Happy January and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Happy January

The lakes are frozen solid here in Northwest Wisconsin. The ice froze very smooth this season, some people have been able to ice skate on the lake.

It is 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.  It's been said January is 'the month of opportunity, inspiration, and change." Which of the three do you need most right now? Elaborate. 

I am going to go with change. Because we are going to purchase a new vehicle and we are going to change brands of  vehicle. 

2. Do you consider opportunity as something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?  

I think it is a little of both. Many times you still have to work at it.

 3. The British Museum opened on this date (January 15th) back in 1759. Do you like visiting museums? Do you have a favorite? 

We do. 

I love this sweet museum on Madeline Island, Lake Superior. 

Click below to check it out...

Madeline Island Museum  

 

4. It's National Oatmeal Month (yes, apparently it gets a whole month as opposed to a single day). Do you like oatmeal? How often do you eat a bowl of oatmeal? How do you like yours? What about an oatmeal cookie? Is that a sweet treat you enjoy? 

 I do like oatmeal. I usually eat a bowl of oatmeal three or four times a month for breakfast. I like to add craisins, walnuts and drizzle/dump some maple syrup on top.

Oh yes to oatmeal cookies. Oatmeal cookies are a favorite of mine and our son Sam. 

5.What's something useful you learned in high school? 

I had an interesting history teacher in high school. We had a lesson on the Curse of Tippecanoe. And it stuck with me. Whenever a Presidential election comes up, it will juggle my memory of the curse and I will start talking about it. Most people, including my husband never heard of it. Ha! We did not attend the same high school.

I taught my boys the Curse of Tippecanoe, so this useful information has been passed down. And check out the link below and you will know all about it too...

Curse of Tippecanoe

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Back in December Joyce asked if we could have an Elf help us get something done for Christmas.. I wanted to bake a few more cookies. And I did!

 

Joy List Monday

 

 

Joy List Monday

♥ a weekly ritual  ♥

a reminder to stop and pay attention to the little beauties and graces that make life magical and to set aside time for gratitude each day.

♥ walks in the woods

♥ capturing beauty we see taking photos

♥ noticing all the little details from feathers to seed pods

 

 

♥ snow

 ♥ snow moisture for our ground and natures insulation for our gardens

 

♥ our Christmas tree is placed in the garden until spring 

♥ hanging pine cones rolled in peanut butter and bird seed for the birds on our Christmas tree

 

♥ hot tea and a cookie

Wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile.

♥

Carla

It is Winter and it is the Hodgepodge

 

While walking in a Christmas Village, our Ernie made friends with the light up dog.

We laughed as Ernie was bound to meet this fella, I was just happy he did not steal his candy-cane bone you see in the snow. 

It is Wednesday, that means it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

1. At the end of every year (or at least since the mid-1970's) Lake Superior State University posts a list of words they think should be banished from the Queen's English for misuse, overuse, and/or general uselessness. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year's list includes-

cringe, game changer, era, dropped, IFKYK (If you know you know), 

sorry not sorry, skibidi, 100%, utilize, and period. 

Which of these words/phrases do you use regularly or even just every now and then? I have said game changer, utilize and period. I don't think I overuse any that I have mentioned. How many did you have to look up? I am not familiar with skibidi. Which of these words would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? I would choose skibidi, because it is not really a word. Is there a word/phrase not on the list you'd like to add? If so do share, then tell us why. I am a bit surprised "word salad" is not on the list. 

 2. Your favorite soup? Do you make this one yourself or is it from a can? 

Chicken Noodle.. I make it homemade, broth too!

 3. How do you feel about winter? What's one winter activity you look forward to? 

I do not mind winter. It is a time for me to rest for the busy garden season ahead. 

We enjoy going for winter hikes, snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

 

 

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2025 is mocha mousse (sample pictured here). What say you? The website describes it as 'a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nourishes us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort'. Is this a color I might find in your home or wardrobe? Is it one you might add in some big or small way in the year ahead? 

I like the color. And yes you would find browns in our home and outside of our home. Our outdoor furniture is a shade of brown. You will find this color in my wardrobe.

We probably will add something of this color to our home. And I am sure I will to my wardrobe.

 

In a similar, but not really vein...if I were to offer you a choice right now of either a cup of mocha or a cup of mousse which would you say yes to? 

Mocha 

 

 

 

5. Which of the following winter related idioms can best be applied to your life in some way right now? Choose one, then tell us why you chose it.  

snowed under, on thin ice, tip of the iceberg, chill out, break the ice, snowball effect, not a snowball's chance in hell, get cold feet, the cold shoulder 

Chill out ... that is what we are doing in January. We do not have any BIG plans or entertaining we are doing in the month of January. We are working on a few projects that are leftover from 2024, organizing and cleaning, taking our time doing it.

 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

A few more photos from the Prairie Farm Christmas Village we visited.

 

That little bit of snow you see has melted. We have NO snow here in Northwest Wisconsin, bare ground.

 

In Memory of the three fallen police officers who were murdered in 2023 in our village and neighboring rural community.

♥

Carla