Presidential Hodgepodge

I liked the questions this week for the Wednesday "hodgepodge" hosted by Joyce from over here. Check it out and do one of your own!

1. Many of our earliest presidents created words or expressions widely used today. Teddy Roosevelt is credited with mollycoddle, pack rat, frazzle, and loose cannon...which of those words/phrases currently relates to your life in some way? 

None of them really, unless "mollycoddle". I'm being overprotective regarding my spine this winter.....not  doing much shoveling and being super careful outdoors on the ice. 

2. Have you visited many (or any) of the US Presidents homes, monuments, libraries or related sites? If so what's been your favorite? Are there any you particularly want to see? Here's a link to presidential sites listed by state which is kind of fun to read-Presidential Places by State. And since several bloggers who participate in the HP each week live outside the US, here's a link to Presidential Places Outside the US. Have you seen any of those? 

Oh absolutely!  I mean, I live in eastern NY where we have a plethora of sites. I've hiked the trails at the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site as it's only about 30 minutes east of our home.  I've seen his grave there as well as the entire grounds. We've also seen the Millard Fillmore Statue in Buffalo when we were out that way a couple years ago staying in downtown Buffalo. And we live only 30 minutes south of the Ulysses S Grant Cottage State Historic State. In fact, I pass it often to get to some hiking trails I frequent in the summer. The one place the list above doesn't mention for NYS is the Teddy Roosevelt cottage in the "ghosttown" of the Adirondacks (about 2.5 hours north-west of my house) where he was staying for the summer when he learned he had just become President. That's a HUGE piece of history!  We've driven past the Bush estate in Maine. We plan on visiting there in June when we are in Portland! And we have seen all the Massachusetts Presidential stuff (John Quincy Adams and John Adams) except for the Calvin Coolidge Museum, the JFK Historic Site (we have seen the small Cape Cod library  though),and George Bush's birthplace. We have been to Gettysburg National Park and have seen the Eisenhower statue as well.I've never been to London and was only in Munich Germany for a plane switch. And Paris, Florence and Rome don't have anything regarding USA presidents, which are the 3 European cities I've been to. 

Which one was my fave?  The  Adams National Park.  It was by far the best tour we have ever taken and that includes the ones in Paris and San Francisco that we have done. And I'm not just saying that because i love all things Boston; it's actually in Quincy (not named after John Adams by the way which we never knew!!). it was a phenomenal tour.  You see the birthplaces of both John and John Quincy and then you drive across town to see Peacefield (a tour).  You are allowed to self guide on the grounds but the tour included going into the home, the library....see the chair where he died.. ...I can't speak highly enough about it.  If you're ever in Boston, get south to Quincy (right on the T line) and get yourself to Peacefield. 

3. February 20th is National Cherry Pie Day...will you celebrate? Given your choice of cherry pie, cherry cobbler, cheesecake with a cherry topping, or black forest cake which would you choose? 

Probably not  since I've given up desserts this winter except for Valentine's Day. But if I did indulge, it would be Cherry Pie as it's my fave kind of pie. I don't eat cake and I do like Cherry Cobbler but would choose pie over that. I can't have  cheesecake as I'm allergic to cream cheese. 

4. Last time you worked a puzzle of some kind? Something that had you puzzled recently? 

I do the following puzzles each morning with my coffee to wake up my brain:  Wordle, Connections, Letter-Boxed, Strands.  All are found via the NYTimes. 

Something that has me puzzled lately? how so many people can actually be for a narcissistic dictator-wanna-be and how we're letting this happen. And why are we allowing someone like the T*sla founder to even set foot in the White House in an unelected position. It truly puzzles me. And how the Christians who voted for the orange topped man can justify voting for him at the same time as supposedly embracing the two greatest  commands. I'm proud to say I'm a Christ follower who is also a moderate Democrat and I am not ok with the way this nation is going. Where's the kindness? where's the class? where's the compassion for others? where's the honor and respect? Nations are only as good as their leaders. And we're heading for major angst my friends. 

5. Of the early blooming flowers (January-early March depending on your zone) which one's your favorite? 

snowdrops, lenten roses, pansies, violets, snapdragons, reticulated iris, crocus, winter jasmine

Of the above list my faves are violets and crocuses. 

Do you have any of these in your own yard/garden? 

Yes. We have wild violets in the back yard that begin to appear in April and our crocuses that we have in the front yard typically start showing up around the third week of March depending on how Winter goes. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I'm longing for Spring....and the mountains.....

Happy Wednesday!