A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

challenges

BWF: Youthful comfort

Comfort foods.

What does it mean for you? What is that item you can turn to on a cold winter day? Or a rainy spring day? Or in a time when we’re all shuttered up, at least to an extent?

What’s that one item?

In situations like this, or times like this … it’s easy for me. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And why? Because it can bring me back to childhood. A time when things seemed easier and more innocent. The cares in the world weren’t as bad. You didn’t worry about much and this was often the lunch of choice.

That’s the way to be.

Since this whole thing started a few months ago, I’ve had several PB&Js. And I’ve enjoyed each one.

Believe me — there’s a lot I could eat on a day where it’s eat what you want Pizza. Bacon. Steak. Potatoes. Maybe breakfast.

So much.

But I feel if this is something in a time we’re at … this is the way to go. Good preserves. Usually creamy peanut butter. On white bread.

Need some help? Allow me to give you my recipe!

  • Two slices of white bread
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Strawberry or blueberry preserves
  • A butter knife

Put the two pieces of bread out. Take the knife and load it up with peanut butter. Put that on one slide of bread. Clean off knife on other side of bread. Put the preserves on the other slice of bread. When done, lick the knife clean. Seriously … you don’t do that? Put the two pieces of bread together and take a big bite.

Serve with a cold glass of milk to really make it perfect.

How about any of you? Meal of the day if you can have anything for one day? Any reason?

Blog With Friends: May 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 carrots!

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! Starting up is the Food Photo Challenge and the Can of Corn 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: Matrix moments

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 “Have you ever had a glitch in the matrix moment? If so what was it?” and it was submitted by Climaxed.

I had to Google to see what this even means. But from my searching it seems it means “deja vu.”

So my short answer is, yes, I have experienced these moments. Several times. Thing is, once they happen, they leave my mind. I can’t think of an actual moment where it happened.

I know I’ve experienced it and I know it’s always a wild feeling. But outside of that, I have no memory of the actual moment. But that got me thinking about the word “matrix.”

Have you ever seen Ferris Bueller? The scene with the one teacher that has the slow words, and then speeds up a little?

“Anywaaaaaaaay…”

Yeah, when I was first in college at a two-year school, I had a sociology teacher that talked like that. It would put you to sleep. And most of the class wasn’t about sociology.

It was about the learning process. And I’m not kidding.

He had this thing he called a learning matrix. For the life of me, I can’t remember the whole thing behind it (we’re talking 25 or so years ago), but it was all … how to learn.

Every.

Class.

He would start by drawing something on the board and would go over the matrix for 3/4 of class. Then he’d do a quick lesson, assign homework and call it a day.

Rinse. Repeat.

And it was tough to stomach. Think about a whole college semester. A M/W/F class. About the learning matrix. I mean, I guess to a point it got drilled into me because I still remember it all these years later.

Though I don’t remember the actual matrix.

Maybe I’m experiencing a matrix moment every time I think about it? Knowing I’ve seen it before.

When all said and done, I think it was his way of trying to help us find a way to learn. I had another class with him that wasn’t a 101 and he barely even touched on it.

No matter what though, I always think of that when I hear “matrix” and it always brings me back.

Six 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) and the Can of Corn 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!

Photo Blogging Challenge: May 2020’s theme is …

Another month and … still restrictions!

Some places are in a harsher situation than others. It’s not so bad in my area of New York. Sure, we have to wear a mask when in stores an all. But I go to work (in the actual office) a few times a week and work from home the others. I still go walking. I can go for a drive. And people, for the most part, are going along with things. I am pretty sure we’ll start easing on things soon enough.

PBC logo

Still, the world is trying to see where we will go. Some leaders are making better decisions than others. But as a people, hopefully we can get over this. No matter where you are in your thoughts, I implore you all to think about others — not just yourself. I wear a mask in stores and such not for me, but for others. I respect other people’s space. I walk around others to give space. You’ll find things are better if you just give that space.

But even with everything going on, we continue with the Photo Blogging Challenge! I hope you’ll join us this month, and maybe even try and convince another blogger or two to join us! I’ll be making the rounds for this past month soon … make sure you go back to the linkup to see if there was any you missed!

The new theme is below!

So with that in mind, let’s look at the monthly “group” challenges:

Challenge 1: Tell others about this photo blogging challenge and get some friends to come join us.  Let’s see if we can get people interested in the challenge again.

Challenge 2: Make friends with your camera and see what you can come up with. Have fun!

Challenge 3 is at the end of this post (the theme!).

Before this, here’s some housekeeping items. For those who might be new to the challenge, here’s how it works.

  • See the theme (first day of the month);
  • Take photos throughout the month (don’t use old ones!);
  • Select five photos and create a blog post;
  • Come back here and link up on the final day of the month;
  • Use the official hashtag — #Photoblogchal — on social media posts;
  • Hopefully go visit and comment on other blogs.

That’s it. There’s no rules on equipment or anything else. Blog posts can be short and to the point, or in-depth. Interpret the themes as you see fit.

The one big rule?

Have fun!

This month’s theme? Keeping busy. This should and could be good. Maybe you’ve started a new hobby? Or worked on an old one? Maybe you’ve found other ways of keeping busy through all of this. Show us! Please make sure your blog post publishes Sunday, May 31. Then come back here and link up.

If you think you are going to take part in this, drop a comment below so we can see who all might be trying to tackle this challenge!

There is also a Facebook group for those who are interested.

If you would like to visit the history of the challenge, which started in 2013, please go to the Photo Blogging Challenge page for more!

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 (April 2020): Your World

My hope had been by the time we posted April’s results, our world would be changed. And maybe it has, but not to the level I and I am sure many would have hoped. We still have safety orders in place and we don’t know what is going to happen.

It does seem, though, that things have flattened a little. Some places are pulling back slowly. This summer will definitely not be normal, but hopefully we’ll be able to do so some things. But our worlds have definitely changed.

This month’s theme will be quite interesting, I think. It’ll give us all a chance to see what everybody’s world is currently like. Nobody is the same, that’s for sure.

For me, things have changed, that is for sure. But I think for me, mostly it’s the little things we don’t think about and take advantage of — like a haircut. I’m still employed (though working more hours it seems, even with some at home). I go out for walks a couple of times a day (fewer people sometimes; about the same others in regard to how many I see). There are some businesses open and some closed. I go to the store or post office and I have or wear a mask.

Mostly, I try and stay sane and as healthy as possible. I’m in the office a couple of times a week, but we remain socially distant and there are far fewer people in the buildings when I’ve been there.

Maybe in a month, things will get better. We can all hope. It’s a crazy time in our world, but I am ready to start pushing forward to healing our country, and healing our world.

OK, with all of that in mind, let’s get to some photos and look at what your worlds are all about right now. Here are my five!

1. Artist … ?

I’ve been to Paint Nite (paint and sip things) before and they were fun. With this global pandemic going on, Yaymaker (those behind Paint Nite) have made things virtual. I saw this one listed one night and got into it. I had a lot of fun. I haven’t done another yet (I have painted again on my own), but I’d like to. The virtual version was fun as you don’t have to travel somewhere and make sure you can get there in time etc., it’s all online. (You, obviously, have to have your own supplies)!

2. Photos

My walking has stayed pretty consistent during this time, but I’ve started taking more photos while out. That will be somewhat of a theme with the rest of this post. I also have discovered some processing techniques (this is a preset with Lightroom) and I’ve enjoyed learning new things.

3. Sidewalk art

This time of year, I usually start seeing more and more sidewalk art. Kids are out, usually, and enjoying better weather. I’ve seen a lot more messages like this while I am out and about.

4. Nature

One thing I’ve really worked to do is get out and find some trails, rather than just walk around the village. It’s been nice and refreshing when I do so. I’ve worked to take more photos and do more with video as well (and work on my YouTube page more!)

5. I found a rock

As I was walking in one park here recently, and doing some video, I found this rock on a stone wall. It was nice and colorful on this day, so I snapped a few shots and left it behind. It’s funny how something colorful like this can just make you smile.

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.

Make sure, too, to come back tomorrow to see April’s theme!

Photo Blogging Challenge: April 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 (April 2020): Dinner

Well. We keep on … having to be shuttered in. Some places are loosening up on regulations. Some aren’t. But we have to keep battling and battling. So onward we go.

That means finding things to help with getting by — like blogging! And food is on the plate again … yes, that was bad, I know.

We now finish off the third month with our dinner. 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!

Food Photo Challenge logo

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.

Onward we go!

I’ve stuck to my iPhone as my main gear. I have some lenses and other things. Check out my Instagram as I’ve posted new things, including videos. The phone is legit for camera work!

Let’s check out this month. 

Theme: Dinner

Ah dinner.

The meal that is the big one for many of us. Finish a day of work and have a good meal. Sometimes healthy, sometimes not.

And just a note — Pinterest is a great place to find ideas.

This is a really good meal. It’s with lettuce wraps. It’s a chicken/cashew deal. Really good and tasty. And … seemingly healthy!

Quite yummy!

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 March?

The theme for May is: Snacks. Come back on May 28 to link up!

Food Photo Challenge: April 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!