Day 26, 27, & 28: Cutting My Tea On It: The Weekly Hodgepodge [40 Days of Gratitude 2023]

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Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

 

Did you do more talking or more listening yesterday? Was it by choice or by necessity? 

Hopefully I had a balance of both.  The nature of my work requires the ability to balance the two.  Listening and speaking effectively includes phone calls, Zoom meetings and e-mails.  Assumptions and misunderstandings can occur no matter what mode of communication is used.

Are you a tea drinker? Hot, cold, or both? Flavored? What do you like in your tea? Do you make Christmas tea this time of year? What time of day do you like to sip your tea? 

I enjoy both hot and iced tea.  This time of year finds me sipping Earl Grey tea with a little hazelnut creamer after lunch as a pick me up, or in the mornings when I don't want coffee.  I like other flavors, but Earl Grey is my favorite hot tea.  My Southern sensibilities dictate that for me, iced tea is best consumed in the hot summer months.  The brand doesn't matter as long as it's a good mix of orange pekoe and black tea.  Now, with that being said, I'd much rather brew my own instead of buying premade tea.  The premade tea has too much sugar and too little tea flavor.  Yes, I'm Southern, but I don't enjoy tea so sweeet that I can pour it over waffles.

What's an activity you won't try, an event you won't attend, or an athletic challenge you won't take part in not even for 'all the tea in China'? 

Alone?  There are too many to name.  However, if I'm with friends, the list is much shorter.  

What's something most people seem to love but is not 'your cup of tea'? 

This time of year, the big thing is pumpkin spiced drinks.  I don't like pumpkin or pumpkin spice.  People also seem to love licorice, but I don't care for it.

Insert your own random thought here. 

Days 26, 27, & 28.

I am grateful for:

• My permanent dental crown is finished and installed.  I can now eat on both sides of my mouth without issues.  I'm getting one more crown done next year.  Lord willing, that will be my last one.
• A string of sunny days.  Prior to this, we went over a week without sunshine and everybody was getting a little down.
• Evergreen trees.  Even when the landscape is blanketed in snow, the rich greens of the blue spruce, pine, holly, and boxwood bring some happy color to an otherwise dreary winter scene.  Also, the trees being flocked with snow makes me smile--even though I still don't want to go out in it.

  

  Photo taken my first winter in CO.

  
  
• My car and the ability to drive it.
• Another place to find inexpensive craft supplies:  Five Below.  I went there looking for something specific (OK, a couple of things), but after Christmas I want to take my time to see what else they have.
• Grocery pick up.  Because sometimes it's wisest not to navigate the store just before Christmas.
• Zoom.   Although I prefer live interaction with people, it's better than nothing.
• I'm grateful that tomorrow (Thursday) is the Winter Solstice and the days will start getting slightly longer each day.
• Our quilt group's upcoming retreat and fellowship.  The leaders have planned a three day extravaganza of quilting and crafting December 28-30.  My goal for the retreat is to finish the quilt top I'm currently piecing and to cut out the next project.  I'm also hoping to get acquainted with the new-to-me machine that was given to me a couple of months ago.

 

In case you missed it:  

* My previous Hodgepodge post:  "Go Bah Your Own Humbug" is here.
* My latest First Line Friday post "#15:  Practicing Christian Doctrine" is here.
* My latest Monday Mess Making post on my Auntie's Workshop blog "Quilt in a Day...Well:  Episode 3" is here.