Four Hundred Cinnamon Sticks: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

Congratulations to Miss Joyce--this is the 400th Hodgepodge!

I feel like episode 400 cannot go without comment. That's a whole lot of Hodgepodging folks. 2000 questions if my math is right. So, what's something you feel like you do 400 times a week? 

Smile.  I don't always smile because of something that's all about me.  Just bringing a smile to someone else makes me smile.  I also try to watch, listen to, and read things that, for the most part, are uplifting.  Those things make me smile.

Tell us where you were and something about what your life looked like in the year 2000? 

In the year 2000, I was finishing up my Master's Degree at Jacksonville State and starting my more than a decade's long stint as a preschool teacher.  The photo below is from my teaching days.

Do you like cinnamon? What's something you make and enjoy that calls for cinnamon? Of the cinnamon 'foods' listed which is your favorite-red hot cinnamon candies, cinnamon toast, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast crunch cereal, apple cinnamon oatmeal, churros, an Indian curry?

Yes, I like cinnamon.  I like to put it in oatmeal.  Two of my favorite recipes--wassail and granola--call for cinnamon. When I made French toast, I would use cinnamon, but I don't think I've had true cinnamon toast. I'm trying to think if I've had a genuine homemade cinnamon roll.  I don't think I have.  Hmm...I may have to learn to make these.

Um, I need to find a recipe that's less complicated...and metric..and expensive.

Does Christmas 2020 (or Hanukkah) look much like it has in years past, or is this year vastly different for you and your family? How so? How are you feeling about it all? 

I hadn't been posting to the Hodgepodge lately because the holiday questions carried my mind towards depression.  BTW--that's not Miss Joyce's fault; that's on me.  I've taken a lot of prayer time to get myself into the right frame of mind for this season.  With all the good that's happened to me this year, the extended isolation, plus losing my mom and my niece were just hard blows to take.  However, I feel like I'm in a good place not.  Not a perfect one, but a good one.

Yes, this year will look different. In a bad way because of the aforementioned losses.  In a good way because God opened up doors for me to provide joy to others, and in return He's given His gift of joy to me.  

Another good change is I'm fully celebrating Advent.  Yes, we celebrate at the church, but I mean in my daily devotional time, the meaning of Advent is in the center.  I'm burning the candles, saying the prayers, and reading the readings for myself and it has been so rich.  I'm so thankful for this season.

I finally got to the point that I didn't care if I was alone on Christmas day (I would enjoy it nonetheless), yet God has provided me friends to share part of the day with.

What's one thing you need or want to do before this year ends? 

I like to do my spring cleaning at the beginning of the year.  I want to get that done before my vacation is over. I have a few books I started this year that I hope to finish. I also want to take some time to pray and prepare for the new year.

I know Joyce said one thing, but hey, it's been a few weeks since I posted one of these. 

Insert your own random thought here.  

A couple of my favorite Christmas songs--one serious, one not even trying to be serious.  Enjoy!

 

In case you're interested:

* My latest Five Minute Friday post is here.
* My latest Simple Woman's Daybook post is here.

* My latest Auntie's Workshop post is here.