Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. When the Hodgepodge lands on September 11th I want to acknowledge that. Will you purposely pause to remember, pray, or attend any sort of ceremony on 9/11? Share any thoughts or memories you'd like to share about this day. 

I vividly remember both September 11 and the one year anniversary. I've shared often about my memories of the day itself, but rarely about the one year anniversary. 

We moved from Washington D.C., where my dad was stationed at the pentagon, to Minot, North Dakota in July 2001. While the towers were devastating and are the most vivid image in my memory, its the fear I felt around the Pentagon and the area we had just left behind that appear every year in memory. 

On the one year anniversary, we were in our second year in Minot. I had switched from going to school off base to the on base school that year as a result of how the world on military bases changed post-9/11. Our little middle school choir sang at the base memorial for all the commanders and their families, and at the elementary school. We were all really somber and respectful because it just hits different as a military kid, especially when the base is full of parents who work with planes used for bombing and missiles. It all still felt so tense and heavy.

It's hard to believe such a pivotal moment in our country and in my adolescence happened 23 years ago and yet is still so vivid in my mind.

2. Growing up, did you spend a lot of time with your grandparents? What's something you learned from a grandparent? 

As a military kid, we didn't spend as much time with our grandparents as friends did who grew up in the same town their parents did. We tried to see them once a year if we could. My grandparents lived a couple streets apart in the same small Western Pennsylvania town, so when we saw one, we saw the other typically. 

My maternal grandmother and I did a Grammy book club each month where we'd read the same book and talk about it on the phone, or wrote letters about what we were reading. She bought me books for most gifting occasions and really helped develop my love of reading and influenced my career as a librarian. Gram has 

My paternal grandmother is who I learned how to make friendship bracelets with, learning different knots, and where I learned to play a lot of fun card games. She is still sharp as a tack and living alone in her mid-90s. I love her and miss her dearly.

My grandfathers were instrumental too and were always looking for ways to make us grandkids laugh!

3. What's your go-to breakfast? 

A protein shake or cottage cheese, honey and berries.

4. Tell us the story behind one of your favorite photos. 

My Pappy passed away when I was in second grade. I've spent more of my life without him than I had with him, but I'm blessed to have some wonderful pictures together! I am about a year younger than my son in this picture, but I feel we look so much alike and I have such vivid memories of riding that tricycle up and down the sidewalk at my grandparents house while being terrified to ride down their hilly driveway. I loved rolling down the hill of their backyard and sledding on the rare times we were there when it snowed. I loved this little house of theirs so much! I thought this was a fun one to share in honor of grandparent's day!

5. This week Friday lands on the 13th. Are you superstitious in any way? Do you like scary movies, and if so what's your favorite? 

I am not superstitious and don't love scary movies, but I love Fridays that land on the 13th! My husband and I got engaged on a Friday the 13th and my senior year of high school homecoming was a Friday the 13th; they're just fun to me!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The trainer at the gym showed me some deep stretches for my shoulders this week, and my goodness do I feel a difference already! I hold all tension in my neck and shoulders and these stretches felt AMAZING!