I'd like to think that I see the optimism of modern life and its humorous side, despite the frustrations that all of us endure. The items of writing in this book were selected by friends as the "best" from my blog entries of the past two years. I hope that they will trigger thoughts, passions, and the love of life in readers. Hodgepodge seemed a good title, because that's often what life is, a wonderful but often bewildering series of thoughts and experiences. How to outline those experiences posed a challenge, but I enjoyed it. The topics are everything from people to pets, holidays, technology, recipes, poetry, and more. Happy reading.