Wednesday Hodgepodge: The Aging Like Fine Wine Edition

Wednesday.  This is Wednesday....right?  Life's a little crazy these days and I find I'm losing track now and then.  Another sign that I'm getting old.  Yea.  Not.  Yesterday I promised to write something everyday.  Lucky for me Wednesdays (if it is Wednesday) mean it's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, created and hosted by Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond.  Every time I write about the Hodgepodge I remember the old PBS show Hodgepodge Lodge.  Does anyone else remember it?  (Please, someone say yes?)

By the way, a belated Happy Birthday to Joyce.  I actually wrote the above about getting older and then went to look up this week's questions and saw that yesterday was her birthday.  Not that I'm implying you're getting old, Joyce.

Well, anyway, here are this week's Hodgepodge questions....

1. What's the best and worst thing thing about growing older? 
~  The best?  Definitely that it's finally time for me.  I've spent my entire adult life (not that I regret it or am complaining) being a wife and mother.  I'll always be those things, but those aren't necessarily the things that define me now.  I'm getting reacquainted with Stacy...her hopes, her dreams, the things she enjoys doing.  It's pretty sweet.  The worst?  Chin hair.  I'm definitely going to have to go with chin hair.

2.   Autumn arrives this week in the Northern Hemisphere...what one thing do you love most about the fall season? 
~ Only one???  Are you kidding me?  This is my favorite time of year.  I love everything about it.  Oh, um, gee.....I guess if I have to pick one thing it would be the shorter days because it brings the family in for the evening more often and with all the fall decorations and fall cooking and candles it's such a cozy feeling.  I guess I like that feeling best of everything.

3.  Speaking of fall...pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan?   What's your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage? 
~ Again....I love everything pumpkin, but the best thing I ever had (and I really wish I could find a recipe....if you have one to share, please do!!) was a pumpkin and ham stew.  It was heavenly!

4.  Since we're on the subject of fall...what's the worst fall you've ever taken?
~ Well, I've never fallen any great distance or broken any bones (except for a few toes and I did fall doing any of those) so I guess it would have to be the one a couple of summers ago when I got tangle up in the tie out chain for the dogs and went down.  I twisted my ankle but never saw a doctor about it.  Probably not a good decision because that ankle is giving me a lot of problems now.  I had it x-rayed last week and will find out what my doctor has to say about it tomorrow.

5.  If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose? 
~ I'm torn between Johnny's leather jacket from Dirty Dancing, the shotgun lamp from The Great Outdoors, and the leg lamp from A Christmas Story.

6. What's the most interesting word you've read or learned in the past week? 
~ I can't think of a new word I've learned, but I taught the kids on the bus shenanigans and cattywompus and that's been fun....can't wait to get them going this afternoon since today is Talk Like A Pirate Day.

7. When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office?  Was it a big deal?

~ I locked me and the dog out once and it was a big deal.  It was winter and I didn't have a coat on.  The spare key wasn't where it was supposed to be.  My mom was out of town with her spare.  My cell phone was in the house.  Finally went to the neighbors and called a locksmith to come.  He came right away and only charged $50.  The most recent lock-out was my car.  At work.  We have AAA, though, so I just called them and they came and got it open while I was driving.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
~ Is it lunch time?  I'm hungry.