Happy Wednesday! I am joining Joyce for a quick hodgepodge of questions. These five questions are going to be fun, so let’s get to it!

1. What’s a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)? As a true summer loving girl, some of my favorite winter memories are from trips to warm places. One year, my parents took my sister and I to the Dominican Republic right after Christmas and it was so nice to have family time in a warm place! I also remember the blizzard we had growing up and the three blizzards the year Jack was born. We’ve made a lot of great sledding memories in the corn field behind our house in the past 11 winters.

2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you’ve come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy? Oh, it drives me absolutely bonkers! I know that I should expect it in certain situations, but I find it completely maddening. Just yesterday I shared that inefficiency is something I have a hard time with and red tape is one of them. It’s not officially red tape, but when we bought a faulty dishwasher and it took MONTHS with a ridiculous amount of time spent on the phone to get a refund I was less than thrilled. We ended up with a KitchenAid and I love it so much! I am actually going through the same thing with our countertop ice maker and I am so frustrated. This is the third one and they just keep telling me to discard it and they’ll send me a new one. At this point, I am demanding a refund and ready to go with a different company. Sigh….

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What’s your favorite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing? I do like fish. I actually like it a lot. I cook it occasionally at home. I am trying to introduce more fish dishes that I think the guys will like. I prefer to grill it but sometimes it is just too cold out there. I love tuna steak, shark, some salmon (haha Mom and Annie – I looooove salmon!) and shellfish. I usually enjoy citrus flavors with fish. I’ve never been ice fishing, but if I had an opportunity I would try it.

4. Did you watch any of the US President’s Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics?  I did watch a good bit of it. I am about a 5. I try to stay informed with politics, especially our local school board. I research the candidates and vote whenever I have the chance. I always hope that everyone feels valued and recognized and that we are always working towards peace for all people. I am proud to be an American and truly believe in the goodness of our country.

5. What’s the coziest thing you own and what makes it so? My pajama cardigan. In fact, I am wearing it right now. It is the top from a Talbots fleece pajama set my mom gave me for Valentine’s Day in 2003. The elastic in the pants has long since dry rotted, but the top is going strong. I wear it over my pajamas when I wake up in the morning and when I get my pjs on in the evening. I love this thing!!

6. Insert your own random thought here. I am breaking out my Valentine’s Day clothes this week. I used to wait until February to wear them at school, but then I only had about 10 days to wear them. I have quite a few sweaters and shirts that I love for Valentine’s Day and I am starting today!

My mom gave me the cutest Valentine’s Day tote bag last week. When I was looking for the link to share with you, I saw another cute sweater but reminded myself that five fabulous Valentine’s Day tops are probably enough. How cute is this tote (purse) and pouch?

That was fun! I can’t wait to see what everyone else answered! Have a great day full of sunshine and books!