A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

My world

BWF: Home

“Home” has really taken on a new definition since this past March. 

For many people, their home became not just home – but their office. And maybe even more. It almost became a bunker. A place where you could feel safe. 

Your fortress, to a point. 

A home is many, many things … but I am not sure any of us could have predicted how things would have been shaped in 2020, right?

I’ve recently, in the past two years or so, have gotten myself better financially and have realized my current job is one I’ll likely be keeping for my career as it’s something I enjoy, has decent pay, and great benefits. 

So I thought it would be good to start thinking about maybe buying a house. Or some land and get a home done so it’s mine from the beginning. 

Finding what I truly want hasn’t been easy. There are times I look closer than others. I probably should contact an agent (I know a few) and have them start helping me. 

What I seek is pretty defined. I want 8-10 acres, especially some wooded, so I can have some nature trails over time. A decent lawn so I can maybe have some apple trees and a garden of some sort. 

If I am not having a house built (I would look at manufactured), I don’t want to have to do a ton of work (I’m not one who would do it myself), or if it requires a bunch of work – the price needs to be right. 

When COVID first came about and then drained into the second and third months … I started thinking maybe I’d be able to find something at a decent price. Would it be a buyer’s market?

Turns out it’s not. 

It’s a seller’s market. People from downstate are buying upstate homes, often sight unseen and paying higher than market value. 

And well, that doesn’t help people like me. 

So I keep working to find a house that I can turn into my long-term home. I know eventually, it will happen and I’ll be able to put my own stamp on it. 

That home, though, might have to come after COVID!

Blog With Friends: November 2020
Blog with Friends is a themed collaboration challenge where a group of bloggers get together and publish a project based on a theme. Please see the others who have taken part for this month’s theme carrots. Links to their posts can be found below the image!

Check out what the others did with home!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen here, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! Join us as well for the Food Photo Challenge!. We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Secret Subject Swap: What does Thanksgiving mean to me?

This post is for the Secret Subject Swap, a monthly blog challenge. Information about the swap can be viewed at the end of this post, as well as links to all others taking part. Have a peek at some of the other bloggers and see what they had to come up with. If you are a blogger, consider joining up for future months!

My theme is “What does Thanksgiving mean to you?” and it was submitted by Baking in a Tornado.

It’s interesting to take a look at some holidays. Thanksgiving, for the most part, has been one of my least-favorite holidays. 

Not sure why, but it’s never “wowed” me. Maybe it’s because I’m not the biggest fan of turkey. So my thoughts about Thanksgiving have kind of grown over time. Let me break it down. 

When I was younger, it was just time off from school. The family gathered on Thanksgiving and we ate. It was always earlier because it’s a holiday. 

When I got older, it took on a different meaning. 

As in – drinking. 

I’m not sure if it’s this way around you, but Thanksgiving Eve near me is one of the biggest bar nights of the year. We used to start early and end late, usually in a drunken stupor. 

But goodness was it a blast. 

People came back to town. The bars were packed. You saw people in different groups. It was just one of those nights to look forward to. 

Alas, as I grew older, that wasn’t as fun. I last did it a few years ago. But … things have changed. How? It was me and two friends who decided to pop out. We went early, had a couple of beers, and called it a night. We weren’t out late. 

That was maybe 4-5 years ago. And I don’t think I’ve been to many bars since then, period. After some softball games before I stopped playing a couple of years ago, but overall? I don’t do it often. 

And now, we bring it to the current years. It’s back to the family thing, which I enjoy much more. It’s way more low-key. It’s enjoyable just to be around family. 

So what does it mean to me? It means some peace and relaxing. It’s fun to be able to just hang out, have some good food and chill. It’s also nice to get three days off from work. When I was in newspapers, that was the one holiday I often volunteered to work because my family always ate early, and I could get in to do a shift, 

Now, though? 

Hanging with family. Having a good meal. And a cold turkey sandwich at night. Football is not part of my tradition. So it’s just a way to chill and enjoy being able to be around loved ones. 

How about all of you?

Five others have taken part in this challenge, so go check out the other posts and have some fun reading their secret subjects!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen at A ‘lil HooHaa, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! We also have the Food Photo Challenge (current theme listed at end of post). We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Photo Blogging Challenge (October 2020): The great outdoors

Note: Please make sure you see the end of this post for the new way of doing things. It’s only one small change, but a change nonetheless. Thanks!

If there’s one thing this whole pandemic has taught me, it’s that getting outside is a must. Staying socially distant or wearing a mask is fine, but if all you do is stay inside, you’ll go mad.

Therefore, it seemed like a perfect time to make sure this challenge for the month was outdoors. Maybe you were somewhere with great fall colors. Maybe you did other things outside. Maybe, just maybe, this challenge forced you to take a walk and explore a little

Remember, we can be safe and sill be outside trying to make sure our mental health is being stimulated and hopefully in a positive way.

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My area got a bit lucky this year, it seems. For as bad as 2020 has been, the fall season was quite majestic for the first time in a few years. The colors on the trees popped and stayed vibrant for a while. Our peak season was more than a week, which is something I always hope for. The colors though… reds and oranges and yellows … so nice. I made sure to hit several nature trails, just to be able to see the foliage in all its glory.

I also got back into Polaroids and instant cameras this month, but that’s not something you’ll see here. Maybe in the future though …

This month’s theme was pretty easy for me. The hardest part? Selecting just five pictures for this post. Not an easy task! I’ll have to make sure to start posting to my Instagram even more.

Stay safe and healthy! My five are below! (And despite having the photos done in time .. and writing this up ahead… I still apparently forgot to post …)

1. Exploring

The Fall around here has been pretty wonderful, and it’s allowed me to get out an explore. I’ve hit several nature trails around here, for photos as well as some geocaching. It’s been nice to see some color, as well as be in solitude a little.

2. Fresh air

OK, not much needs to be said here. The fall cover. Some water. So peaceful.

3. Apple picking

Was nice to go to a local orchard and pick some apples for an hour or so. Makes for good photo opportunities, too!

4. Anybody seen those shoes…?

So I’m out for a walk … and I see these. Just on the main drag. Mixed in with the leaves. Almost like.. .somebody just forgot them. They look pretty solid, too. Hope whoever misplaced them, found them.

5. Winter’s coming

With daylight savings and darker days … winter is usually coming. We got a really good frost this weekend and it’s trying to rear its head. Though… end of this week and next week is supposed to heat back up into the 60s!

And there are my five for the month!

If you took part in this month’s challenge, make sure to link up below.

And for those of you who participated, make sure you try and get to other people’s blogs and comment (here, too!).

Let’s continue to grow this challenge and have a strong community. Come back and check out the others who link later on, too! NOTE: We have a Facebook group for those who participate in the challenge and are interested. I’ll post any announcements there and hopefully it can be a place where things are discussed and some interaction etc. You can access it here.

** CHALLENGE CHANGE **

From this point forward, I am going to do the next theme at the bottom of each linkup. Also, the posting date will now be the first of each month, thus giving you the entire month to take the photos etc.

That means it’s a one-stop shop! Hopefully this helps out with everybody.

So, below is the linkup for November. Make sure you drop your link there. The theme for November is Thankful. Remember to come back on December 1 to link up and check out the theme for that month!

Photo Blogging Challenge: October 2020 results

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Food Photo Challenge (October 2020): Candy

Candy.

Goodness is that something that really takes us all by storm? Doesn’t matter what kind … odds are you like some sort of candy.

It’s not good for me — diabetes and all. BUT.. I can have some if I am smart about. Sometimes I am. Other times… not so much. This pandemic hasn’t been the best for it, either.

Food Photo Challenge logo

Before we go on, though, if you are new to the Food Photo Challenge, check out this post, which explains everything. Also, the linkup for this month’s theme will stay live for about a week, so join in even if it’s later!

Simply put, though, each month there will be a theme (announced at the end of this post) and on the 28th of each month, come back and link up.

So we keep moving forward with these food photos and it will be fun to see what kind of things happen with this theme.

Let’s check out this month. And yes I know I’m late!

Theme: Candy

It’s October. And that means Halloween. And that also means candy.

Lots of it.

I go in stages with candy. I like certain ones more than others, as I am sure most of us are. Straight chocolate — not so much. But add to it? Ot some othr sugar-loaded treat?

Yeah.

The key, I think for everybody, is portions. Sitting down and eating five candy bars is not smart!

My favorite is something with peanut butter in it. Or white chocolate. I do love that. How about you? Favorite? What do you avoid?

Here’s my submission for the month! Yum!

That’s my submission for the month and I am looking forward to seeing who else is taking part in this challenge and what they have to offer!

If you took part in the challenge, please make sure to link up below. Also, make sure you visit everybody else’s posts (and do come back to see who may have linked up after you!)! 

Let’s, too, try and grow this challenge. Tell others and invite them. And, as always, one can check out the Facebook group for this challenge and others as well. You can access the group here. 

The linkup is below, but how about November?

The theme for November is: Plate it. Come back on October 28 to link up!

Food Photo Challenge: October 2020

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Can of Corn 9: Fall Classic

It seems fitting to end the Can of Corn with this theme. 

The Fall Classic, of course, is a name that is used with the World Series. It’s the end of a long baseball season. It’s when one team and its fans can celebrate with a championship. 

Can of Corn Challenge logo

But, as is true with the ever-famous Casey at the Bat, Mighty Casey has struck out. 

Years ago, I had searched for a baseball writing challenge. I wanted to blog a bit more about baseball, and read as well. I found a blogging challenge that a few were doing and jumped in for a couple. But it never started back up, so I tried myself. And try as I might, it never caught on. 

It gets to this point in the challenge where I, too, start to lose interest. I’m taking the themes and writing solo. One thing I do know … there are so many challenges out there. I’ve noticed it with my own blog – many things I am writing about are parts of challenges. And I still need to break that cycle. I’m trying … and I’m slowly, at times, getting there. 

Blogging has changed over the years. At times, I have a ton of interest. Other times, not so much, 

It’s kind of like baseball. 

I love baseball. But I tend to like minor leagues a bit more. There’s a bit of purity about it. For now. There’s going to be some sweeping changes coming and I don’t think they are all good. It’s the same with MLB. So many changes over the past few years. And most of them, in my eyes, are not good. I get needing to tweak and such to make the game a little more enjoyable for casual fans. 

But at what cost?

Those of us who love the game as it is have a hard time adjusting to some of these new rules. Not all of them are good for the game. 

This year was an exception. There were rule changes and a 60-game season. And now, we’re into the actual Fall Classic. I have to admit, I haven’t watched a lot of the postseason. I’m quite peeved with how my favorite team played this year, the lack of doing much to fix things, and then basically being willing to allow the best catcher in the game to walk… after getting “two” years out of him when you traded away a possible future top-line pitcher. 

So, low interest in watching other teams. 

But the Fall Classic is here. Limited fans are being allowed in as it’s all being played in Texas. Soon enough, a World Series champion will be crowned. Some will say it comes with an asterisk. Others won’t. 

And so will be the final Fall Classic of the Can of Corn Challenge. Though I have loved some of the themes and topics; and reading others when there were some, this challenge has reached its limit. And I don’t see me bringing it back … I can just write about baseball when I feel like it. 

Here’s hoping baseball – and life – is back to somewhat normal next spring.

If you happened to take part in this challenge this month, link up below! 

Can of Corn Challenge 9: Fall Classic

The Can of Corn Challenge is a monthly blogging challenge that runs from February-October. You can see all information, as well as themes for 2020 by visiting this blog post. Feel free to join us for any and all themes! The linkup will remain live each month for about seven days.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!