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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Hodgepodge


Hello, dear friends.  How is your week going?  Mine is moving along.  I went to my dermatologist yesterday for my yearly all-over check up.  My doctor looks like Barbie.  It was the most humbling ten minutes of my life.  But I walked out with a clean bill of health and very little pride.

If it's Wednesday, it's time for Hodgepodge






1.  Share a favorite memory of your mother or share a favorite something from your own life as a mother.  If you're a mother (or stepmom) tell us how your experience as a mom differs from your own experience.




This is a pic of Mom and me when life was good and I was an only child and could do no wrong.  As you can see, I am wearing my crown.



Four years later Sista arrived.
Her sole purpose in life was to knock me off my throne and steal my thunder.

By the way, I was channeling Marlo Thomas and Sally Field with this fancy 'do.

As I developed into a beautiful bitter eight-year-old, my Mother came up with an idea to make me feel "special" again.  Who cares
if it took her three long years of me feeling neglected. 



 We worked out a little scheme behind Sista's back.  A couple of nights a week my Mom would whisper under her breath, "t-r-i-c-k" which meant that Sista and I would go to bed at the designated time, and then I would wait until Sista was in snooze land and proceed to sneak out of our room into  Mom and Dad's room to watch "The Farmers Daughter" or another favorite TV show.

It was the best fifteen years of my life.



2.  In May we celebrate teachers (May 9) and nurses (May 6) both.  Most every family has at least one in their midst, so tell us something (or a few things) you appreciate about the teacher or nurse in your family.





My sweet little Grandma was a teacher.  She was a lovely lady who taught for many years and enjoyed every minute.  Her favorite grade to teach was third grade. She continued to teach Sista and me proper grammar and life lessons. She lived to be 102 years old and never missed a day of saying her rosary. I named my #2 after her.

Don't tell Sista, but I think I was her favorite.







3.  Chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad... which would you go for if all three were on the menu?  On bread or a bed of lettuce?  If you answered bread, what kind of bread would make it the perfect sandwich?



My second favorite sandwich in the whole world is tuna on whole wheat toast with lettuce and tomato. 



And a side of salt and pepper kettle chips... for the Mister.
But I like to keep them on my plate.



4.  Do you have a desk?  Is it organized?  If so, share your secret to keeping it that way.  If you don't have a desk, where in your home do you take care of family paperwork and business?  Where do you normally sit to blog?



This is my office on the third floor.  
My desk is pretty neat because I hardly ever use it.




I spend most of my time blogging at the kitchen table.






... for two reasons.
They can't get up to the third floor.
and
I can't write without my muses.



5.  When I was nine years old...





I was counting the minutes until I turned 18 so I could marry this guy.




6.  Insert you own random thought.

These pictures were taken on my stroll run yesterday.  It was cloudy and cool which usually makes me walk faster.



Those tulips are gorgeous in real life.




One of my favorite houses.





I didn't even know what a cranberry bog was before I moved here! 









And the best part... I got my shopping done, too.



Until next time...




Thanks, Laurie!

Preppy Empty Nester
Preppy Empty Nester

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Feel free to contact me through comments and email. I love to hear from my readers!

55 comments:

  1. I enjoyed every​ answer! Laughed aloud at your bedtime antics. And I also had a younger sister who struggled to dethrone me. Lol

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  2. Another fun hodgepodge (as always). Your mom was a beautiful woman and what fun that she made things special for you (after sistah came along). Your grandmother sounds like she was a wonderful influence in your life, too!

    I hope you have a sweet weekend and that your daughters will be around to celebrate the day with you. xo Diana

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  3. What a gorgeous mother you had, and she sounds fun too, which is probably where you got your spark of glittery attitude yourself! Thanks for the fun with my coffee!

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  4. Your mom was absolutely beautiful! Happy Mother's Day to you!

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  5. What a beautiful area for your stroll! Bobby Sherman?

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  6. Katie, I had plans to marry Bobby Sherman as well. I had to google him a while back just to see what he was up to. He was an EMT...can you imaging him coming to your rescue? I would need a defibrillator!! And I agree with the other posters, you and your mom and grandmother are all beautiful!! Good Genes run in your family. I see it in your girlies too.

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  7. Good answers, I was a middle child so I never knew what it was like to be the only one.

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  8. My DD2 wrote a story when she was little about a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes who was very happy because she was an only child. Her 3 sisters still laugh about that story. :) Your dogs. I just love them! They are so stinkin' cute. I'm glad I looked at the previous comments because I had no idea who that was in the picture. Bobby Sherman. I remember the name but that's it. I guess I was too busy dreaming about David Cassidy. LOL Have a wonderful day!

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  9. You look just like your mama! Gorgeous! Mmm I think I'll have tuna on whole wheat for lunch! Yum and my whole family loves it too so occasionally I can get by with this for dinner!! Beautiful walking scenery, those tulips!! My mom went to a tulip festival last week and I was jealous! Happy Mother's Day sweet lady!!

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  10. BOBBY SHERMAN HAD MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!
    WE would of had a FIGHT Over him!
    Tell me MORE about THE CRANBERRIES............where are they that they float all of a sudden!
    A Favorite MOM memory hiding a rooster in our basement from my FATHER for MONTHS!!!!!!!!!

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  11. That is the sweetest story about your mom...love that! I still don't know exactly what a cranberry bog is...fill us in! Oh, those houses...be still my heart! What a precious little girl you were!

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  12. I forgot to wish you a Happy Mother's Day!

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  13. If I had those views, I would be better about taking a daily walk. They are gorgeous! I hope you have a happy Mother's Day and a wonderful weekend. Lots of love from Oklahoma!

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  14. Bobby Sherman was one of my crushes too. I heard he's an EMT now. Beautiful pictures of your 'run'! My second is named for hubs grandmother and my great grandmother who shared the same name. I was my grandmas favorite for sure : ) Happy Mother's Day! Is your hubs cooking you something fabulous?

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  15. What great views on your daily run. Loved all of the family photos too ... your mom was simply beautiful and obviously passed that on.

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  16. Hi dear Katie
    I have guessed it is mother's day across the pond! I do hope you will have a very happy day and lots of gifts, treats and spoiling, you so deserve it.
    You are a beautiful Mom, and so were your mother and grandmother. The pictures are very special and touching, thank you for sharing with us.

    My mother is a teacher, she is elderly now but she used to teach the piano and is a wonderful pianist classically trained. I'm lucky that I am able to play a little, I have my mother's childhood piano now. So music will be her legacy, I adore it
    Much love to you my dear, I hope the sun is shining as it is over here.
    Sally xxx

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  17. There is always levity in your posts and today definitely brought a smile to my face. I can relate to being the oldest, special-ist child and that position never changes no matter what the younger siblings may think.

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  18. I really enjoyed all of your answers today :) Your town looks like a lovely place, by the way!
    Bobby Sherman...now there's a blast from the past :)
    Kathy (Reflections)

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  19. Hi Katie - I was the eldest of five children and the only girl. My Mom made a decision that I would not have to do any extra chores like hanging out clothes, ironing etc. because I was a girl. To this day, I still do not know how to sew or hang clothes to dry! But because I wanted to, I did learn how to cook! Not sure if this was a disadvantage to me, but I think she did it out of love for me.
    Annemarie

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    1. Lucky you, Annemarie! You're not missing anything when it comes to ironing. Have a great weekend.

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  20. Looks like I'm not the only one who wanted to marry Bobby Sherman. 😉I had a poster of him on my wall when I was 10. 😍 I thought his girlfriend Candy on "Here Come the Brides" was the luckiest girl in the world. My sister gave me the boxed set of the show a few years ago and it is a scream. The women have teased hair and false eyelashes and enough makeup to make a drag queen jealous while the men (Jason in particular) are wearing tight buckskin outfits that leave little to the imagination. It is so cheesy, it's awesome!

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    1. Romi... I LOVED "Here Comes the Brides." I was sooo jealous of Candy. Hope you have a great Mother's Day!

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  21. Ha! I was the younger sister in the family. I admit, my sister put up with a lot from me. ;-)
    I have a desk, but like you I blog elsewhere, usually on the sunporch with my laptop. My favorite teachers were my early elementary school teachers. Each one was special!
    Egg salad or chicken salad on a croissant would be my choice, or just serve either on a bed of lettuce. l have many sweet memories of my mom. She was an avid gardener and loved to do handwork. I learned both right along side her from an early age.
    Happy Mother's Day! Congratulations to #2 on graduation!

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  22. Yes, I agree with Andrea - you look just like your mother...beautiful! What a gorgeous walking path you have! Is that the laptop pad that Susan from Between Naps on the Porch featured? I've been thinking of getting one.

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  23. Happy Mother's Day- you make me laugh. I was the younger sister until my brother came along but never mind, Dad adored his two girls! Wasn't Bobby Sherman dreamy? He was my first pick for a husband and then I once dated a guy who looked very similar to him but we broke up- he was no Bobby. Have a great weekend. Best, Kay

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Kay. If I ever need an EMT, I hope it's Bobby that revives me. Have a great weekend.

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  24. I love that you got to sneak out and watch TV without your little sister! What fun and what a great memory! I have so enjoyed this week's Hodgepodge with all the memories of our moms!!

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  25. I love the stories about your mother and your sister! What great memories! Speaking of memories - thank you for bringing back Bobby Sherman! For many years on Mother's Day when my daughter was little she would make me a large cup of cold instant coffee (which I only drank on Mother's Day) and serve it to me in bed along with a king size Snickers candy bar. Then she would crawl in bed with me and wait patiently for me to drink all of the coffee and eat the entire candy bar. By the time we got to church a few hours later I was on such a sugar and caffeine high that I could barely sit through the service and then I would crash shortly after lunch. I miss those days! I hope you have a lovely Mother's Day!

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    1. I love this story! If one of my girls gave me a Snickers, she would be designated my favorite for the day. Have a great Mother's Day!

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  26. Loved your hodgepodge! You live in a gorgeous neighbourhood! I am the youngest of four, so I have no idea what it's like to be the oldest. That is a wonderful picture of you and your mother. Great memories. -Jenn

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  27. Your mom was so clever to come up with 'trick'! Loved your photos! And your memories... made me laugh!

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  28. (I KEEP forgetting to add this to my comment!) Since you put up your black and white checker board background, I see it everywhere! My co-worker recently wore a b/w checkerboard button-up under her black sweater. I see it as tablecloths and flower boxes... And every time, I think of you!

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    1. Oh, that's sweet, Cindy. It's not easy being a trend setter ahead of my time. Happy Mother's Day!

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  29. I enjoy all your family photos.
    I remember all the rosary beads and prayers. I wonder if nowadays anybody says the rosary everyday??
    Happy Mother's Day!

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  30. Happy Mother's Day! Love your family pics. Have a great weekend!

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  31. Happy Mother's Day! Sweet family photos. I prefer to shop on my walks too.

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  32. Bobby Sherman, Shindig, lol. We have so much in common with our 'certain age', and I love it when you reminisce. Your family photos and influences are priceless. I also love your neighborhood...not necessarily that NE climate, but the quaintness and beauty of life there intrigues me. Happy Mother's Day.

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  33. Ah ha...there is something about blogging that can't be done at a desk! My office is where I am super creative for client projects but brain turns to mush to blog in that space. I float to blog! Kitchen table is a good spot. Glad to know I am patterning after one of the best!-Laurel Bledsoe

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  34. I'm the youngest of 3 girls, and my sisters always thought I was getting much more than they did...but they would talk in "pig latin" so I didn't know what they were saying, and they told me there were lions in the closets and generally terrorized me. I got them back by spying on their good night kisses at the back door...you know back in the good old days when teenagers went on dates, the boy was polite and had to sit down with your dad before he was allowed to take you out. What a lovely town to walk in! Happy Mother's Day!
    Jenna

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  35. Oh My!! My very first thought when I started your post was WOW 😳... your daughter looks exactly like your mom!! How cool!!
    I love that doodlepoodle ever so in your last pic!!!

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  36. It would be so neat to walk in your neighborhood! I love fresh eggs!! I'm the baby in my family so I guess I knocked my two older sistas from their thrones.

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  37. Oh, I loved The Farmer's Daughter tv show! And Bobby Sherman too!

    I have a Netflix suggestion for you. The Time in Between. The setting is 1930 and 1940 Spain and Morocco. Fascinating story, wonderful actress beautiful music! It's in Spanish with subtitles but once you get into the story you won't mind them at all. I suggest not reading descriptions because they have spoilers and it's much more fun to let the story unfold.

    Also a great book, Beneath the Scarlet Sky. It was one of the First April books and based on a real person in WWII Italy. Great read!
    Kate

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  38. I love seeing photos of your family. The pictures of you and your mom, and your sweet grandmother are so cute.

    Love you "run" I wish I lived where I could buy some herbs, and eggs on my walk!

    Have a very happy Mothers Day! I hope that you are going to be spending it with your daughters.

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  39. I am the oldest and my younger sister was usually a PIA to me:) Now we are very close but she lives in Fl. and we live in Pa.:( Love your hodge podge posts! Your Mother and Grandmother AND YOU are all beautiful! Have a very Happy Mothers day!

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  40. Oh I can relate, I was big sister for almost 11 years when everything changed with the arrival of "the baby" and I'm so happy now, she's my best friend. Loved your sweet stories about your lovely mom and granny. I would order the tuna on a bed of lettuce and I blog usually with my laptop in my comfy chair. I have a desk for my personal things and part of my kitchen is dedicated to home business and storage and has file drawers concealed with cabinet doors to hide away the mess! You have a lovely area for walks, would love to walk with you! Happy Mother's Day.........

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  41. Lovely neighborhood! I have a younger sister and I swear she has never forgiven me for being older...although as we age, I am sure she is now happy to be the younger one! Have a Happy Mother's Day!
    xo Shelley

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  42. Katie, I'm the oldest of three girls and always enjoyed the little perks of being in charge, but also had to take the blame for all the antics my sisters thought up (of course I was perfect). I can remember one day when my #2 sis got slapped by a nun for being a wiseacre, and once when my #3 sis crashed the car and called me! Both time I had to break the news to my parents. So I still hold these things over their heads to this day. Be thankful for your big sis, I say! And by the way, Bobby was MINE! I wanted to change my name to Julie so his Julie song would be for me. He was pretty hunky and his hair was soooo gorgeous. Thanks for reminding me of him. Linda

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  43. I just love visiting here so much. I loved your childhood story and office and all the great photos! I can start the day with a smile on my face after a Katie Clooney hodgepodge!

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  44. Ok, so you were like my other sister, Sis. As I got to stay up late to watch the opening credits of Bonanza - the burning of the map - she would curl up in the chair and smile smugly at me. I then was dragged, I mean kindly led to bed. Sis enjoyed the rest of Little Joe and the gang. I'd love to chat with Sista and get her take on this situation ...

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  45. Wait!!! I was going to marry Bobby Sherman. Didn't know I had such stiff competition! Happy mother's day!

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