Chattin'

Winter has finally driven us in from the front porch.  But Patrice has a warm room and warmer hospitality.

 There's a lot of folks here already so let's see what the chat's about today...

Have you ever had a blog slump? Oh my, yes.  Sometimes, it's because I'm too busy and some times because I'm not busy enough. When I'm too busy, it's hard to settle down and write  - or - read blogs.  When I'm not busy enough I sometimes have trouble finding stuff that I want to write about.  These slumps usually disappear in a couple of days, though.  I've never had one last for longer.  Yet.  

What's your favorite way to serve hot chocolate (cocoa)? Marshmallows on top? Whipped Cream? A cinnamon stick?  I haven't had hot chocolate for many years.  I think I stopped drinking it when i stopped drinking coffee.   Not sure that there's any real connection but who knows?  But, if I were to try again I think the cinnamon would be my first choice.  I like cinnamon a lot!

How do you handle it when you see someone you think you know, but cannot place? Do you approach them and ask, shy away, or just go home and hope you don't think of it at 2am?  I'm pretty sure that would  never happen.  I've got an excellent recall for faces and names.  But knowing myself  if I did have such an experience, I would assume that this person was not someone I really knew and pass by.  I once walked by a TV anchor in a shopping  mall and there was definitely that feeling of "I should know you".  It did take me a minute to place him mostly because he was so much shorter than I had imagined!  And,no, I didn't say anything to him at all.  I was pretty sure he wouldn't remember me from all the 6 pm newscasts.

What was your position in your family? Were you the oldest, a middle child, the youngest or an only child?  I was the oldest of five.  Mostly that was a great place to be but sometimes the responsibility was more than I wanted - or felt I deserved.  I always felt that I deserved the privileges, though.  And you can be sure that I wasn't above lording over the younger ones - especially my brother!  Now, with our parents both gone, it's strange to think that I am the 'head' of this particular branch of the family.  Good thing we don't really do that matriarch thing in our family- that would be just way too responsibility for me. 

How do you handle accumulated possessions (stuff)? Are you a pack-rat, a minimalist, or somewhere in between?   I admire minimalism.  I really, really do.  It's just not a very practical way to live for me.  There's always so much going on and things to do.  'Out of sight, out of mind'  should be my motto.  Everybody knows I have trunks of yarn.  Did you also know I have cupboards full of wool fabric for hooking?  And sharing those cupboards are the boxes of quilt fabric.  All are sorted into colors so it's not just a jumble. I don;t think these stashes make me a pack rat exactly.  But I do admit to never letting a horizontal surface remain bare. 

And, now, since today is my birthday, I'm going to share an question with you all.  I was asked this the other day:  What was your favorite birthday?

I'm not sure I had a favorite but it did start me thinking.  What I thought was that we spend a lot of time when we're kids waiting for that milestone birthday.  Like when the single digits become two or when we turn sixteen and can learn to drive.  I remember being very impatient to be twenty-one and finally considered an adult.  After that other people made more fuss about the passing years than I did.  Thirty, forty, fifty - even sixty...I was still me.  But, now at sixty-five, I've hit another milestone. Although it's kind of a reverse turn in the road. Apparently,  I'm no longer quite as adult as I was.  At least in the government's eyes.  I have crossed the last threshold to the land of discounts (OK, I've been here for a while), free ferries and cheaper bus passes.  But, I am learning to be gracious and accept all these gifts.  I'm still me...and in my mind I'm not a day over twenty-one!

It's a good day. Thanks, Patrice, for hosting the chat today.  If you want to join in, visit her at Everyday Rurality.  There's always room.