Can You Believe it is Wednesday ~ Yep! Already time for the Hodgepodge

A week of 90 ° degrees .... I am ready for a cool down!

Hello, It is Wednesday and it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join in! 

1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why?
(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)

I would give this summer a big ol'8!

We all have enjoyed many fun summer activities.

All though it could cool down for this Northern girl, to the perfect temperature of a high of 70° and 25% humidity!

 2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who call you Aunt (or Uncle).

Yes, I had aunts and uncles growing up. My mom's side of the family is close. My dad's side of the family is not. I have many wonderful memories with my aunts and uncles as a child.

No, I am not an aunt. Sadly, my sister and her husband are not able to have children and decided not to adopt.

One of the memories that came to me right away was when my aunt Sally let my sister and I cut her hair! Needless to say, it got shorter and shorter! My aunt was not all that happy with how her cut turned out. Looking back at it, I am not sure it was wise to have rock -n- roll music, two teen girls dancing around and cutting aunt Sally's hair. 

 3. What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate? What's your favorite food dipped in cheese?

I love chocolate anything! Strawberries, peanuts, raisins, coffee beans...oh my! If I had to only pick one, I would pick strawberries.

My favorite food dipped in cheese, a good homemade soft pretzel.

 4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.

My boys!

This week we have VBS at our church. All three of us are volunteering. I am Snack Director

 (how do like that title) 

Well, as we all know, nothing works perfect at VBS. My boys are able to adjust on how to make things work, a tweak here and a tweak there.

 5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered?

  

Pinterest board .... I was pinning a recipe and looking up a recipe I had pinned earlier.

 6. What's your favorite story from scripture? Why that story?

Many years ago I participated in a Bible study of the Book of Esther.

I enjoyed the story and the conversation with the group of women I shared the study with.

 Esther 4:14
"For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (ESV)

 7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?

This is a hard one! What I am going to do is pick the five cities traveling East to West that I would want to visit and watch a baseball game in.

Boston - Fenway Park

Miami - Marlin Park 

Chicago - Wrigley Field

St. Louis - Busch Stadium

Denver - Coors Field

 8. Insert your own random thought here.

 I saw my first Monarch Butterfly in my garden today.

Funny on Monday and Joy List Monday

Music in the Park .... Lego Style

Funny on Monday

A large flywheel company, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hired a new CEO. This

new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers. On a tour of the facilities,

the CEO noticed a guy leaning on a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to

let them know that he meant business! The new CEO walked up to the guy leaning

against the wall and asked, "How much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young fellow looked at him and replied, "I make $300.00 a week.

Why?" The CEO then handed the guy $1,200 in cash and screamed, "Here's four weeks'

pay, now GET OUT and don't come back." Feeling pretty good about himself, the CEO

looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-off did

here?" From across the room came a voice, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."

 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

 ♥ taking time to visit a friend who recently had hip surgery .... enjoying root beer floats and catching up on life

♥ continued garden goodness ... green beans, cucumbers, beets, cabbage, eggplant, flowers

 ♥ receiving a gentle rain ... a much needed rain

 ♥ surprising my friend Marv for his 87th birthday

♥ a picnic and a boat ride

 

The Dog Story

little boys exploring the big woods

The Dog Story

 I was recently reminded of this story from Joyce the author of the Hodgepodge.

Way back when my oldest was two years old, I was pulling him in a little red wagon on the sidewalk in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. 

The rest of this story happened very fast. 

Out of no where a big dog came running across the street.

The dog went right for Sam in the wagon. I jumped in front of the dog.

The dog growled and barked. He continued to go after Sam.

All of a sudden a little car jumped the curb and was driving on the sidewalk, right for the dog.

The fella driving yelled, "RUN!"  I did, the other direction that he was chasing the dog with the car. I turned the corner and some other people that witnessed the entire ordeal came out to give me a hug.

When we have so much negative around us, it important to remember the good in people. 

Strangers helping strangers.

I never did get to say "Thank You" to my rescuer in the little car.

How about you? Do you have a story of someone who helped you?

Have a great weekend!

Carla

 

It is a To the Moon and Back Hodgepodge

It is Wednesday!

It is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1. Pokemon Go...your thoughts? Are you playing? Do you even know what it is?

 No, I am not playing Pokemon Go.

I do not really know what it is. I have heard a little about it on the radio.

The DJ was sort of making fun of it, saying "At least it is getting people outside and walking around"

 
2. What was something you collected as a child? Do you still have that collection? If you're a parent what's something your own children collected? Have you ever camped out, stood in a crazy long queue, or paid a ridiculous sum for a 'collectible'?

I collected sheep figurines as a child.

Yes, I still have the collection.

My boys both like to collect cool rocks.

No, I have not camped out or stood in a line for any ' collectible '.

3. "Collect moments, not things"...tell us about a moment you've added to your collection this summer.

My boys just got back from a week long trip to Ohio. They competed at  National's for trap shooting.

My collectable moment was on Monday. My boys came home on Sunday night. On Monday we caught up. I spent the entire day with them. We had a fun lunch. I took them to see the community garden and how it changed in a weeks time. They told me all the silly stories about the pranks some of the boys played on the coaches. They went into talking about goals for the future. It was a very special time for me.

 4.  What's something collecting dust in your home right now? Any plans to do something about it?

 My husband has a stack of books, newpapers and so on. 

No, I really can not do anything about them, I do try to hide the stack in some way, but it never works.

5. A favorite song relating to time?

Linger is a camp song, back from my Girl Scout Camp days.

 

Linger

---

Hmmm, I want to linger.
Hmmm, A little longer.
Hmmm, A little longer,
Here with you.
Hmmm, It's such a perfect night.
Hmmm, It doesn't seem quite right.
Hmmm, That this should be,
My last with you.
Hmmm, And come September,
Hmmm, I will remember,
Hmmm, Our Scouting days,
Of friendships true.
Hmmm, And as the years go by,
Hmmm, I'll think of you and sigh.
Hmmm, This is good night
And not good bye.
Hmmm I want to linger.
Hmmm A little longer.
Hmmm A little longer,
Here with you.

6. What's been your most frightening or your most interesting encounter with wildlife?

My husband and I went hiking in the Great Falls, Montana area. We did not even give rattlesnakes a thought.

Yep! Great Falls, Montana has rattlesnakes.

7.  On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong set his foot down on the moon. If you could travel to the moon would you go? Why or why not?

 No, I am not interested in traveling to outerspace. I have so many places on earth to visit, I am happy with that. Now if you asked my son, Sam, he would say yes! Why, because it would be cool!

 8. Insert your own random thought here.

 Thank You!

For the past two weeks, here on the Hodgepodge I asked for prayer for a friend.

I am happy to report he is doing better.

Dave is one of our boys Trap coaches. He was not able to make the trip to Nationals with the team because of his health. While the the boys went on to Ohio, Dave cheered them on from Wisconsin. And the team was shooting and praying for Dave.

So happy for the news that he is impoving.

Thank you!

The Love Affair

The Love Affair

It all started last Sunday night. My family headed to Ohio. I was home alone with the dog, our older cat Max and our new kitten Catsby.

Catsby was beside himself on Monday. Good grief where are my boys?

By Monday night, he decided his boys must have left him.

And then it started.

Each night has I got ready for bed, he would wait for me. 

Then once I made my way upstairs he would bolt up the stairs with me and jump on to my bed. He would lay with his white belly in the air.

I got tucked in with him close to my side. He would snuggle up to me and purr!

This became the routine, night after night.

If I was late to getting to bed, he would let me know. 

He was ready, come on!

I must admit, I did enjoy having him to snuggle with each night.

I do love that little cat.

Saturday night I told him, this is it Catsby, the end of our love affair.

Everyone will be back Sunday night.

He was happy to see his boys.

And so was I.

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

♥   Pets ... they know when we need them

 ♥ Harvesting produce from the garden ... green beans, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant

♥ I had a hard day on Friday .... thankful for friends to cheer me up and help me remember what is important in life

♥ Our friend who has been ill, is feeling better

♥ My family is back. They had a safe trip and had a blast of a time

 

Crafting with Pine Cones

 Look real close, can you see a pine cone flower?

 This Spring during a hike in the Kettle Moraine State Forest I noticed pine cone flowers.

What?

You can see the large pine cone. The flower pine cones are made by squirrels.  They have eaten the pine cones. They left a perfect flower.

  

My aunt Sharon and I are picking pine cone flowers.

 

 This is an eaten to make a pine cone flower steam.

I bundled the pine cones and wrapped burlap around them.

A bouquet of pine cone flowers.

 Has nature suprised you lately? 

Have you discovered something you have never seen before?

It is a Knee High by the Fourth of July Hodgepodge

Wisconsin Corn

Happy Wednesday

It is time for the Hodgepodge!

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

1. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or is it more the other way around? 

 

 

I try to influence the world. 

I share my flowers.

I enjoy having people over for dinner and games.

I volunteer.

I share a smile or kind word.

 

.... does the world influence me ... sometimes I feel like giving up ... but  I jump back up.

 

 

2. July 14th is National Tape Measure Day...the device was patented on this date in 1868. When did you last use a tape measure? Do you always know where to find one in your house? Tell us one way in which you feel blessed 'beyond measure'. 

 

I used a tape measure with the help of my husband to measure if the back of my car would be big enough for my table, tent and flowers to head to market.

 

Yes, the tape measure should always be in the junk drawer...unless someone forgot to put it away.

 

 Blessed 'beyond measure' with these two!

Our two boys...who are the best of friends and so special to me and my husband.

Blessed 'beyond measure' family.

3.The Plaza Hotel (Eloise), The Land of Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh), Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), or Never Never Land (Peter Pan)...which storybook land (on this list!) would you most like to visit and why?  

 

The Hundred Acre Wood

The Hundred Acre Wood was our nursey theme for our boys. Who would not want to eat honey with Pooh, jump with Tigger and squeez Piglet.

 

 4. Where and when do you get your best ideas? 

 

My brain never seems to shut down...just ask my husband. 

 

 5.  So what have you been watching on TV this summer? Anything good?

 

Endeavour ... season 3 on PBS

 

 6. 'Don't swim for an hour after you eat', 'Dog days of summer', 'Knee high by the Fourth of July'...choose a summer saying from the list or share one of your own, then tell us what image or memory comes to mind when you hear it spoken.

 

Knee High by the Fourth of July

My dad would always hope that his corn crop would be knee high.  It was always fun to ride out with my dad to check on the corn.

 

 

7. In a single sentence, sum up one life lesson you've learned. 

 

Be brave!

 

 
8. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

Last week I shared that a dear friend of ours is not well. He is still not doing well. 

Thank you for the prayers and please keep them coming.

 

Thank You!

 

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

 ♥ Picking fresh raspberries ... making Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream 

♥ Safe Travels for my boys and husband...they are in Ohio for the week

♥ Cooler temperatures for last Friday's Farmer Market

♥ Friends who check on me ... they know summer is a busy time ... I appreciate the extra e mails, notes and friend love

♥ Humidity ... I do not really like humid weather, but my plants do

How about you? What do you have on your Joy list?

 

On The Road Friday ~ Bass Lake, Rusk County, Wisconsin

 Welcome to On The Road Friday!

We are going to take a little trip to Bass Lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin.

Bass Lake is  a fun lake for canoeing, kayaking, and swimming.

My favorite thing to do is canoe Bass Lake. 

The lake has many islands to explore.

 The call of the  Common Loon.

Have you ever heard a Common Loon?

Click the above video if you have not heard a Common Loon.

This is a well done video of the beauty and mystery of the call.

 

  

Common Loons are one of my favorite water birds.

I still remember the fist time I heard a Loon call out. It chilled me to the bone.

Do you have a bird call or animal call that you will never forget first hearing?

Thank you for coming along today to Bass Lake in Rusk County, Wisconsin.

Have a great weekend.

Carla

 

It is a Captain America Hodgepodge

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. How did you welcome the month of July, and tell us one fun thing you did to celebrate the 4th. (or the weekend for any non-USA residents playing along today)

We traveled to spend the weekend with family.

We played a ton of games.

Ate fun summer food.

And enjoyed fireworks. 

 2. Right now..what's your favorite red thing? white thing? blue thing?

My favorite red thing right now...my red geranium

My favorite white thing right now...is our little kitten Catsby.

My favorite blue thing right now...fresh blueberries.

   3. Wave the white flag, raise a red flag, fly your freak flag...which 'flag' have you flown most recently? Explain. 

I would have to say the white flag. 

I had to surrender my opinion to someone .

 

4. According to Cond Nast Traveler these are the seven best places to visit in July-

a boat safari in Botswanna's Okavango Delta, Riviera Maya Mexico (it's whale shark season and apparently you can swim with them), Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, Pamploma Spain, St. Petersburg Russia, the Fuji Rock Festival at Mount Naeba Japan, the Salzburg Festival in Salzburg Austria

If time and money weren't factors would you want to see any/all of these? Which would you most like to see and why? 

 

I would like to visit the following... 

Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons

St. Petersburg, Russia

Salzburg Festival in Salzburg, Austria

 

On the top of the list...is Salzburg Festival in Salzburg, Austria.

Why? I think it would simply be amazing.

 

 

5. Grilled cheese, pimento cheese, or mac and cheese...your favorite from the cheesy treats listed? 

 

Grilled Cheese

 

As a Wisconsin girl I also have to add .... Cheese Curds!!!

 

 6. What makes you sweat? 

 

Summer in Wisconsin = Humidity

Humidity makes me sweat!

 

 
7. Your favorite movie with a 'patriotic' theme of some sort?

 

 

I love Captain America.

 

 8. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

Prayer Request

A dear friend of ours is ill. He has been in and out of the hospital for the last month. 

We are praying for wisdom for the medial staff to diagnosis what is wrong.

At this time the what is wrong is not clear.

 

Thank You

 

Happy 4th of July

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.  ~Erma Bombeck

Happy 4th of July