A Whole Bunch of Randomness—Wednesday Hodgepodge

Once again, Joyce at From This Side of the Pond is hosting Wednesday Hodgepodge. I like these things because they are instant food for blogging. Thanks, Joyce. Be sure to visit her when you're through here.

1. What is the most interesting thing you've done in the last year?

I'm not sure "interesting" is exactly the right word. "Thrilling" is perhaps better, but hands down the most amazing and joyful thing I did in the last year was witness the birth of my granddaughter Lucy. Thanks to Ben and Claire for sharing that special time with me and her other grandmother Marie.

This sweet little girl is nine months old now. We can't wait for her and Walker and Lauren and their parents to get here for Christmas.

Photo by Lucy's Uncle Luke

2. What is your most meaningful family heirloom?

I love old family photos. Some of the ones I have are from before I was born. Others bring back fond memories of special times growing up. I really need to spend some time scanning them and collecting them in a digital family scrapbook. So many projects; so little time.

Here's one of all of the Reynolds cousins. I'm the oldest of 21 grandchildren on my mother's side of the family.

3. What food festival would you most like to attend? If you're not sure click here to see a list of possibilities.

I don't see how any food festival could possibly be any better than Thanksgiving dinner in Camden, Arkansas, with all my Reynolds kinfolk. Our gatherings have gotten so large that we now have them in the fellowship hall of the First Presbyterian Church.

My cousin Robert smokes the turkeys, and his wife Alma makes the giblet gravy. Mother makes the cornbread dressing, Aunt Mary bakes the homemade rolls, and everyone else contributes vegetables, salads and desserts. Yummm!!

Photo by my nephew Benton Walker

4. Snow...do you love it or is it considered a four letter word where you live?

Love, love, love snow. Just not too much of it. I'd love to have one good snow a year. The kind that lasts for a couple of days. We haven't had too many of those around here lately. Last year's "big" snow, the first measurable snow we'd had in a number of years, was gone in a few hours.

5. Can you ski? Do you ski? Are you any good?

I've never been skiing, and I have no desire to learn. I would like to visit a ski resort during the ski season, however, and sit around the fire drinking hot toddies.

6. What quality in your spouse or best friend are you most thankful for?

I know people whose husbands are such homebodies that they aren't much interested in seeing the world. I'm so thankful that LBeau is not one of those spouses. He loves traveling as much as I do. We are fortunate that we've been able to take at least one good trip a year now that our children are no longer on the payroll. Our most recent trip was a cruise that started in Venice with stops in Croatia, Montenegro, Turkey and Greece.

7. Describe the coziest spot in your home.

That would probably be my screened porch, especially in the spring and fall. Even on a warm summer day, I've been known to curl up on the love seat for a nice afternoon nap.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My daddy would have been 89 today.  Happy Birthday, Daddy.  I still miss you.  Wasn't he the cutest little boy?