The Wednesday Hodgepodge #34

I hope you are all having a good week? It's Wednesday which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

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

November is my favourite month out of all of the months, I actually published a blog post yesterday about what I am looking forward to and have planned. I think the big things are my birthday, the new Wicked Movie, Stranger Things and all the Christmas excitement and build up.

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 saw that too and had the exact same reaction! 6 - 7. Huh? I had to Google it and still don't understand it. I feel old. I think they only picked it because it was everywhere online even though no one really knows what it means. I get that they want to reflect pop culture but it’s not even a word! I have started using it myself though, when my girls ask me something and I don’t have a clue how to answer I say 6 - 7, shrug and move on. Works every time! hehehe.

If I had to pick a word of the year, something that actually sums up 2025 I would go with something like "Aura" because everyone’s obsessed with it these days or "AI something" since it’s creeping into everything!

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

Escape rooms! Everyone acts like they’re these epic adventures full of suspense and clever tricks but being locked in a room with puzzles and a ticking clock just screams stress to me. I get that some people love the challenge but it's not for me. I prefer calmer activities.

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?

Oh! I am a tea drinker. Proper British style: PG Tips, Tetley or Yorkshire Tea which which is my favourite. Hot, strong and always in a mug that’s far too big for my hands. I like mine with a splash of milk and two sugars. I drink at least 3 a day. I need it in the morning to get me moving, another cup with lunch because life’s better with a sip of warmth and then another around 8pm paired with something sweet like a slice of cake or some biscuits. I've tried those fancy calming and energizing teas but no thank you! They taste like someone dunked a flower in hot water and hoped for the best.

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 girls! Just those little moments together! Laughing until our cheeks hurt, random chats about everything and nothing or watching them do something utterly ridiculous. It fills me up in a way nothing else does.

Time with my dad! He’s like a human pause button! Just being around him makes everything feel calmer and slower and I really need that sometimes.

Good food! It doesn’t matter if it’s fancy or just comfort food straight from the oven there’s nothing like a full belly to make me feel happy.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Going back to question 2 and my mention of AI. It seems to be everywhere now, creeping into our everyday lives. The apps on our phones, streaming music, in our cars, smart home gadgets and even the way we shop or scroll online. It’s amazing but also a bit unnerving when you stop and think about it. I’ve seen The Terminator movies enough times to know that while we’re not on the brink of a robot takeover just yet it’s a good idea to pay attention. The more we let AI make decisions for us like finishing our sentences, suggesting what we should do next the more we risk losing a little bit of control over our own lives. It’s exciting but also a reminder that we need to stay thoughtful about how much we let it in.