It is a Winter Wonderland Hodgepodge

 

Superior Falls ~ the border of Wisconsin and Michigan

 

Hello Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun!  

 

 

1. What kind of winter person are you-snow lover, fireplace snuggler, winter adventurer, or indoor hibernator? Elaborate. 

Winter Adventurer, that is me. I am an outdoor person. I need to get outside. If I could wave a magic wand my ideal winter temperature for an outdoor adventure would be 25 degrees, no wind and some sunshine. The wind really is the issue. Even on a cold, cold, cold day, if we do not have wind, it will feel nice.  I also have found that if you wear the proper clothes, no problem with the winter weather. We just purchased some new thermals and they are so cozy, making our winter hikes more enjoyable. 

 2. The Pantone color of the year is cloud dancer, described as a gentle, billowy off white shade. The color symbolizes 'peace, clarity, quiet reflection, renewal, and a soft reset'. Of the terms just listed which do you need most in your life this winter? 

Renewal ... we will be resuming a project we started in October and took a break from during the holidays.

3. Every cloud has a silver lining, on cloud nine, head in the clouds, storm clouds gathering, or cloud of suspicion...which 'cloud' idiom do you most relate to currently? Explain. 

 Silver lining ... we had a lot of closed doors in 2025. I am looking at the silver lining for the reason behind those closed doors. 

4. coconut, cauliflower, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, onions, ranch dressing...of the white foods listed, which would be the hardest for you to give up? Do you like all or any of the foods on the list? 

I like coconut, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, onions. It would be very hard for me to give up onions. I cook a lot with onions. We grow our own. Last year we just about made the year without needing to go to the supermarket for onions. Our harvest is holding so far for this winter season. 

5. Thomas Wentworth Higginson is credited with this quote-

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year." 

Agree or disagree? Tell us why. 

I agree. Back in 2012 I had a very difficult year. There was a person in my life that was so toxic that I eventually had to walk away from that person.  After all the pain, the lesson remained and I can now say the entire situation made me a stronger person. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.

Rainar Maria Rilka

 

 

 

Crafting and Making and Designing

 Hello Friends, it is a crafting, making and designing post.

I wanted to make some garlands for our home for the holiday. I wanted something simple and old fashioned. I decided on paper-chains and dried oranges. 

The fragrance of the oranges drying in the oven adds to the fragrances of the holiday season.

I had some old sheet music I purchased at a library sale. I used the old sheet music to create my paper-chain and snowflake.  

 

A few weeks back I mentioned my husband designed and made a new coat rack for us. He asked me what I would like for a design. I asked for oak trees, leaves and acorns.

 

Have you been up to any crafting, making or designing?

 

First Day Hike 2026

 

 

Happy New Year

2026 

It is a tradition for several years now that we go on a first day hike.

 The two of us and the little copper dog.  

 

 

It was cold. It was 10 degrees. 

We were dressed warm and planned to go on a hike close to home. 

We went to our local snowshoe and cross country ski trail system, Rockman's Woods.

We hiked a two mile loop.

 

 

We had received a beautiful snow the day before, the snow was still on the trees making for a winter wonderland.

 

 

I love the pop of red from the snowshoe sign marking the path.

 

 

My husband made us this delicious breakfast before we headed out on our first day hike.

 ♥

Carla