Pickled Herring with my Cheerios in the Hodgepodge

1. It's still May, right? When were you last in the middle of something that might be described as mayhem?

I looked up the word mayhem and realized I've been hearing and using it wrongly . I always thought it meant chaos, madness, bedlam.  But mayhem is an act of violence intended to destroy someone or something.

Yowsa.  I'm glad I can't think of anything except demolition of our master bathroom.  And as anyone doing a construction project knows, the areas around said project can turn to chaos, madness bedlam.  Maybe I'll just start calling our master bedroom our master bedlam.

2. When did you last feel dismayed?

Dismay-- (again, looked it up for clarity).  It means to cause (someone) to feel consternation and distress.   I have been dismayed periodically for the past two months that my daughter has been dismayed over her job. 
She has been sick from stress and has decided to quit her teaching job at the end of this school year.  
3. What's a food combination you like, but other people may find strange?

I like green olives as a topping for Rocky Road ice cream.  (Just kidding. Did you just throw up in your mouth?)  How about ketchup on my pancakes?  Nope, just kidding about that, too. 
Onions on my bran flakes?  Ha. You see a pattern here? 

4. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." Do you think that's true? Why or why not?


Sounds poetic but I have to disagree. Sometimes it's too late.  Sadly, the most obvious explanation is death before getting to be what you might have been.  Sometimes it's too late because the opportunity was once-in-a-lifetime (someone who proposed to you and you said no, then he married someone else? Guess what? You might have been his wife, but now?)  Or sometimes age, health, and other factors make it too late to your being the athlete you might have been.

I'm realistic enough not to believe a similar slogan: You can achieve anything you put your mind to .   I'm pretty sure that putting my mind to bearing another child would be an exercise in futility.  And being a size 6 or 8 again unless I put my mind to starving myself isn't going to happen.




5. US News and World Report listed the best historic destinations in the US as follows-Washington D.C, Philadelphia PA, Williamsburg VA, Charleston SC, Boston MA, Richmnd VA, Savannah, GA, Santa Fe NM, Yellowstone, San Antonio TX, San Francisco CA, New Orleans LA, and Charlottesville VA.

Of those listed how many have you seen in person? Which two sites on the list would you most like to see in person?

I've seen 7 of those (DC, Philly, Wmsburg, Boston, Richmond, SA and San Fran).  I'd like to see Santa Fe and Savannah next.  My aunt has owned the Casa Pacifica Bed and Breakfast in Santa Fe since 1985, but I've never been there. Shame on me.

6. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. If you had to participate in a single fitness activity for the next half hour, which activity would you choose?

Walking. I know, I'm boring, but it's the only thing that doesn't stress my knees or hurt my shoulder.

7. What did you like best about the city, town, or neighborhood where you grew up?

Grew up in? We moved around a lot, but I guess I grew up from 5th grade till high school graduation on a 3-acre farm in northern Maryland.  I liked the wide open spaces, big sky,
fresh country air, our horse, the Christian school I went to, the churches we attended (one Methodist, then later Baptist).

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

On Sunday I witnessed something disturbing and am still wondering if I did the right thing or if I should have gotten more involved. We were on our way to our oldest son's house for a Mother's Day cookout and had to stop at the grocery store. While my husband ran in (for 10-15 minutes) I stayed in the car with our youngest. 

He noticed a cute golden retriever in the back of the SUV parked beside us.  I noticed the windows were up and it was a warm day. (In the mid-80s.) The dog was panting but did not look distressed. I don't know how long he'd been there. Could've been a minute before we were. Could've been a half hour.  I thought I should call 911. My son thought that was overreacting, I waited a couple more minutes , then my husband came out. He checked the vehicle and indeed, all windows were up. I called 911 as he drove away telling me that cops probably wouldn't do anything.

The dispatcher took the description of the vehicle and said he'd send the nearest officer over.   Had I been alone, I think I would have stuck around for the cops to come. Or if the owner came out, I would have said something.  What would YOU have done in my situation?