess it would be snowed in 'cause it's too darned cold in 'recent days' to do much of anything or go anywhere. I know, I know...I grew up with decades of frigid Colorado winters...but being acclimated to the subtropical Texas coast, I get chilled at 60 degrees or below.

5. What's the funniest movie you've ever seen, or at least one of the funniest? I think it'd be a toss up between, Cold Turkey and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World. I like 'em both quite a lot. I remember COLD TURKEY starring Dick Van Dyke [directed by Norman Lear]. It was about an entire community that quits smoking for a cash prize...cold turkey. And the bad habit is replaced by so many other bad habits throughout the town making for a good comedy.  Trust me...you probably have never heard of it. It's at least 40 years ago it was released. As for It's a Mad....World, the cast of characters is astounding, and the "Big W" they're all looking for...I FOUND IT!! It's on Mustang Island, just a few minutes' drive from home. Some day I'm gonna stop on the highway when I have my shovel in the trunk I have my camera out and get a picture of it!!

6. In general, would you say you're clumsy? No, not at all. My equilibrium is just that...balanced. And I probably would say that for both mental and physical. And I'm not being snooty by putting this down in my answer to the question!! I'm just a happy lady for the most part for mental equilibrium and luckily, well balanced physically. Where I would get clumsy, most, would be on the dance floor. I used  to step on my partner's feet a lot. ;-)

7. Elvis Presley was born on Hodgepodge Day (January 8th) back in 1935. Are you an Elvis fan? What's your favorite Elvis tune? If that's too hard, which Elvis tune do you dislike the least? I wasn't much of a fan of his persona, or I never ogled over his looks like so many teenage girls back then, but some of his songs were very good. I really liked, and still like "If I Could Dream". The first time I saw him perform this was 1968!! And my favorite line from the song is is bold, italic text [below]. I believe those words with my soul...

There must be lights burning brighter somewhere Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue If I can dream of a better land Where all my brothers walk hand in hand Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true There must be peace and understanding sometime Strong winds of promise that will blow away All the doubt and fear If I can dream of a warmer sun Where hope keeps shining on everyone Tell me why, oh why, oh why wont that sun appear We're lost in a cloud With too much rain We're trapped in a world That's troubled with pain But as long as a man has the strength to dream He can redeem his soul and fly Deep in my heart there's a tremblin' question Still I am sure that the answer gonna come somehow Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle And while I can think, while I can talk While I can stand, while I can walk While I can dream, please let my dream Come true, right now

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Not only is it Elvis Presley's birthday, but it's also my niece's birthday...she's finally of legal age...50 something!!  [insert wink]  On the 7th, her older brother had a birthday...I remember the event like it was yesterday.  Our family had a birthday party dinner for Big D [nephew], and as all of us ladies in the family were cleaning up afterward, my sister-in-law went into labor with Ms. K [niece]...she was born shortly after midnight the following morning on the 8th!! [this post is published early on the 7th, but I pre-dated for Wednesday on this section]