Back to 2016 and Back to 2026 Hodgepodge

 

Hello Friends, it is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge. We are going back to 2016 for this weeks Hodgepodge. A memory for me in 2016, it was my first year as a flower vendor at the Bruce Farmers' Market. I had my first meeting in January of 2016 with the Bruce Farmers' Market team. They were a special group of people, very welcoming and helpful as I started my first year setting up my flower shop at the market.

 

Joyce asks the questions. 

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. Ice skating, skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, playing in the snow, or a snowy walk...which winter activity do you choose? Have you done any of these activities so far this winter? 

We enjoy going skiing, snowshoeing and snowy walks.  

A snow walk, we have done several of those. We enjoyed this sunset last week as we walked along the river.  

 2. Everyone is posting pictures from ten years ago on their social media sites so let's jump on the bandwagon too. Share one photo and one thought to go with said photo from the year 2016. And maybe everyone isn't doing this, but many are and we're going to be part of the fun. 

As I mentioned above, 2016 was my first year as a vendor at the Bruce Farmers' Market. Here is my car all loaded with flowers and more to set up my flower shop at the market.  

My set up at the Farmer's Market.

 

 

 3. What's a trend you hope disappears in this new year? 

 I am out of the loop. I do not know of any trends. Hee Hee!

I am not active on social media sites, just my blog and reading my favorite blogs.  So I actually did not even know the posting of the 2016 photos was a thing until I signed up to do the Hodgepodge. 

 4. 'They' say there's a day for everything and January 21st proves it. National Granola Bar Day. Do you like granola bars? How about just regular granola? Do you like bars of other kinds? 

 I do like granola bars. I also like regular granola. 

My husband and I like Nature's Bakery Fig Bars.

 5.  A frozen lake, a trickling stream, a raging river, or a deep well...which one describes something about your life right now? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

A trickling stream... my husband and I are going to be starting up a project we set aside in November to celebrate the holidays. We got a start this past weekend. We are going to take it slow and steady. We are moving our office to a different part of our home, it requires a bit of reorganization that is the easy part. The hard part is it also requires some electrical work. 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My husband designed two new racks for us. I love acorns, so he did an oak tree and acorns. We decided this is also a great key rack. And that brings me to ask you, where do you keep your keys? On a hook? On a table? 

I have been guilty of leaving the keys in my jacket pocket. And when our kids would go to use the car and the keys were not on the key rack, my husband would yell "Check mom's jacket pockets."  

  

Christmas Rewind 2025

 

 

A Christmas Rewind Post

  Irvine Park Christmas Village

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

One balmy December evening my husband and I, oh and the copper dog too, we ventured to Irvine Park Christmas Village.

It is so fun to walk. This evening was warm and so many families were out and about. It was great fun to sing along with the Christmas music playing along the displays and with the other people walking along too. 

 

 

 

There is an area that has rock formations. The water continues to drip and slowly freezes along the rock formations creating a unique display of natures beauty.

 

 

Me and the copper dog.

 

 

I always love how they decorate this area.

 

 

And now for a little Christmas rewind at my parents.

My sister helps my mom put up her Christmas Village each year.

This year we arrived two days before my sister and her husband.

If you look below, I played a little trick on my sister. She had the wolves in the woods. I moved them to the farmyard. And can you believe she noticed RIGHT AWAY!!

"Who was messing with my Christmas Village."

Yes, the family shenanigans began.  

 

 

My mom's new ornament for 2026.

 

 

 Season's Greetings

It is the little things in life that mean the most.

 ♥

Carla

 

52 Weeks

 2025 I declared to my husband that I wanted to do something fun/different once a month. Explore a new trail, state park, lake, river, town or city. We started out strong January, February, March and April. When May arrived so did some major changes for me and those changes continued to come at me month after month. With all the changes and major decisions needed, the plan for a once a month outing was tossed right out with the bath water.

October of 2025, Joyce of the Hodgepodge posted Day Datin' . After reading the post I thought, 2026 we are going to try to do this. One date, once a week, doing something fun together. It does not have to be something major, it can be simple.

I plan to document them here on the blog, just as Joyce is doing. She is my inspiration for  Day Datin'. And by the way, when I mentioned it to my husband, he was all in. He knew my disappointment that we did not get very far with our once a month outing last year, so why not make it even more challenging and do 52. (Just Kidding) 

 

We got Episode #1 in the bank, this adventure took place the evening of December 31st 2025.

 

We headed out to tour the Christmas Light Display at Prairie Farm Park, in Prairie Farm, Wisconsin.

 

 

 

The path along the Hay River.

 

 

Not only were the Christmas lights on display, the moon was just about full this evening as well.

 

 

We tap our maple trees to cook down sap to maple syrup. We loved this little sugar shack display. There had been a big storm two nights before, so the little Christmas tree on the shack has fallen over.

 

Here we are with the copper dog. He will probably be with for most of our adventures.

I have two more day dates on the calendar.

Stay tuned as we count down to 52ish dates.  

 ♥

Carla