Hi everyone. It’s been forever since I last participated in the Wednesday Hodgepodge. This is my third attempt at writing this post. If I believed in fate, it should’ve been a sign that I shouldn’t be taking part anymore, I guess. Either that or WordPress just doesn’t like me, since neither the block editor nor the classic editor work nicely right now. Anyway, here are Joyce’s questions.
1. How do you define beauty?
Like Joyce, I think beauty comes mostly from within. I’m going to tease her a little by giving an example tied in with the reason I originally left the Hodgepodge: back in I believe 2023, a trans woman won the Miss Netehrlands contest. She wasn’t the most physically attractive contestant. However, even a Miss contest isn’t about physical looks alone and her confidence for sure shone through. I won’t go into a rant on the entire Miss thing as inherently wrong and, as regular readers of this blog know, I feel strongly about the fact that trans women are women. If you disagree, please don’t start an argument here unless you’re genuinely willing to be educated. My point by choosing this example is, showing up in the world as you are, especially in spite of persecution, is, in my opinion, a surefire sign of beauty.
2. Have you ever taken a trip by train? If so where did you go and what did you think of the experience? If not do you have any desire to do so? Where would you like to go?
I have traveled by train many times. I don’t know what defines a “train trip” vs. just traveling on a train, but the most adventurous train ride I took was a day-long trip from a town near the Germany/Netherlands border to Berlin, just using regional railroads. I used to love train travel back when I still (thought I) was more independent than I am now, but haven’t been on a train in many years.
3. Shell shocked, bombshell, bandshell, shellacking, in a nutshell, walking on eggshells…choose one and tell us why you chose it, or how it relates to your life in some way currently.
I’m choosing “walking on eggshells”, although I could also choose “bombshell”. Both relate to the fact that I’m going to move to another care facility at some point. I didn’t share this with the Hodgepodge community, although some of the participants follow my blog outside of it too so may know. Being told I’ll be moving again was quite the bombshell. I’m walking on eggshells sometimes now fearing I’ll be transferred to a crisis unit if the home-finding process doesn’t go quickly enough.
4. Tacos, pistachios, oysters, clams, eggs…your favorite food on the list that comes in/with a shell?
Tacos I think, although they’re hard for me to eat. I also love eggs. Need to open my bag of pistachios that I bought at Ekoplaza several weeks ago, intending to use them on my vegan and gluten-free cake experiment. I never ate oysters and have no idea what clems are.
5. Are birthdays a big deal in your house? Is your own birthday a big deal in some way? Elaborate.
I have a love/hate relationship with my birthday. Since going no contact with my parents days before my birthday this year, I believe the hate part is stronger. Most of my fellow residents do like their birthdays. This is one reason I usually do try to do a special activity for mine, like cooking a meal for the entire home (20 residents plus staff).
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I already started this post with a random thought I think. Now that I’ve finished the post (in the classic editor) I’m not sure whether to even publish it. At least I did finally write something again and that’s a win.
I’m sorry about your upcoming move and not giving you the decency to alert you sooner, is frustrating. I do hope your move goes smoothly.
Oh, to clarify, I was alerted several months ago already. The bombshell aspect referred to the fact that I wasn’t expecting it. Thanks for commenting.
Hi Astrid:
A clam is a smaller version of an oyster, I suppose.
I know them best as scallops. [and I am thinking they are very fleshy and compact – taking up roughly a quarter of your tongue]
Clams and scallops can also be found on the sea/the beach.
[A clem might be a particular form of orange fruit! or at least the abbreviation for said fruit].
[Clems are also a boiled sweet with minty stripes].
Yes, a lot of people have their beauty in the world shaped and defined by persecution – and this persecution does affect their inner beauty.
[For example Bethlehem an asylum seeker who decided to launch a great podcast when I was home this week]
That message of showing up as who you are and having a voice is so important.
Ah, yes, train travel!
I think I remember that Germany – Netherlands train trip when you had discussed it some years ago.
Wednesday morning some of the lines weren’t working so people used bus replacements. This affects people in the outer suburbs and the country and so they drop into whistle-stop cafes.
My favourite thing in a shell which wasn’t on the list are peas and [broad] beans. I have also enjoyed chestnuts.
Thanks so much for commenting. I need to try chestnuts sometime again. My parents when I still visited them many years ago occasionally roasted chestnuts and I didn’t like them at the time, but this could as well have been their way of preparing them. Yes, I did write on my blog about that trip to Berlin.
It might well be their way of preparing them.
They are not so easy to boil now, these chestnuts.
I like my chestnuts fresh and yellow – with sufficient “tooth and claw” (nails) to work them.
Knife-chopping: not so reliable!
Hope you get to try more seasonal chestnuts.
Another chestnut – the water-chestnut which is especially wonderful in Chinese cookery [possibly some other Asian cuisines which are not coming up right now!]
A lot of food – and other – tastes – are very temporary and provisional.
The main reason me and chestnuts didn’t agree was their acidity.
When they do “agree” they are sweet and they have grooves which are very much like brains [thinking about the emotional parts of the brain].
Will look up the Berlin trip.
There is a “ship trip” which is all about the Middle Ages trading routes – Amsterdam is mentioned as a city on one of them.
Great answers, I expect you know how I feel about trans people being the grandmother of a trans woman, to me a train trip is going somewhere on a train
Thank you for stopping by. Well honestly, it isn’t a given that you’d be accepting of your granddaughter, so I’m glad you are. I mean, in an ideal world family would always support each other, but my experience tells me otherwise.
Those are interesting questions. Great way to structure your post this week. Thanks for sharing, Astrid.
Thanks for stopping by. I didn’t intend this to be my coffee share, but got distracted before I could write that one yesterday.
I’m so glad you gave a third try and published you words! What an interesting exercise!
I completely agree with you #1 and am so glad you shared your thoughts!
I haven’t traveled by train since I was a kiddo but did take a train ride a few years ago and simply adore the feeling of being on board! It’s an incredibly soothing sensation for me to ride a train. I hope to take another ride soon!
I hope your upcoming move goes as smoothly as possible and you find yourself in as wonderful a place as possible!
Wishing you a fantastic weekend, Astrid!
Hi Melissa, thanks for commenting. Of course I already suspected you agree with me on #1, but as you might’ve guessed from my post, most participants in this linky are conservative Christians. That’s actually what I meant when commenting on your post about being bold yet open-minded: I originally left this linky because the host made a transphobic comment (about the Miss Netherlands winner), albeit on her own blog. What I mean is, it’s a balancing act between compromising on your own views and canceling out everyone who disagrees. I already notice this post gets far less engagement than my posts on this linky did when I was not open about being queer yet. It’s all quite complicated trying to belong in the blogosphere. And might I say in the world at large.
I’m glad you published : ) Your blog is your blog and you should feel free to say the things on your heart. While I think the participants in the HP every week vary in so many ways including-nationality, religion, political bent, age, etc people tend to be kind and I like that. Often I find myself thinking another way after someone answers a question with an outlook different than my own. I’m sorry you’re moving (I assume you don’t want the move), and I do hope it’s to a place that is warm and welcoming for you. I’m sorry about your situation with your parents too as I’m sure that’s painful. Have a nice week!
Thanks a lot for your kind comment. Please realize that it wasn’t that you made me feel unwelcome in the Hodgepodge back then, but that it was me struggling with my own views being so radically different from yours that I wasn’t sure even continuing to participate might be seen as me condoning your views.
Re the move, it’s quite complicated, in that it’s clear to everybody including me that I’m nothing like my fellow residents and as such the staff aren’t equipped to provide the support I need. However, the problem is my particular combination of needs is so specific that I doubt there’s any place in the entire country that will actually meet them.
Yes, the situation with my parents is quite sad, especially with it happening right before my birthday. I don’t even remember how much of it I shared on my blog.