The Nutty Wednesday Hodgepodge

 Thanks to our hostess Joyce for today's questions!!  You can join in HERE!

FIRST... I got my power back yesterday, mid-afternoon!!! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 573

1. How did you meet your significant other? If you don't have a significant other, tell us how you met your best friend.   I've posted before about how Joe and I met.  To make a long story short, it was a Monday night at a restaurant, where neither of us would have normally been.  After work, I went to a movie with my friend, Lynn, and we popped in at the restaurant for a drink before going home.  Joe was in the restaurant for a benefit evening.  There was a dance floor.  Lynn wanted to ask a guy at the bar to dance but was shy about it.  I was showing off for Lynn and asked Joe to dance.  That was it.  Our first date was for lunch two days later.  The rest is history!

2. It's Department Store Day (October 16)...do you still shop in department stores? If not, do you miss that kind of shopping experience? Do you have a favorite department store? Any fun memories of department store shopping when you were a child?   I shop at Belks, Target, Kohl's, and I think Walmart could actually be called a department store.  We also have Dillards here in Lakeland but it's in the dying mall 10 miles north and I haven't been up that way since before covid.

When I was growing up, we did special shopping excursions in Columbus at Lazarus.  We got dressed up to go shopping "in the city" back in those sweet precious days.  I especially remember the animated windows at Christmas.  It was a true wonderland.

3. Something you're currently nuts about?  My new vinyl planks, waiting to be installed.  My house looks terrible right now with guest bedroom paraphernalia piled on every available surface in every other room.  It is making me a little nuts, but I am keeping my eye on the horizon.

4. What's your favorite nut and is there a favorite recipe where this nut is used?  My favorite nut is the macadamia nut (followed closely by cashews).  I LOVE those white chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts in them.  Oh my goodness, I can eat them like potato chips.

5. On Wednesday, we officially reach the '70 days until Christmas' mark. Have you purchased any gifts? If you don't celebrate Christmas then how about Hanukkah presents?  I did pick up a couple of things for gifts a few weeks ago.  I have gotten so bad about Christmas shopping.  I give money to the "kids" and grandkids.  My sisters and I buy birthday gifts but we haven't done Christmas gifts for a long time.  For the past couple of years though, my sister Tammy has been coming down for Christmas here and I do get her a few things to open. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  You may have noticed above that MY POWER CAME BACK ON yesterday afternoon!!  I am sitting here in an air-conditioned house with no orange extension cords trailing in and out of rooms. I am doing laundry - the dryer works!  I can cook breakfast on the stove!!  I can take a shower in hot water.  The things we take for granted...  I still count my blessings that my home is not flooded and the roof is intact.  Six days without is a new record.  I hope I never see it broken.  

Peace and Hugs!

No cries shall haunt our streets,

No threats of fire or sword—

How bless’d the land that knows such rest,

Whose people know the Lord!