Don’t Forget the Carrots – Chit Chat & Hodgepodge

Apparently, Patrice has left Wendell in charge today. Be prepared to have a pocketful of carrots for your visit. I didn’t have any on hand, and Wendell turned his nose up to me. Next time, I’ll make peace with him by bringing him a lovely carrot bouquet.

Today’s questions on Chit Chat on a Farmhouse Porch are:

What’s your favorite kind of chili? I would say traditional southwestern style chili is my favorite. I like using small red beans better than kidney beans,though. Small red beans are more tender and I prefer the taste, but I won’t turn down chili made with kidney beans.

What do you usually do when you feel a cold coming on? Ah, knock on wood, it’s been long since I’ve had one. It seems in the past, I’ve taken echinace to help wort off cold symptoms, as well as I pump myself full of OJ and garlic tablets. Of course, if I have a cold it’s with me through the duration. I don’t know, if anything really helps fight off a common cold. The best way to avoid getting sick is staying away from others who are sick to start with (yeah, easier said than done, especially if you’re caring for family)and to wash your hands often during cold/flu season.

Rice, potatoes, or pasta?Hmmm, all of these are mighty tasty. However, I think I would choose potatoes. I like mashed potatoes, potato soup, potato cakes, potato chips,boiled potatoes… I serve mashed potatoes with just about every meal I make.

What kind of camera do you use?  Canon PowerShot SD880. It does a great job for a point n’ shoot!

Are you a night owl or an early bird? Typically, I’m not a night owl. On the weekends, we tend to stay up watching movies and sleeping in. During the week, I find it easy to get up early and begin my day without any problems. I am a morning person and find I’m more productive, if I rise early.

For all of my Chit-Chat friends, why not follow me over to Joyce’s for Wednesday Hodgepodge?

This is an excellent get-to-know-me/you meme!

1. A new Miss America was crowned on Saturday night – did you watch? If you were a contestant what would your talent be?

We watched the NFL playoffs. None of us had a clue it was on, until DH was channel surfing. He’s a wild man channel surfer. Drive me nuts, but that’s another post. Anyhow, we did catch a peak of the contestants.

As always, the girls are the same: average-looking, big breast (not their own), too heavy in the hips and thighs. Do you mean to tell me, these are the prettiest girls representing their home states? I don’t think so! I’ve seen pretty girls in Knoxville’s malls than the gal pick to represent Tennessee in the Miss America pageant. Did you notice that horrible high-stepping prance a lot of these girls were doing? Oh heaven! My jaw dropped open and then I laughed so hard. That’s just too ridiculous!

Oops, just about forgot what your question was, dear. *slap forehead* What would be my talent? Do you think they’d count singing in the shower? Probably not, huh, especially after they hear me. Okay, I can multi-task house chores, exercise, homeschool, blog, and a number of other jobs quite well. Does this fall into the juggling category? No? Alright, I have great rhythm rattling my pots and pans. Will this fly as musical talent? *roll eyes* I guess that’s not gonna work, either.  That’s fine, I think I have something for you! I can elegantly recite “Trees” with pose and beau….okay with poise and grace. I’m a terrible poet, so Joyce Kilmer’s poem would be perfect. I believe this would make me a real shoe in, don’t you think?

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree
A tree whose hungry mouths is prest
Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree tha may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree

2. Do you have houseplants? Real or fake?

Neither! I have a black thumb therefore real plants are out of the picture and I don’t like fake ones because I’d have to dust them.

3. When you were in school, did you speak up or were you more of the hide your face, avoid eye contact, and pray the teacher didn’t cal on you type of student?

In elementary school I shied away from every opportunity of being in the Q&A spotlight, which inevitably was impossible to avoid all the time. Some how teachers know who to call on. Maybe, it’s the darting of eyes or fidgeting in the seat which clues her/him. I’m sure I did both and every time, I was called on. What I wouldn’t have given to have a rock to crawl beneath at those moments!

High school was completely different. I accepted the challenge and occasionally tested my wits (what little I had) against the teacher’s questions. Not that, I openly displayed a pleading for attention by the teacher or anything, it’s just I didn’t feel so intimidated. Perhaps, it had something to do with me taking my studies more seriously, too.

4. Next Monday marks the Chinese New Year…what do you order when someone suggests Chinese food?

Two of my favorites from P.F. Chang’s are: Kung Pao Chicken and Sesame Chicken, but I also love Shrimp Stir-fry. I can’t go wrong with any of these dishes.

5. How would you define a miracle? What would it take for you to consider something a miracle?

DD #2 falling off the side of a mountain and literally hanging near the edge of death and successfully rescued by only those accompanying her on her hike is a miracle! DD#1’s car burst into flames in her apartment complex parking lot moments after she’s safely in her apartment. That’s a miracle! DS’s go-cart breaks fail going down hill. He slams into fence post wrecking it and the cart’s front wheel, but walking… okay, leaping away with minor injuries is a miracle! Paying for a huge car repair with no extra money in the bank, and open the mail to find an unexpected check is a miracle! God operates in mysterious ways. I’m thankful He has His eyes and hands upon us time again.

6. What’s your favorite Disney song? If you’re stuck you’ll find a list here.

7. I should have blogged yesterday.

DH was home yesterday with one of those crazy dizzy kind of headaches. I elected to enjoy my time with him. After all, it’s not often I get to have some extra time with him like this. =D

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Just when you think you’ve heard everything…while watching, The Doctors, I heard about this crazy phenomena, Chickenpox Parties. Apparently, there is this growing concern amongst parents to look for ways to expose their children to chickenpox. I would think with the social involvement most kids have today normal contact would supply plenty of opportunity to contract the virus.

As strange as this sounded, what really ruffled my feathers was The Doctors reported something called Chickenpox lollipops in circulation. You guessed it, lollipops a child with chickenpox has licked. First off, gross! Don’t we teach our children to not eat after other kids? What does mom or dad do, insist Johnny or Susie to have a chickenpox laced lollipop?

There is so much more wrong with this than the virus itself. Okay, the virus typically dies within 24 hourse outside the host.  Chances are slim to none a kid will contract chickenpox this way.  Another thing, this is illegal, folks! Sending diseases or viruses through the mail is a federal crime.

This leaves me to wonder, what things a child may contract from the chickenpox lollipop other than the chickenpox? One concern by the medical community is passing Hepatitis B, a virus that can last longer than the chickenpox virus, to unsuspecting children. See Hepatitis B symptoms. This is a serious concern by itself. What about all the unknowns?

None of my children contracted the chickenpox virus, as much as I had hoped they would. Obviously to spare them the less of the two evils – childhood vs adulthood exposure. Our daughters elected to get vaccinated when they started college, which I felt was a wise decision on their part. In fact, I plan to have our DS innoculated this spring before his 18th birthday. The best thing a parent can do, in my opinion to protect their children from chickenpox is to have them vaccinated.

Kindly leave a comment to make my day and I’ll hop over to see you soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Save