Wisconsin's First Crop

 Wisconsin's First Crop 

Can you guess what it is?

Maple Syrup

My husband has always wanted to tap our two maple trees in our backyard. 2021 was the year to do it and it was a fun adventure.

At the end of February we tapped our two maple trees.

Jeremy did all the work with the production of the syrup. I took photos and was the taste tester.

A few changes will be made for the 2022 season. Jeremy will be building a different style of a cook area using cinder blocks. He will also use three pans for the cook down.

 

I love a dark syrup.

A recipe for a true treat..

Two scoops of vanilla ice cream, toss a handful of pecans on top of the ice cream and drizzle or in my case dump maple syrup on top. 

 We found fun maple syrup jugs at our local farm store. We gifted our family "Two Tree's Syrup" made by Jeremy for Easter.

There are many fun recipes using maple syrup. Here is one I found and I can give it high fives!! I just had a bowl for lunch.

 

Frost on Tulips

 

 

We had some very frosty mornings the last week of April. The tulips did not let the cold mornings or the frost bring them down.  Each afternoon they would be upright and smiling.

During this week of frosty mornings, I learned a lesson from these brave tulips. No matter what is tossed in your way, you have to be brave. Current events can creep up on me and I can suddenly get very sad. I try hard to stay away from the news. Yet, with a son in the military, I do feel the need to know some current events.  As our citizens continue to fight each other. The story of the drive by shooting of the Minnesota National Guard was my breaking point. I just cried for our nation. As I cried, I was reminded that I have to be brave for my boys. As I watched the tulips bounce back, I again am reminded, we have to hang in there, keep shining your light.

Keep Going. 

 

Spring has Sprung and It is the Hodgepodge!

 

Hello Friends, 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. What are some memories you associate with spring? 

Growing up we always had high water from the snow melt on the rivers and streams. We have a little stream on my parents farm. The water was only really flowing during the spring. I have some fun memories with my sister as we made homemade boats and put them in the stream. We would run as fast as we could to the culvert to see if our little homemade boat would make it.

 2. April showers bring May flowers...was that saying proven true where you live? Snapdragons, anemones, carnations, lilacs, sweet peas, tulips, lily of the valley, orchids, roses, gardenias...which one on that list is your favorite May bloom? 

Yes, that saying is true where I live. I am very excited for the lilac season. Our driveway is lined with our neighbors lilac. On a warm spring night it is heavenly to sit outside and soak in the scent of lilac.

 3. What are your top three distractions and how do you deal with them? 

1. Tackling something I enjoy to do.. over the thing I do not. I make a To Do List each day. Sometimes that job that I really do not want to do will never get done. I am trying to discipline myself to do the not so fun jobs with in the week I put them on the To Do List.

2. Checking my local news feed and getting caught up in current events. I have been working hard on this distraction, I want to find a good balance for my mental health. At times I say "I am never watching/checking  the news again.

3. If a certain current event upsets me, I can fester on it. I will want to know " IS ANYONE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS" ... and I will waste time trying to find an answer that I like. I am dealing with this distraction by instead of festering and wasting time looking it up for answers, I am putting it on top of my prayer list. 

4. Do you eat beef? In the course of a week, how often is beef on the menu? A hamburger, steak, prime rib, or a roast beef dinner...which beef entree would you choose and yes you have to choose. Unless you're a vegan, and then you may pass. 

I do eat beef. We usually have it once or twice a week. Monday we had tacos and used ground beef as one of our toppings. 

I do enjoy a grilled to perfection hamburger, with a slice of Wisconsin Colby cheese  melted on top.

5. In what way were you creative during the month of April?

I made my Easter cards. I have a fun collections of stamps, paper, markers and more.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I let a certain current event bother me last week. It really got me down. I started to worry about the future for my boys. Everything seems so ANGRY!!! I was reading my devotional and the following really stuck to me. I wrote it on an index card and placed it by my computer. I also shared it on my Monday post. If you are feeling a wee bit wobbly as we continue to navigate these strange times, I hope you find encouragement from it.

You are not lost at sea in your trial. You're trusting the wisdom of your Captain, who remains at the helm.