HODGEPODGE

 1. Besides Thanksgiving, something on your November calendar you're looking forward to? 

No, nothing special, November is a boring month, besides Halloween which was not celebrated very much here. In Belgium everybody run to the cemetaries to clean the graves and put flowers on them because it was all Saints Day. So on local TV you had the choice between graveyards and graves with or without flowers, while on another channel they celebrated Halloween with skeleton and graves .  Nothing will happen, unless I win in the lottery but I have never played in my life. 

2. Dictionary.com's word of the year is '6-7'. Huh? 

Is it even a word??? I had to consult the internet to find out it's meaning because apparently I'm old and this particular slang is not part of my vocabulary. Is it part of yours? According to the article I read, it's a viral term, more of an inside joke with an unclear meaning driven by social media.

What do you think? 

Dictionary. com says it's selection each year is a 'linguistic time capsule reflecting social trends and events, but they also admitted to being confused by '6-7'. Some say it means so-so and is sometimes accompanied by the up and down hand motion we associate with the phrase so-so.

What word do you think would have made a better choice? 

I don't understand the necessity to say numbers when there are words? I would say "Bof," which is the new word that especially the younger generation, but also older folks, use when they can't decide between beautiful and ugly. A beautiful hat can definitely be "Bof" if I don't like it 100%.

3. What's a food, trend, activity, or thing people love but you think is just so-so? 

The only thing which comes to my mind is "Mental health"   

It is very much in fashion everywhere, and in every country. I wonder what people did when they survived catastrophes, wars, etc and are certainly traumatized ?? There wouldn't be enough psychiatrists, psychologists, and yoga teachers to restore  their "mental health," especially since many people don't have any, even without dramatic events.

4. Are you a tea drinker? Hot or cold? How do you like yours and at what time of day? Do you like flavored teas or teas billed as calming, energizing, healing, etc? 

I only drink tea in Egypt which is called Karkade and is made from Hibiskus leaves.

It is not the Hibiskus we drink usually here, but with much bigger leaves, it simply tastes delicious, Cools you down in summer and when the tea is hot warms you up in winter, and contains many vitamins. 

5. The November Hodgepodge has always included a weekly gratitude question. Here's the question for today-what are three things that make your heart sing? 

My heart sing ? That's a difficult question, nothing makes me really sing anymore, not with the heart and not with my mouth. Sometimes I am happy when I have seen a nice Theater play or exhibition.

 

Mini Golf

or just the view out of my window

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Unfortunately my mood is not on the top when I think that all these year end festivities approach. What will or should I do ? I wished I could go to Egypt over Christmas and New Year and meet my friends there. But there are  two obstacles: my illness and my old grandma cat, Rosie. There are plenty of people to feed her, but since she's now over 19 years old and has become so clingy that she's always checking to see if I'm there, I really don't know what to do. I'll probably celebrate here and then have a party with Rosie, a picture of Rick and myself.