Until Next Spring

Until Next Spring...saying goodbye to the vegetable garden.

 This Spring I took on three garden plots! I was blessed with a wonderful mentor and friend, Marv, who at the young age of 86, taught me many tips about gardening.

 One evening, I got the idea of trying to sell some of my extra produce and flowers.

With the help of my sweetheart and boys, we set up a produce stand.

 We had so much fun with our Fresh Flower and Produce Stand. The boys enjoyed helping me set up the stand each day. Atticus liked finding the perfect rocks to set on our table.

"Just living is not enough." said the butterfly

"One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

Hans Christian Anderson

 The best part of having the produce stand was receiving a bag a jars and this note...

Thank you so much for providing fresh cut flowers. It is always the highlight of my day to see your sign up on the road.

Here are some of your jars back and a few extra.

 Teddy Bear Sunflowers

 Our taller than Dad sunflowers!

 Colorful zinnias

 Marv's onions

 Lots and lots of Teddy Bear Sunflowers

 And now we wait until next Spring!

I am already planning my garden for next Spring. And guess what? I just might have four garden plots. I am dreaming up an Autumn Produce Stand, with gourds, pumpkins, Indian corn and strawflowers.

(Pssst...do not tell the boys I am thinking of a fourth garden plot!

They might decide to spend the summer at grandmas.)

If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden.

Frances Hudgson Burnett

Sleep Tight

Have you ever said "Sleep Tight!" to your kids?

Do you know where that saying came from?

In colonial times mattresses were laid over ropes stretched between the sides of the bed frame. When the ropes sagged, they had to be tightened with a wind-up wrench.

So people really meant it when they talked about sleeping tight.

Have a great Saturday!

Be who you wanna be,

Be who you wanna be,

not who they choose to see.

Unknown

Our son Sam found this rock. He was so excited,"Mom, look it is a heart rock!" I put it in one of my pots of flowers on our deck.  And some see just another rock, others see a heart rock. ♥

This quote was on my tea bag. So many thoughts rushed into my head. I happened to walk outside and I saw Sam's rock. And everything came clear for me.  

Be who you wanna be,

not who they choose to see.

 Unknown

Have a great weekend!   

Summer Comes and Summer Goes

 The Summer comes and the Summer goes;

Wild~flowers are fringing the dusty lanes,

The swallows go darting through fragrant rains,

Then, all of a sudden~it snows.

Thomas Bailey Aldrich

 Our colors are just starting to burst here in Wisconsin. It is just beautiful! A perfect Autumn color weekend coming up! A lot of dark red and dark orange color so far this Autumn. We have been blessed with amazing warm weather the last few days.

There is no season such delight can bring,

As Summer, Autumn, Winter and the Spring.

William Browne

To celebrate Autumn peek over at Prims by the Water and enter a fun Autumn giveaway! Click Here 

Advice ~ from Scott Omelianuk of This Old House

Atticus age 7 building his own puzzle

 I love reading This Old House Magazine, because we have a "This Old House"  that we are working on. I  also enjoy the Letter, Scott Omelianuk the Editor, writes the readers each month.

In the June 2014 issue, he shared some advice to his son, who just turned 3.

It made me smile, and I want to share a few words with you.

Do you stick out your tongue when you work?

 One day while Scott was taking his son for a walk, they could hear a whine of a saw from inside a house they passed. Luca asked, "Daddy, what is that noise?" Scott started to explain it was someone  inside cutting lumber. Little Luca answered, "A boy, and his daddy working maybe?"

 "Is there a project today, Daddy?"

During these times when Luca asks me this, says Scott, I realize that he already knows something valuable ~ that doing it yourself is always done better with someone else by your side, even, or maybe especially, when that someone's chubby little hands can not do much more than repeatedly drop the screw they are to hold on to... :-)

Back to the advice...

Let the saw do the work.

Always keep one hand on the ladder.

A weekend project is never done by Sunday night.

 Regular life. Simple life. Work is part of that~enjoyable work, whether it is the kind you do for yourself around the house or the kind that gives you a paycheck. And, of course, there's  the people. Above all, what matters is a connection to people.

Friends, family, naturally, but also all the others you come in contact with. Those who are here with  you now, those long gone. Imagine the men who, 145 years ago, built the house that you came home to after you were born. Think about the guy driving the bus you always get excited to see, the police officers and firefighters whose sirens you love to mimic. The best piece of advice I can pass along ~ that everyone around you has at least one valuable thing to teach you. And if you can recognize that, seek it out, your life will be richer and more textured for it.

And I think you will realize, too, that most people you meet are good people. They might live in another place, do different work, belong to a different religion, vote another way. That is something important I have learned in my years at This Old House. Talking to so many good folks who read this magazine, watch our T.V. show or go to our website, I know they all want the same thing in the end. A place for home and family, a roof overhead and a solid floor underfoot, and maybe the opportunity to chase after a little one who is banging a plastic hammer where he or she should not be.

Scott Omelianuk

See that blue paint on the face. 

What is the best advice you have given or received?

 

Funny On Sunday

The fog was so dense I drove to the drive-through window and ordered an Egg McMuffin at the bank.

Happy Sunday!

 

Writing Things By Hand....

Writing things by hand...did you know there's a huge difference between texting someone to say that you love them and hope that they have a great day and writing it on a note and leaving it for them to find.

 It is that time of year. 

Back to School!

 

How about adding a note to your son or daughters lunch.

Or packing a note in your college kids luggage.

A perfect way to say, I Love You!

Check out all our cards at our shop and find the perfect one to surprise your loved one today.

 

On The Road Friday ~ Green Corn Moon

Today we are taking a boat ride on Blue Spring Lake, Wisconsin

And we are taking it at night, during the August full moon, Green Corn Moon.

 Grab your hot tea,your blanket and  your sweetheart.

Come and get cozy as we take a romantic night ride on the lake.

 Full Moon

August 2014

Green Corn Moon

 A fun way to decorate your lakeside, adding a palm tree in Wisconsin.

 Beautiful!

 A little breeze has started, get a little cozier to that sweetheart of yours.

 And make a wish!

The moon belongs to everyone, the best things in life are free.

Susan Branch 

The Big Gourd

The  Big  Gourd

Last November the boys tossed a few of our frozen gourds in the garden and played hockey with them. 

This spring we had two volunteer gourd plants growing. 

We left them to grow to see what would happen. To our surprise the plant grew, ONE BIG GOURD!

I added some fun twine to dress up The Big Gourd.

The Big Gourd became a fun Autumn centerpiece for the dinning room table.

 Have you had a volunteer plant in your garden? Did you keep it or pull it out?

This was a fun experiment for us. We are still chuckling that the plant only  had, One Big Gourd!

Oatmeal Icebox Cookies

Oatmeal Icebox Cookies

I made the following recipe twice last week. My boys just love this recipe. My secret ingredient is pumpkin pie spice,  click here 

Oatmeal Icebox Cookies

1 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon .... I substitute and use my pumpkin spice 1/2 teaspoon
3 cups cooking oats
1/2 cup pecans or chocolate chips or raisins

Beat together shortening and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.
Mix remaining ingredients.
Shape into 3 rolls about 2 inches in diameter - wrap in wax paper 
Chill for 2 hours
After the two hours, slice the cookies 1/4 inch thick
 Set on to your cookie sheets
Bake at 350 degrees - 9 to 10 minutes

My first batch I added raisins. The second batch I added chocolate chips. This week my husband is asking for me to add pecans. Looks like I will baking up some more Oatmeal Icebox Cookies this week.

Enjoy!

Just a note~due to the amount of SPAM I am receiving, I am going to have to put on word verification on my blog for the next few days. Thank you for understanding.
Carla
 

On the Road Friday ~ Xcel Energy

This summer my parents farm fields became a site of change, continued progress in America and entertainment. A new Xcel power line is in the process of going up and the old power line taken down. Our boys spent a few weeks with grandma and grandpa on the farm and also got to see some of the huge electric poles go up.

I am sharing a few photos my husband took on our personal tour given to us by our boys.

Sam driving us in Grandma's golf cart. Heading out to the fields. 

The big white marshmallows you see in the back ground are wrapped round bales of hay to feed the cows.

 

Heading out to the power line.

 

The silver poles are replaced by the new large brown poles. They are steel poles and huge. 

The power line runs along my parents farm fields.

 

Atticus and Grandpa got to see a large brown pole go into place. Atticus said "It was really cool, but kind of scary as the the crane took it way up high in the air, it swayed back and forth."

The silver poles are only half on one side of the top area. One section of the line is already taken down.

This area is a homemade bridge in a swampy area heading to the river.

The power line crosses the river.

 

 Each new pole has an I.D.

I talked to my mom the other day. She said things are busy as ever as they continue to work on the line. It has made the summer full of entertainment and creating some challenges with making hay. My mom also said that Xcel Energy has been very kind and polite regarding working on the hay fields.

Thank you for coming along today.
And a big Thank You to Xcel Energy for keeping the lights on!

Have a great weekend.
Carla

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Autumn is in the air.

Apples are ripe. Thoughts of apple crisp and apple pie are in our taste buds.

I like to add Pumpkin Pie Spice to my apple crisp, apple pie ,oatmeal cookies and other Autumn baking. It is easy to make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Gather the following:

 

Ground Cinnamon

Ground Ginger

Ground Nutmeg

Ground All Spice

Ground Cloves

Ground Cardamon

In a container, mix the following together

1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ground all spice

1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon of ground cardamon

I triple this, and put into a fun jelly jar. 

Your homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice will also make a great gift.

Have you made your favorite Autumn treat?

I made Apple Crisp last week and Atticus is asking for Pumpkin Bars.

Happy Baking!

September

On the shores of Lake Superior

The first full weekend in September was beautiful in Northwest Wisconsin.

Lucky for me, I got to spend all of Saturday, outside, my very favorite place to be.

Freight-liner coming into port

Boys playing on the beach

Lake Superior

September

The beautiful apples, so golden and mellow

They will fall at a kiss of the breeze.

While it breathes through the foliage frosty and yellow

And the sunshine is filling the trees!

John James Platt

 

How was your weekend?

Wishing you a great Monday!

 

September brings the County Fair, falling leaves, crisp autumn air

On the Road Friday ~ Paradise Springs ~ Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit

We are on the road today to Paradise Springs, located in the Kettle Moraine State Forest of Wisconsin. Paradise Springs is a unique spot and has a lot of history. 

At one time a millionaire built a horse track, fishing hole, and elaborate spring house over Paradise Springs.

Bottled Spring Water

Since the late 1800's, people have enjoyed the pure spring water of Paradise Springs. Early owners called it Minnehaha and Eagle Rock Springs. The plant closed in the late 1960's. Spring water was pumped from the spring house and sold by various companies under the name of Natural Spring Water and Lullaby Baby Drinking Water.

Clear spring water, cool, clear and clean.

 Paradise Springs Resort and Hotel

A massive 2-story resort built of locally quarried Lannon stone (Wisconsin dolomite).

It had deluxe bedrooms with private, steam-heated tiled baths, a dining room, cocktail bar, and a roof garden with sundeck. An advertisement for the hotel described it as an "ideal vacation and honeymoon resort."

Fieldstone Spring House

 Paradise Springs is about 5 feet deep and maintains a temperature of about 47 degrees F. year around. Over 30,000 gallons of water flow from this spring each hour ~ that is 500 gallons each minute. Paradise Springs sits in a bowl-shaped depression where the water table reaches the surface. 

 Colorful fieldstone walls, a very elaborate spring house.

 In the early 1900's the owners at that time stocked the pond with trout. They also had a menagerie of animals which included peacocks, monkeys and pheasants.

  

Brook trout are the only  trout species native to the Kettle Moraine and are still found in cold spring water ponds and brooks. In October, the trout in this pond spawn (lay their eggs) near the spring house on the gravel bottom. When spawning, brook tout turn a vibrant pink color and are easier to spot.

 Atticus would toss acorns in the pond and the trout would come up to the surface. 

 This guy was busy smiling at us...and he is smiling at you too.

Wishing you a great weekend.

 Thank you for coming along with me to Paradise Springs.