Joyce From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge of questions for fun and for getting to know each other.

1. What is more important-doing what you love or loving what you do?

Well, we don’t always get to do what we love, though it’s nice if we enjoy our main job. But even if we do, there will be times we don’t enjoy it as much. And you can do what you have to do without actually loving it. So I am not sure how to answer this. My preference would be to love what I do, but as far as which is more important…I guess learning to love what you do because you have to go against natural inclinations to do it.

2. Do you like bleu cheese?

I’ve never actually tried it, but I don’t want to. It grosses me out.

3. What is the most difficult emotion for you to handle?

Handle as in control or just as in having it or in others? I guess either way the answer would be anger because of the harm it can do to others and even to one’s own body. But self-pity is pretty hard to deal with, too.

4. Fresh flowers or a box of chocolate?

Chocolate! Especially these:

5. What’s a song you love that has the word ‘love’ in its title? It doesn’t have to be a ‘love song’.

O Wondrous Love.

6. Are you the person you wanted to be when you grew up?

Um…I think so, more or less, though I still have a long way to go and am less kind and patient than I ought to and want to be.

7. Any special Valentines Day plans?

We usually have a family dinner — sometimes something “valentine-y,” sometimes not — and I make heart-shaped cupcakes and we exchange cards.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It’s funny how all through the day things come to mind that I think about putting on my blog — until I get here, and my mind goes blank. I keep a pad on my desk to jot down ideas, but it seems a little eccentric to carry one around with me all day.

I have a sick boy at home today — throwing up since 1:30 a.m.. There’s nothing left, but his body keeps trying. Pray for us!

Joyce From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge of questions for fun and for getting to know each other.

1. Would you rather be seen as a person who did their duty or forged their own path?

Well…both are valuable. But I have known people who liked to forge their own path who perhaps were not going on the best path who would not listen to anyone, accept any counsel, etc. The “I did it my way” attitude is not that of a Christian in submission to God. Yet He does use brave people who aren’t afraid to step out for Him — which in a sense goes back to obedience and duty. So I think I’d have to say I’d rather be known as one who did her duty.

2. This week’s Wednesday Hodgepodge happens to fall on Groundhog’s Day. In keeping with that theme, if you could have a do-over of any one day out of the last seven, which day would it be and why. If you haven’t seen the movie Groundhog Day this question will make absolutely no sense but that’s okay….you can answer anyway.

It’s terrible that I can only remember details of the last four. I guess yesterday. I had given myself permission to have a pretty light day Monday after several days of being pretty solidly busy. Jesse was on a skiing trip Tuesday with his youth group, so I didn’t have to take him to school or pick him up — not that I mind doing so, but I was thinking without having to work around those usual events of the day, I’d be able to get a lot of errands run without having to watch the clock. But I didn’t.

3. Hot cocoa…yay or nay on the marshmallows?

Definitely yay!

4. Do you wear makeup every day? What are the top two must haves in your daily makeup routine?

I only wear a little mascara and do use it every day unless I’m sick.

5. Is it more important to you in a relationship to be loved or understood?

I don’t know how you can separate the two. It would be hard to feel loved if someone didn’t take the time to try understand you. On the other hand, probably no two people ever understand each other fully.

6. Parsley sage rosemary or thyme… your favorite?

Of those, I’m only familiar with parsley and thyme. I may have had the other two in some dishes but not enough to connect a taste to them in my mind. And those aren’t my favorites of all the spices…but I guess I’d choose parsley.

7. What do you do when you feel angry?

Seethe inwardly until I can gain the right perspective. Not healthy, I know.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Recently I posted a video of various clips of our family sledding compiled by my son to the tune of “Winter Wonderland” by Bing Crosby. I would have thought that song was in the public domain years ago. Yet YouTube is not letting it be shown in the US due to copyright violations. How come my little video only seen by a handful of people gets blocked but there are multitudes of videos of TV shows, various performances, songs, etc. with thousands and millions of hits that aren’t blocked?

And here is a cheerier thought: 46 days until spring!

Joyce From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge of questions for fun and for getting to know each other.

1. Will you watch the Super Bowl? If so who will you root for? If you are outside the USA what is the ‘big deal sporting event’ in your own country?

No, we’re not football fans. I’m American but the only “big deal sporting event” I’m interested in is the Olympics.

2. Is ignorance bliss?

It depends. If I am having a medical procedure, I don’t really want to know all the details — that would just give me that much more to worry be concerned about. But too often ignorance is detrimental. On the other hand, missionary stories of tribal people show that, though they may not have access to knowledge in developed countries, they have knowledge and skills we know nothing of.

3. Which of the seven dwarfs are you? (and just in case your Disney is a little bit rusty, here they are-Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy)

Bashful and Grumpy.

4. When you are riding in the car with another couple how do you organize the seating? (Men up front? Women up front? Couples sit together?) And thanks to Lori at Mountain Woman at Heart for the question! Everyone go say hi to Lori.

Usually couples together.

5. What is beauty?

That’s hard to answer. Whatever it is, it is in the eye of the beholder: different things are beautiful to different people. And it is not just visual: writing, music, holiness, many things are beautiful. I decided to check Dictionary.com, which said, “the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).” Yep, that about sums it up. 🙂

6. If someone asks you to bring an appetizer or a dessert to a party in their home, which would you choose?

Usually a dessert. I have a better repertoire of them plus most can be made ahead without having to keep them warm or cold.

7. What is your crowd pleasing go-to appetizer?

Little sausages or meatballs in the crockpot in barbecue sauce.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have a weird question: how do you make eyebrow hairs lay down? This didn’t use to be a problem, but over the last few years they’ve decided to assert themselves. Neither combing them down while wet nor using gel helps. I don’t look quite like this yet, but I want to avoid it!

Joyce From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge of questions for fun and for getting to know each other.

1. Do you like your name? Were you named after someone? If you have children how did you settle on their names?

This is 3 questions! 🙂 I did not used to like my name — I thought it sounded too “sharp” and I liked flowy romantic names like Crystal Lovelace when I was growing up (I remember having that as a name for something I was writing, but I don’t remember anything else about it.) Plus “Barbara” means “stranger,” so whenever name meanings came up, there were obvious jokes. But then once my pastor preached on Christians being “strangers and pilgrims” on this earth, and another time I found verses about God loving the stranger. So the meaning made it more special and it grew on me. Just please don’t call me Barb. I was named after my mother’s sister (who went by Bobbye), and my middle name came from my father’s sister.

With my own children, we looked at baby name books and meanings and narrowed it down to a list and eventually chose one. All our sons’ names start with J though we didn’t intend for that to happen when we started out.

2. How do you define success?

Had to think about this one a while. I think I’d say “Reaching one’s goals honorably.”

3. Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy?

I like them both, but Jeopardy wins because of the variety of questions and because I hate Wheel of Fortune’s Lose a Turn and Bankrupt spots on the wheel.

4. If you could own any single object that you don’t have now, what would that object be?

The living room chairs we have had on order for several weeks now but have had a series of problems in obtaining.

5. What is something that inspires you?

Missionary biographies.

6. Meatloaf-yea or nay? If its a yay how do you make yours?

YEA! I love meatloaf. Well…most of them. Mine is made in the microwave and has a sauce on top made with ketchup and brown sugar.

7. Which is more admirable-the ability to organize and be methodical or the ability to adapt and make do?

It’s valuable to have both. Both would be hindered by the lack of the other.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My son posted this on Facebook a while back with the comment that there was probably a spiritual application that could be made.It has to do with studies that show we can’t walk in a straight line without some visible guide point. Yes. I can see a spiritual application! I don’t know how blind people are affected, though. But it was interesting.

Joyce From This Side of the Pond hosts a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge of questions for fun and for getting to know each other.

Today’s questions:

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 and they receive over 1000 nominations. Here are the fourteen words/phrases they’d like to see banished in 2011-viral: epic, fail, wow factor, a-ha moment, back story, BFF, man up, refudiate, Mama Grizzlies, The American People, facebook/google when used as verbs, I’m just sayin’, and Live life to the fullest.

What word or phrase would you like to see banished from our everyday vocabulary in 2011? You can choose one from the ‘official list’ or you can get creative and come up with your own.

Mama Grizzlies? Hadn’t heard that one. The word “like” when used as an interjection can get annoying. And “a-MA-zing” is so over-used that it’s not really amazing any more. But there are two that I’d like to see banished. One is OMG or its unacronymed version, “Oh. My. God.” because, beyond just being annoying, that is taking the Lord’s name in vain. Taking His name in vain isn’t just using it in a cuss word — it is using it in a commonplace, meaningless way unbefitting Him. I cringe almost every time I hear it. The other is “WTF” — which I will not spell out for you, but which is coming even into mainstream print. Totally vulgar. As is a third,”suck.”

On to pleasanter topics…

2. Do you consider opportunity something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?

I think it is a little of both. I think ultimately they come from God, but He blesses initiative and hard work. Sometimes He brings them about through initiative and hard work.

3. Since we’re all eating healthy this month, ahem, what’s included in your favorite salad? Is there dressing?

A mixture of greens like iceberg lettuce, romaine, and spinach (but not weedy-looking greens) plus a few carrots topped with a little ham and cheddar cheese and just a few bacon bits and Catalina dressing.

4. The fourth Monday in January is said to be Blue Monday…aka the most depressing day of the year. The date was calculated using many factors including weather, debt level, time since Christmas, time since we’ve failed at our new year resolutions, low motivation and feeling a need to take action. Do you get the blues this time of year and if so what is something you do to lift your spirits?

I just posted Help for the winter blues yesterday and included a lot of ideas there. A couple of my favorites are reading, setting up a bird-feeder, playing uplifting music, buying fresh or artificial flowers, and remembering some of the benefits of winter — relief from heat, humidity, bugs, and the ability to have oven meals that I don’t make in the summer.

5. Do you wear a watch? Any other everyday jewelry essentials?

No. I have nerve damage in my left hand, and anything that fits close on my wrist bugs me. My wedding ring causes little pinging sensations like when you hit your “funny bone.” 😦 I don’t wear bracelets or a watch on my right hand because I am right-handed and it seems anything I wear there is constantly being banged against a counter or something. I do wear necklaces and brooches, but not every day.

6. What is something useful you learned in high school?

That not being in the “in crowd” can be a blessing in the long run.

7. Do you use an accountant when completing and filing your income tax returns or do you attempt to muddle through all by yourself?

My husband does them, bless him. He does use software, but I forget which one.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We’re on our third snow day these week and even Jesse is about ready to get back to school. Between these and the two or three we had before Christmas due to ice, I’m afraid we’re going to have to make up some of them, which is no fun. Because I have always lived in places where it snowed only once or twice a year and the snow only hung around for a day or two, I am more than ready for this to all be gone and for life to get back to “normal.” But temperatures are supposed to be fairly low all day and we’re still getting intermittent snow. I did see some sunshine for a little bit this morning, though!