About

Greetings,

I am Sue, a former music and travel/history journalist turned librarian searching for a life in the past lane.

The word “mishmash” perfectly encapsulates my blog, which started since I am retired (actually unemployed) from librarianship and can focus on anything striking my fancy. And as my surname is “Hodges,” a hodgepodge is yet another apropos word about what is broached in my content, which comprises many road trips on scenic highways and byways frequently traversed in the 1950s when America was on the move, in the lines on yellowed pages of Pulp Fiction novels, and to places “both wonderous and strange” in my small locale of the Pacific Northwest.

But even in a hodgepodge/mishmash, there is method, and within the method is a quest for knowledge. My desire is that the purveyor of my ramblings, readings and recipes will glean golden nuggets of information that are interesting, entertaining and useful. I mean who doesn’t want to know where to find the world’s largest teapot or frying pan and the history behind these roadside attractions? Better yet, how about an award-winning midcentury recipe to create the perfect Jell-O mold? Or that 1950s Pulp Fiction novel slipped into a pocket before boarding that Continental flight so the flier had a bit of in-air entertainment?

Life in the Past Lane involves getting lost in the American experience through travel, books, music, places and people. It may be a bumpy ride and dishes may be served charred (I burned up a stove, exploded a microwave, and set a home ec classroom on fire, but those are stories worth waiting to read!), and I hope you will buckle up and join me on the adventure.

Comments welcome! Grandma’s recipes encouraged! Dime store novel reviews accepted! And ask me anything and I wager I have a story to tell!