Goodbye January ~ It is the Hodgepodge

Happy Belated Birthday to my Sweetheart. 

January 24th!

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. Speaking of endings....at your wit's end, at loose ends, a dead end, burn the candle at both ends, all's well that end's well, or no end in sight...which 'end' phrase might best be applied to your life lately? Explain. 

 at your wit's end

Our family got the flu! Bad, bad, bad news. My husband and I both have not been ill in years.  We are thankful to be back to the living this week.

 2. What was a must have accessory when you were growing up? Did you own one? If so tell us what you remember about it.

I do not remember a must have accessory while growing up. It will be fun to read others. It might trigger my memory.

 3. Something that made you smile yesterday?

 Those two boys of mine. My oldest has really been a silly as of late, always making me laugh.

 4. January 30th is National Croissant Day. Do you like croissants? Sweet or savory? We're having chicken salad for lunch...would you rather have yours served on a croissant, a wrap, a bagel, bread, or a roll of some sort?

 I like croissants. My youngest son Atticus LOVES croissants and if they are in sight, he will eat as many as he can.  We like both sweet and savory.

I will have my chicken salad in a wrap. Yum.

 5. Sum up your January in fifteen words or less.

We got the flu. Missed a week of life, including my husbands birthday. 

 6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

We have several fun activities coming in the month of February. Happy everyone is on the mend to enjoy. We have two ski trips planned and a special Winter Carnival we are attending.

 

The Bug

Hello Friends,

I am sorry for missing in action. Our family got "The Bug" that bad bug that everyone is talking about on the news. We got it.

It started with our oldest. He had a high fever, runny nose and no energy. Then our youngest had no energy, a high fever and he developed a terrible cough. 

Busy making soup, doing laundry, making my boys drink water, tea and wanting them to be comfortable. As they started to feel better, I thought to myself, yes, we made it.

Not so, I got cold, cold to the bone. At first I thought it was from the damp air, we had a snow storm on the way. Nope, it was not from damp air. I ended up with a 102 temperature! I was freezing and then so hot I was sweating. I vomited and vomited some more. I coughed and coughed some more. I lost my voice. (some may be happy about that) 

And then my husband got it! He has not missed work in years. He had a 101 temperature. He missed two days of work. It was just awful. 

Back to our regular schedule I say! We all are finally feeling back to the living.

 I have missed you all.

Hope you all are well.

♥

Carla

 

On the Road Friday ~ Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison, Wisconsin

Henry Vilas Zoo

click on the link below to visit the website

Henry Vilas Zoo

On our trip to Madison in October of 2017 we ventured to the zoo.

Henry Vilas Zoo is one of a kind, it is a no charge zoo. It is packed with exhibits. 

We took our bikes with on our adventure to Madison. Madison has an amazing bike trail system. The bike trail was right out our hotel front door. It was easy to bike around the city to the attractions we wanted to visit.

Off to the Zoo we go.

 Peek a Boo

Wisconsin is the Badger State!

 Peek a Boo, two badgers.

I could watch Prairie Dogs all day. They are so funny.

 Out of Africa

We were very impressed with all the African animals.

The story about the bears.

From Montana to Wisconsin.

This guy really is cute!

  

You have to love that face. 

I will end our tour with what all three men in my life laughed and laughed about. Yep, that goes for my oldest, my husband. He is the one who took the photo!

This Rhino really had to go. They laughed and he just continued to go. They informed me later, they could not believe how much that Rhino had to go. It was like he was never going to stop.

Boys will be Boys ... Forever!  Ha! Alright, I will be honest, I started laughing too. This Rhino did seem to have a never ending stream. 

Have a great weekend my friends.

♥

Carla

 

Wordless Wednesday

This little Bee Balm is all set for the winter's day. She found the perfect hat!

♥ 

Carla

 

Goals for The Little Garden That Could

Welcome 2018 !

Looking ahead at goals that I have for my little flower business, The Little Garden That Could.

The Little Garden That Could 

Click on the above link to take a peek  at The Little Garden That Could. This summer I will continue to offer my Fresh Flower subscription service.

This summer I plan to have my flowers for sale in my front yard, like I have in years past. 

This summer, we plan to have a Farm Stand. I am excited to share with you as my husband starts the design and build on this cute Farm Stand that I dreamed up.

The reason I asked Jeremy if he could build me a small farm stand, is because of the weather. On windy days, my flowers do not fair well out on my table. My gladiolus are very hard to keep up on my table.  Jeremy understood and we have come up with a solution.

 I will be back at the Bruce Farmer's Market. I took a year off from the Farmer's Market during 2017. I missed my other vendors and I am happy they missed me. My market manger shared with me she would love to have me what ever Friday's I could join up for the Friday market. I want to continue to do my Meals on Wheels (two weeks on two weeks off). The two weeks off, those Friday's I will go to market. I am excited to meet up with my other market friends and see my customers again in the Bruce area.

2017 was a fun year of kicking off my flower subscription service. I was featured in our local newspaper and had several customers ask me if I would do garden tours.

 Another idea for 2018 would be to host Flower Garden Tours.

I am wondering how to promote this? 

Once a month?

Offer Flower Garden Tea Time?

Build your own bouquets?

I would love to hear from you. 

"Just living is not enough." said the butterfly "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

Hans Christian Anderson

 

On the Road Friday ~ Madison, Wisconsin

On the Road Friday will be back for the next several Friday's as I take you on a trip to Madison, Wisconsin. Our family visited Madison in October of 2017. I will share some of the highlights of our trip, give you some fun ideas of what to do if you plan a trip and some great eats that we found during our stay.

Madison, Wisconsin

Madison is the state capitol of Wisconsin. It is the second largest city in Wisconsin with a population of
252,551. 

Money magazine has voted Madison, Wisconsin one of the best places to live in the United States.

 We asked our hotel manager where the best place was to take a photo of the capitol building at night. He directed us to a park/boat landing. It was perfect. 

All of the night photos are taken by my husband.

 Madison, the capital city of Wisconsin, lies west of Milwaukee. It’s known for the domed Wisconsin State Capitol, which sits on an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona. The Wisconsin Historical Museum documents the state’s immigrant and farming history. The city's paved Capital City State Trail runs past Monona Terrace, a lakefront convention center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

~Source Google~

 Visit Madison

The above website is a helpful one when looking for hotels, good eats and helpful hints.

Thank you for joining me today at our first peek of Wisconsin's capitol, Madison.

 I plan to share inside the capitol building, some lovely gardens, museums, the zoo and much more.

 

Winter is Here to Stay and so is the Hodgepodge

Hello Everyone, it is Wednesday and that means it is the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 Click here to join the fun.

A visitor under the bird feeder.

1. January is National Mentoring Month. Have you ever had a mentor? Been a mentor? How would you rate the experience?

Yes, I have a mentor. This is Marv. I have shared many stories about him on The River. I met Marv long ago. We met at the library. He asked me a question about an insurance agency in our Village, he was new to the area. We became fast friends. I learned that he had a passion for gardening. 

For the past four years he has been my gardening mentor. We have gardened side by side at the community gardens for four years. It has been a blessing.

 2. What current trend makes no sense to you?

I will say self driving cars.   This self driving cars thing has me concerned. Maybe it is because I live in a rural area. I just can not see the self driving car handling Northwest Wisconsin roads very well. We have pot holes the size of swimming pools! You have to go into the other lane to avoid one of those. We also have deer, bear, more deer, rabbits, turkeys, more deer, cats, dogs, squirrels, did I mention deer that dart in front of you so fast that well, you have got to really be watching and have your passenger watching for critters as well, especially when night driving.

 3. I saw a cartoon on facebook highlighting a few 'weird' things that make you happy as an adult. The list included-writing with a nice pen, having plans cancelled, freshly cleaned sheets, eating the corner brownie, cleaning the dryer lint screen, and sipping coffee in that brief time before anyone else wakes up. (Credit for the cartoon goes here) Of the 'weird' things listed which one makes you happiest? What is one more 'weird' thing you'd add to the list?

 I love fresh sheets.

I love LOVE love to vacuum. I consider it therapy. 

4. What's the last good thing you ate?
 

My husband made me fresh blueberry waffles, loaded with butter and real Wisconsin Maple Syrup.

 5. Describe life in your 20's in one sentence.

We were newlyweds, lived far from family and friends.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 More visitors under the bird feeder.

and

 Miss Penelope watching the visitors.

 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

 In December Kim at Exquisitely Unremarkable shared about her white ceramic Christmas tree.

She mentioned the green ceramic Christmas trees in her post. I shared with her about my special ceramic Christmas tree.

My little green ceramic Christmas tree is also a music box.

 My grandpa and grandma gave me this tree, when I was young. I kept it in a safe place during my years of growing up. As I moved into being an adult, it moved with me.

 My tree has special bulbs on it, birds, butterflies, flowers and the regular bulbs.

 I have lost a few of the bulbs over the years.

 Backward, turn backward, O Time in your flight; Make me a child again just for tonight.

Elizabeth Akers Allen

My tree came with Santa too.

Over the years each Christmas brings excitement of putting up our real Christmas tree. Decorating it with all our family ornaments. It is a special time to get the house all decorated.

When the boys help me put up my ceramic Christmas tree, I will share a story or two about the special relationship I had with my grandpa. My grandpa Sam and I were very close. Our first born son is named in his honor.

Then when the house is all quite at night, I will wind up the music box. I will remember special times with my family growing up. Christmas as a child, the excitement of having family come to stay with us. My cousin Kris coming to stay with my grandma and grandpa with her dog Toby.

Christmas evening dinner. All the adults are drinking Old Fashion's while us kids steal the cherries.

Opening presents! My grandma would have the presents hiding in the porch, they would be so cold when she brought them out. 

Laughing with family. Sharing stories of my parents and grandparents Christmas. Christmas hugs and the excitement that we will get to do this again next year.

Oh Ceramic Christmas Tree

Thank you for the memories

 

♫♪

Baby it is Cold Outside ~ Hey, it is the first Hodgepodge of 2018!

When you run out of room in the fridge during the holidays.

Welcome to the first Hodgepodge of 2018.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1. It's that time of year again...time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words (or phrases) they'd like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, or genera uselessness) in 2018. You can read more about the decision making process and word meaning here, but this year's top vote getters are-

unpack, dish (as in dish out the latest rumor), pre-owned, onboarding/offboarding, nothingburger, let that sink in, let me ask you this, impactful, Cofefe, drill down, fake news, hot water heater (hot water doesn't need to be heated), and gig economy

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

I would say dish can go, in the way that it is used here.

For me, profanity can be added. I must live in the area of the USA that the Fword is taught in all households. Maybe it is me, I might just be what some call old fashioned. I honestly think a person should be able to have some control. While I am waiting at the check out at a local store this weekend. "It is F'n cold out." "I could not get my F'n car started." and the worse of it is when I hear a mother in the grocery store yell at her kid, "just pick out a F'n cereal." 
 I am doing all I can to keep my boys from using. And you will not catch me using it. 
Honestly!!! Why?

Dare to be different, I say!

2. What's something you need to get rid of in the new year?
 

I have four closets that I did not get to in 2017. 

I also have a garden shed that needs a good cleaning.

 3. Where do you feel stuck?

 Not enough snow for skiing yet.

Ice and negative temps making outdoor activities non-existent.

Feeling stuck inside the house!

4. January is National Soup Month. When did you last have a bowl of soup? Was it made from scratch or from a can? Your favorite canned soup? Your favorite soup to make from scratch on a cold winter's day?

We had one more squash to use from the garden. I made a wonderful squash soup Saturday night. It was a new recipe.  It called for cinnamon. Oh, did it taste wonderful.

My all time favorite soup is Chicken Dumpling.

 5. Tell us one thing you're looking forward to in 2018.

Our oldest son will graduate from high school and will start college in August 2018. He is very excited about his career path. I am excited for him to spread his wings.

I would be lying if I did not share that I have some other feelings floating around in me about him spreading his wings as well. My husband and I are blessed to have been given our two boys. To watch our first one venture out on his own, well ...  

 6. Insert your own random thought here.

This photo was taken back in 2013. We participated in a Blue Jean Ski Race.

Dreaming of warmer temperatures so it will snow. Yep, that is true, it has been too cold to snow.

Did you catch a Reindeer?

 Happy New Year

Here is to a great 2018!

Ring out the Old! Ring in the New!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas. We traveled to my parents farm and spent time with family.  It was a special Christmas as we celebrated my dad's good health. He has recovered well from his heart attack in April 2017. We let off fireworks on Christmas Eve and Christmas night to celebrate all that Christmas gives us.

My last post I shared our Reindeer Bait recipe.

Did you have any luck?

As you can see we did. We even caught a few interesting reindeer. Three eyed!! (boys decorating)

 

Looking forward to sharing another year with you, right here at The River.

 ♥

Carla

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.

  Pamela Vaull Starr