Wednesday HodgePodge!

More on Vienna later,

promise.

But I don't want to give it all away so quick!

Otherwise, what will I have to blog about?

Oh, Rome...

that's right ;)

Rome. Tomorrow.

YAYYYYYY!

But for now....

Wednesday HodgePodge with Joyce!

I love Wednesdays!

1. Have you ever been on a real sleigh/carriage ride?

I think I've done a few touristy carriage rides,

and maybe a few Christmastime sleigh rides

at Christmas tree farms, but none really stand out in my memory.

We have a sleigh in the garage,

that's older, and beautiful,

I love sleighs.

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2. Chain Mail?

I don't like chain e-mail at all,

but my mom is the queen of sending it,

(I still love you mom!)

I'll read it, most of the time,

but, really?

Most of it just propagates a lot of false ideas,

but some of it's cute too, right?

Who doesn't love silly kittens on a Monday morning?

3. Favorite Christmas Movie Character?

This is a tough one!

I love Christmas movies,

as you can tell by this post.

But, I'll have to divide it 3 days:

Tim Allen as Santa Claus in the Santa Clause

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Rudolph from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

and Hermey from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

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4. A Favorite Quote?

I love quotes, so a favorite is tough for me.

Right now, I'm loving this:

God gave us memories so we might have roses in December

[J.M. Barrie]

5. Favorite Holiday Scent?

Christmas trees.

Nothing makes the house smell better.

This is why fake trees confuse me.

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6. Does the Christmas Season Stress You out? How?

A little, shopping.

But I still really, really love the feeling of Christmas.

Being home, being with family and friends.

It all outweighs the stress in the end.

7. Best Thing About Life Right Now?

Going home on 14 December.

I love Christmas season over here,

but I am so ready to be surrounded by family and friends.

8. Random Thought:

But not without the trip to Rome

(tomorrow, in case you forgot)

This will be me, starting tomorrow:

With emphasis on the "Eat" part, of course.

Go link up with Joyce!

Also, Elizabeth Edwards passed away yesterday,

what a heartbreaking story, but what an amazing woman.

Living in NC during a lot of her "public" career,

I learned a lot about her:

her son, 16, dying in a car crash,

her husband's affair (and all that followed

and was playing out around my town),

her battle with breast cancer,

everything.

What a strong, strong woman.

I will leave you with a few of her quotes,

that I think we can all take something from:

"I do not know what the most important lesson is that I will ever teach my children…I do know that when they are older and telling their own children about their grandmother, they will be able to say that she stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way—and it surely has not—she adjusted her sails."

[Elizabeth Edwards]

"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces - my family, my friends and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that, I am grateful."

[Elizabeth Edwards, from her Facebook days after the doctors told her nothing else could be done to treat her cancer]