The Wednesday Hodgepodge #69

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. August 19th is National Aviation Day...do you like to fly? Last time you were on an airplane? The date is chosen in honor of the history and development of aviation, and celebrated on the birthday of Orville Wright. Have you ever been to the Kitty Hawk area of North Carolina? The city of Dayton in Ohio (their birthplace)

I know for some people it probably sounds quite strange that I’ve never flown anywhere or even stepped foot on a plane but the idea of being thousands of feet up in the air inside a giant metal tube terrifies me. So nope, I haven't visited those places! I totally get why so many people love travelling by plane, it gets you across the world in hours and opens up endless adventures but I’m more than happy right here at home, with my feet firmly planted on solid ground!

2. In what area of your life do you tend to 'wing it'? Is this an area you should be winging?

Parenting! There isn't really a handbook that prepares you for everything that comes with being a parent, especially when the kids get older. I sometimes feel like I've got it all worked out but then they throw something unexpected my way and I think what do I do now. lol As they have got older, parenting hasn't got any easier, the challenges and problems just change. When they're little, I would worry about them falling over or putting something in their mouth. Then they get older and was worrying about school and friendships and now I am worrying about work, money, relationships and all the other things life throws at them. Sometimes I think I've got the answer and other times I'm just figuring it out as I go along. I probably shouldn't have winged parenting as much as I have but it has all worked out OK. I think I have raised two fairly decent, hardworking humans!

3. A favorite book, song, or movie that relates to flight in some way?

I couldn't think of anything apart from the TV show Lost that all started off with Oceanic Flight 815 crashing on to a very strange island. The passengers had no idea where they were, what had happened or why the island seemed to have so many secrets. I was a big fan of Lost and I remember getting hooked on it. Every episode seemed to give you another question and just when you thought you might have worked something out, it would throw something else at you. There were flashbacks, mysteries, strange people, smoke monsters and plenty of moments where I had absolutely no idea what was going on! I still don't think I understood the ending but it was a good show!

4. Soft serve, gelato, sherbet, frozen yogurt, or good old fashioned ice cream...what's your pleasure? Your favorite flavor? How often do you indulge?

If I had to choose, I'd go for good old-fashioned ice cream. You can eat it so many different ways and I do. My favourite flavour would probably be chocolate, which is pretty basic but I am not fussy. I like all flavours of ice cream. I always have a tub of Neapolitan in the freezer for those days when we can't decide between vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The best treat is a 99 ice cream from the ice cream man. A wafer cone filled with vanilla soft-serve ice cream and a Cadbury Flake pushed down into the side. I probably have at least one serving of ice cream a week during the warmer months and would probably eat more if I could catch the ice cream man every evening.

5. I never get tired of___________.

I never get tired of watching the same TV shows over and over, even if I have watched them a hundred times. Shows like Friends, Grey's Anatomy, The Simpsons, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The Office and Gavin & Stacey. They never get old, I know them word for word and I know what to expect from them. They are perfect for when I want something on the TV where I don't have to concentrate.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I've had to come back and edit my random thought. Originally it said: If the weather forecast is right, we are expected to get some rain this week! Finally! It seems like such a long time since we had any where I am in North Lincolnshire. It couldn't come at a better time as we had a government warning on Friday that no one should be using disposable barbecues, fire pits or starting any fires, as everything is just so dry and there is the risk of wildfires. It's funny at the start of the year we were all complaining about the amount of rain we had. There were records being broken with the wettest January recorded in something like a 100 years and now it was the driest July for England since records began in 1836!

Update: We have had rain every evening this week and it has been fantastic for the garden! Even now when I am writing this, yesterday it looks like it could rain again. The good thing is that it has been mostly dry and warm all day and then the rain comes when it gets dark and we're all settled at home so it hasn't ruined any of our plans.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt sculpture trail in Scunthorpe!

When I first saw on social media that there was going to be a We're Going on a Bear Hunt sculpture trail in Scunthorpe, I knew I wanted to go and have a look. I don't have little children anymore but that didn't matter. I love anything that gets us out and about and it sounded like a fun way to spend a day with Ellie.

From 11th July until 1st September, ten giant decorated bear sculptures based on the much-loved We're Going on a Bear Hunt story have been placed around Scunthorpe town centre, with eight smaller bear cub sculptures dotted around local attractions too. Each bear has its own unique design, giving families something different to discover as they make their way around the trail.

Ellie and I decided to make a day of it, head into town, have a bit of brunch and then see how many bears we could find. We had no real plan apart from a starting point and a vague idea of where we were heading. I sensibly had a map on my phone with the location of the bears and off we went! We started off full of energy, convinced we'd find every single one in no time at all. It didn't quite work out like that.

We saw our first bear just as we got off the bus. We weren't the only ones hunting for bears. There was a queue to get a photo. The only difference between us and the other people was that they had a car and we heard them saying they were driving to the park to hunt for more. Ellie and I decided that was cheating. If you were hunting bears you should walk and walk, we did.

After the bear outside the theatre we made our way to North Lincolnshire Museum for the next bear. Well tried to. We got a little lost but found ourselves exploring streets we had never been down before. After the museum, we knew where we were going, the train station, leisure centre and then onto the university campus to find our first bear cub. That was a bit of a puzzle. We knew what we were looking for with the big bears but the bear cubs were much smaller and hidden away in the windows of buildings. By now we had walked around a mile and a half.

Next up was Central Park! It covers around 55 acres (22 hectares) making it the town's largest and most well-known park. It was lovely to have a break from the busy town centre. We strolled along past pretty flowerbeds, decorations and of course, the big water fountain until we realised we were heading in the wrong direction. oops! We needed to be in the bug area, which is a small wildlife-friendly space that's been created to encourage insects and other mini beasts to make themselves at home. I think this was the prettiest bear of all the ones that we saw! Every bear had its own personality and style. You could tell that so much thought had gone into each one, and it made the trail much more interesting than if they'd all looked the same.

We carried on through the park and found another and then we got a little stuck. We couldn't find the next one even after walking for a bit. We had a sit down for a think and to have a look at the map and spotted it in the distance. Hooray! Every time we found another bear we'd get a little burst of excitement. Then it was straight over for a closer look and, of course, a photo. I'm pretty sure anyone watching us would have known exactly what we were doing because every few minutes we'd suddenly change direction after spotting another bear in the distance.

The weather helped too. It wasn't too hot, which made all the walking much easier. If we'd picked one of those red hot summer days, I think we might have given up halfway through. After walking around the park, we had probably walked another 2 miles.

After a half-hour walk back into town, we found another bear cub, two more big bears and called it a day! We'd managed to find 9 out of the 10 big bears and 2 out of the 8 bear cubs, which I was quite pleased with. Of course, I would have liked to have found them all but we had run out of energy.

The walking did seem so much easier when we had something to look for. If someone had told me to simply walk around town for hours, I wouldn't have fancied it but a bear hunt and suddenly walking for miles doesn't seem like such a big deal.

Have you ever been on a sculpture trail?

Our weekly meal plan! 17th - 23rd August! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a good one and we had a lovely time celebrating Stu's birthday. We went out for a meal on Saturday and had a lazy day at home yesterday. That was what he wanted for his birthday, so that's exactly what he got! We have a little break from birthdays now and then it's Ellie's in less than two weeks. I don't know where this year is going.

Last week's meal plan went really well. We ate everything on the day I had planned until we got to the weekend and swapped things around a bit. It all worked out well though. I feel all off with what day it is, as Becky and Stu both took the weekend off work, so every day has felt like a Sunday. I am writing this yesterday afternoon and it looks like it might rain, it probably won't but it's chilly compared to what it has been and we can hope!

Today is going to be a busy, productive day. Ellie has a job interview, I have paperwork to sort out, I have no idea what Becky is doing but I don't think she is home and Stu is going to do some more work on decorating the bathroom. Today also marks 17 years since my eldest had open-heart surgery to fix a hole in her heart and tomorrow is 17 years for my youngest! Those days were some of the hardest days of my life. I never thought we were going to get through the day, the week or even the month at the time. There were so many worries and so many things going through my head but here we are 17 years later and they are both fit and healthy.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Cottage pie and baked beans!

We eat cottage pie in this house, not Shepherd's pie because my family have decided that they don't want to eat lamb again. It makes no difference to me because beef mince is cheaper than lamb anyway. Cottage pie is one of those meals that everyone seems to enjoy and it's also a great one for a Monday because it's filling and doesn't take too much effort to make.

Tuesday - BBQ pulled pork in buns with potato salad.

We only had this last month but it has been requested again. I use the simplest recipe and it will be cooked slowly throughout the day in the slow cooker. We will have it in buns and a side of potato salad.

Wednesday - Sausage casserole and mashed potato!

This is a proper family favourite, especially with the girls. I keep it simple and use a packet mix, then add sausages, onions and mushrooms and let it all cook away in the oven until everything has thickened up. I’ll be making extra of this one because it freezes really well and it's great to have something as a backup in the freezer.

Thursday - Vegetable pasta bake!

This is my attempt at getting a meat-free meal onto the table without anyone complaining too much. My family hate the idea of vegetarian meals but I like to try and sneak one in now and again. They love pasta, so they probably won't even notice it has no meat. Lol.

Friday - Pizza!

Homemade or just frozen ones out of the freezer, I am not too sure yet.

Saturday - Burgers in buns!

We'll have burgers in buns with fries and onion rings. I'll put out the usual toppings and everyone can make their own. It's one of those easy meals where everyone can have exactly what they want.

Sunday - Undecided!

Sunday is still undecided! I have no idea what we are having yet. I might see what's left in the fridge and freezer and make something around that or we might have a roast if I fancy doing one. I will decide later on in the week.

What are you eating this week?

A photo every day for a year! 9th - 15th August Week 33 of #Project365

Happy Sunday!! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend. I am writing this on Friday evening which is early for me to write this blog post but we were out all day yesterday and I didn't want to rush through it last night. We have had a proper family weekend. We all went to my dad's on Friday. Stu had a day off work so he could have a long weekend for his birthday, so he came along too and my dad does love it when he visits. Stu is into all his cars, things he builds and mechanical stuff that I don't have much interest in, so my dad turns into a real show off. Hehehe. It is actually quite funny watching them together because I have no idea what they are talking about half the time but they are both happy chatting away.

Yesterday (hopefully) we celebrated Stu's birthday a day early by going to our favourite all you can eat place in Hull and on the way home we stopped off at our favourite pub for a few drinks. It was a really nice way to celebrate without making it a big thing. Today is his actual birthday and we have no plans at all. He didn't want a fuss, all he asked for was a lie in and not have to make any cups of tea for us all. That can be done. Hehehe.

Now for a photo every day!

221/365 9th August

Stu started work on decorating the bathroom and got most of the vinyl boards up around the shower. They are waterproof and then he got on with making them watertight with filler and sealant stuff. I left him to it as he didn't want my help. I did try but was just getting in the way and saying things like that's not straight. Oops.

222/365 10th August

More work in the bathroom. Stu has got some wood-like wallpaper but it's thick vinyl off Temu. He started putting it up and it already looks fantastic. The top is the new stuff and the bottom is the old, painted wood. I really like how it looks and it has made such a difference to the bathroom already.

223/365 11th August

I snapped a photo of a Gousto recipe for the Sloppy Joe's we were having for tea. I needed to know how much water to add to the tomato paste and didn't see the point of walking into the kitchen and forgetting and then having to come back again. Lol. Sometimes taking a photo of something is just the easiest option!

224/365 12th August

I was standing just inside the doorway pointing my phone to the sun when the solar eclipse was happening. I was so surprised to see the crescent shape, I thought it was an extra moon or planet. Lol. Google quickly brought me back down to earth. It was an optical lens flare caused by the bright light of the sun reflecting inside the camera's lens elements! Hmmf!

225/365 13th August

Every time I cook for more than just my family, I burn myself. This was off the hot oil when I gave the chips in the pan a shake. I of course ran it under the hot tap but it still blistered. It makes a change burning myself on the oil, usually it's when I am getting food out of the air fryer. It's fine now and nothing to worry about.

226/365 14th August

Did anyone else panic and get really confused when we got a Severe Alert warning on our phones? Even Ellie's phone, which is always silenced made the alarm noise. Eek! I seriously thought the world was ending, we were being attacked or something like that. It was basically telling us not to start fires, have barbecues, use firepits and things like that because of the wildfires. It has been all over the news for days, so I don't think the Severe Alert was needed.

227/365 15th August

We were out all day yesterday and I did no blogging, so I will add Saturday's photo on to next week's post, if I remember!

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