Happy New Year and Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

Happy New Year - wishing you all health, wealth, and happiness for 2025.  Do you make new year's resolutions?  I'll be coming back to blogging.  I have missed it so, and missed all of you, but life gets in the way, doesn't it?  Here's to another new start for The Lady of the House Speaking!

Kicking right off with the Wednesday Hodgepodge.   Here are this week's questions, which you should answer on your own blog and then pop over to Joyce's blog (click on the graphic for the link) Wednesday to add your link to the party. 

1. Oxford's Word of the Year for 2024 is 'brain rot'.  Are you familiar with this term?  Do you suffer from this condition?  This is a term used to 'capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media'.  If you were choosing a word to capture 2024 (for the nation/world, not your own life personally) what word would you choose?

Trust me, this is a far nicer graphic than many of the pictures that come up when you Google 'brain rot'!

I haven't heard this term before, but I will admit to suffering from it.  I click on a reel on Facebook and that's it, I've gone down a rabbit hole of low-quality online content (ie. trash) and I just can't seem to tear myself away!  Need.to.do.better.  As far as a word for the nation/world, how about repair?  There are so many systems, processes, laws, regulations, you name it that need an overhaul.

2. It's National Polar Bear Plunge Day (January 1)...will you be participating in one of these events (or even your own)? How will you spend the first day of this brand-new year? Do you have a traditional New Year's Day menu? 

No polar bear plunges for us this year.  We'll be spending the first day of this brand-new year with friends at a Swedish Pancake Breakfast and then we'll head home for Vic to continue working on the deck and for me to clean up the December Daily supplies for another year.  Our traditional New Year's Day menu is roast chicken with stuffing and gravy, rice, and carrots and turnips.  It used to be mashed potatoes, but I know Vic prefers rice.

3. What's something that brings you joy and how will you do more of it in this new year?

Spending down-time with Vic doing the things we love.  They're simple things for the most part - afternoon tea, browsing through the bookstore, a movie date, making plans for our next home improvement project.  Since Vic went back to work and some of his weekend time is spent at work, it's tough to make time but we'll try our best. 

4. Do you struggle with the January blues? What's one thing you can/will do to keep them at bay? 

I don't struggle with the January blues.  I can imagine that some struggle with the Christmas season being over, financial woes, health concerns, or ongoing miserable winter weather but I don't have a problem with any of these (for which I am very thankful).  I'm at the stage in my life where I'm happy and content.  My needs are met and a lot of my wants.  I have a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, a comfortable home.  There may be little things that bug me, but I brush them aside and as my Mum used to say, "Onwards and upwards".  There's never anything to give me the January blues.

5. Will you choose your own personal word of the year for 2025? What about a goal, resolution, or maybe even a bucket list? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

I have two words - time management.  It all stems from needing to organize my time better.  Less time on the computer, less time in front of the tv, I need to get myself on the timer system.

The bucket list has only one thing on it - Christmas shopping in London!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Will there be any snow in Washington this year?  We've had substantial snowfall in two of the last six years - Snowmageddon in 2019, and the Snowpocalypse in 2021.  After that, really nothing.  Have you had snow in your area?