2006

 Hello Friends,

The name of my blog is The River..

Life is like a river. There are twists and turns, quiet spots and rapids, deep pools and shallow flats.

It seems our world is going down a waterfall for the last two years and continues to be tumbling down.

It is difficult to understand. 

I caught myself getting wrapped up in the current events of the past week. I can find it hard to find a balance, I want to be informed but not have it take my joy.

I have to..

Keep Calm

and 

Carry On.

And so that brings me to 2006.

I spent two weeks working at an orphanage in Kiev, Ukraine.

The trip changed me, it helped me grow and learn about life outside the United States.

I will share some photos of my time at the orphanage in the year of 2006. 

As I read the news today, I think about those children below, who are now grown men and women. Who I was blessed to share some love with long ago in 2006.

 

Me.. painting the girls nails. 

From America, we brought, candy, lots of candy, make up, nail polish, art supplies, lots of art supplies, glow sticks, face paint, t-shirts, socks, play-dough, balloons, chalk and so much more.

 

 

We enjoyed a big party at the end our two week stay. That is me below, painting faces.. the top request.. the Ukrainian flag.

 

 

This little girl was new to the orphanage when we arrived.

 

 

The courtyard, where we played soccer "football" and did chalk art.

It amazed me, we may not be able to speak the language.. smiles and hugs make all the difference.

I just loved seeing them smile.

Ukraine will always be dear to me.

♥ ♥

Looking Back at 2021 ~ A Story in Our Wisconsin Magazine

 

Hello Friends,

I have a few fun items I want to share with you, that I never got around to do in 2021. Here is my first of.. Looking Back at 2021.

Our Wisconsin is a beautiful magazine that features all that's great in the Badger State.

The magazine features a treasure hunt for a hidden key. The magazine provides a clue in each issue.. step by step the mystery unfolds. The magazine has given away two new cars, new boats and other substantial packages. This year it was a teardrop camper.

I am going to jump into the meat of the story here. It ended up that a family of Amish found the key by accident. The key was hidden in an old outhouse at the Kennan Community Park, but what the magazine did not know was that the old outhouses where going to be removed. 

The Amish family headed to the park to move the outhouse, (which was going to be rebuilt into a chicken coop) and they found the key. 

They won the teardrop camper.

My friend Lori sent me the story, because I grew up not far from the Kennan area. And to my surprise the Amish family that won the camper, also was the Amish family that my dad was mentoring in learning how to trap beaver.

It was fun to hear my dad share the story with us as well. Both my parents have become friends with this Amish family.

 

 For the rest of the story, Bonnie and Bell pulled the teardrop camper. But the Amish family did not really have the time to camp and the photos were taken in good fun.

The camper was sold to a neighbor, (who is also a friend of my parents) and the Amish family split the proceeds.

The phrase "it is a small world after all" hit home with this fun story.

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.

 

♥ our kitchen remodel is coming along well

 

♥ new knobs

 

♥ butcher block countertops.. a backslash behind the oven and a surprise gift in the mail from a friend, a lovely chicken kitchen towel

 

 

♥ another surprise gift in the mail

 

♥ a message from our son "I got promoted to Corporal today."

♥ our hens have been on winter holiday from laying eggs.. Valentine's day we received a special Valentine indeed, the first egg of 2022

On Friday we found three eggs in the nesting box.. looks like we are back in production.

♥

Carla

An Overdo Visit

 Hello Friends,

During Christmas week my husband and I visited my aunt Marcy. It had been awhile since I saw her in person. We do not live close to each other and there are family issues that make the entire thing a mess. It became a visit of memories. I do not know a lot about this side of my family. My aunt was willing to share, perhaps from old age or just the fact it is time to let go. She shared what she knew with me, what she did not know, she tried to help me solve.

None the less, I still do not have all my questions answered, but know more than I did before. I did take photos of photos, and photos of notes of some family history.

I will share some of what I found with you.

My grandpa Roy, who I never met. 

I did not know his birthday or date of passing. I just knew he died from an accident.

A dear friend and distant relative of my grandma's did some family history on some of the family. I took photos of the entries that interested me.

The Family Tree ~ my grandma Martha's dad ~ William 1891

My aunt Marcy's first rosary.

The home my dad was born and raised in. I later lived in this house too. My dad took over the farm after my grandpa was killed. My dad took over the farm when he was 15 years old. He met my mom, married her on July 14th, 1973 and started his own little family.

We did not always live in the old farm house. I actually started my life in a trailer home across the driveway of this big farm house. But that trailer house tipped over in a big storm, with my family in it. The story goes, during the rocking and rolling of the storm.. I laughed the entire time. I was only two years old.

Some of the photos, I took photos of.

My aunt Marcy above riding her horse.

My aunt Marcy below.

More photos of photos that I took.

My grandpa Roy.

 Me and my aunt Marcy, Christmas week of 2021.

♥

Carla

 

Molly, Lolly, Polly, Dolly and Holly have Spring Fever!

 This week Tuesday we had a warm day, the temps climbed to 38 degrees. After weeks of the high temps in the teens, Tuesday felt like spring was on the way.

This gave me the opportunity to let the hens out. I cleaned their run and coop.

Molly, Lolly, Polly, Dolly and Holly loved the time in the sun. 

When I ventured to the house to grab some new gloves and I came back outside, five hens had decided to find out just where the Chicken Farmer had gone.

Up the steps we shall go. I think she went this way. 

Yep, she went this way!

Hello.. any bugs, fresh green grass or dirt this way?

Have a great weekend my friends.

 ♥

Carla

It is a Happy Valentine's Day 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. Besides the predictable name-rank-serial number, what's something you know by heart?

I have many childhood songs that I know by heart. If you find me weeding my garden, you might also hear me singing.

 2. Something recently that had you tickled pink?

 Last Saturday, both our boys came over for a visit. We are in the middle of a kitchen re-model, so pizza from our local pizza place, Stone Oven was on the menu. The pizza was delicious and catching up with the boys made it a perfect day. And the two BIG hugs I received, tickled me pink.

3. How do you define the word romantic, and are you one?

My definition of romantic is.. taking time to think about the one you love, making time to do something special or unexpected every once in awhile. 

I am.

4. Finish this verse with your own original thought....'Roses are red, violets are blue...

 Roses are red, violets are blue.. and the United States of America is a true miracle.

 5. Five little things you are loving right now? 

♥ the days are getting longer

 ♥ pink sunsets

 ♥ hot lemon ginger tea

 ♥  toasted homemade sourdough bread with butter

 ♥ new flannel pj's

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn

 

February Article for the Cameron Chronicle

 

Hello Friends,

Today I am sharing the article I wrote for the Cameron Chronicle,

 "The Little Paper With Personality." 

My fresh cut flower business is open May - September .. so The Little Garden That Could misses out on Valentine bouquets. In the article I share tips and tricks for purchasing Supermarket bouquets.

Happy Valentine's Day

 ♥

Carla

 

Valentine Supermarket Bouquets

By Carla TePaske of Cameron WI ~ The Little Garden That Could

The Little Garden That Could misses out on Valentine’s Day, as my garden is still asleep. Those of us who want to purchase local fresh flowers can find it rather hard during the Valentine season. Many times our only option is to pick up a Supermarket bouquet. If you are going to pick up a Valentine Supermarket bouquet here are a few tips.

You want to choose a flower bouquet that has tight buds. This way your bouquet will open once delivered to your loved one and last longer.

Be sure to strip the leaves from the stem, leaves in your vase water creates dirty water and your flowers will not have a long vase life.

When arranging your Supermarket bouquet be sure to give each stem a new healthy cut.

Keep your bouquet filled with water.

Place flowers away from direct sunlight.

Cut fresh stems when changing water.

Happy Valentine’s Day from The Little Garden That Could

A Little of This and That

 

A friend shared this poem with me.. I would like to share it with you.

 

I can't get enough of wandering. Or the earth. 

Some of us carry an inherent need to explore.

Textures.

Fragrances.

Sounds.

Art.

Shadows.

Movement.

Patterns.

Light.

Victoria Erickson author of Edgewater 

 

Do you remember my indoor garden that I shared? Click on the below link..

Creating an Amaryliss and Narcissus Garden 

 That wee little garden has been bright and cheery for us.

 

I love the color of this Amaryllis.

My second Amaryllis did not bloom.  I will keep my bulb and try again next season.

Have you ever had that happen? I just got two big lovely green leaves from my second Amaryliss bulb.

My husband and I stopped in a fun little shop located in our little village..

Seventies Shop

 
It was a fun shop.

 We came home with a few treasures.

 

A bad photo on my part.. but a sweet little green vase.. perfect for a petite flower bouquet.

 

An amber candle holder .. to go with my other amber candle holder.

 

We are going to accent our kitchen with chickens. This little hen will have a new home in our new to us kitchen.

 ♥

Carla