Knock Knock .. December is almost here and it is the Hodgepodge

 

The Greenhouse is decked out for Christmas.

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. Sum up your November in ten words or less. 

 

Amazing weather, that is unusual for Wisconsin in November. 

 
 2. Are you hosting any holiday parties this year?My birthday is in December. We host a little party for me, with cookie decorating and game playing.  Attending any? Yes. The company my husband works for hosts a wonderful Christmas party each year, we have a group of his co-workers that we sit by and catch up. We will travel to my parents farm for the Christmas weekend. Party pooper, party animal, or life of the party...where do you land when it comes to parties? I love to visit with people. It is catching up with friends and family at our holiday parties. I also love to play games.

3. Do you purchase holiday clothing of any sort (sparkly tops, Christmas jammies, Santa suit, etc). 

My sister purchases a Christmas T - shirt for the three of us, her, me and my mom. They are always fun. Last years print on the T-shirt was a hen wrapped in Christmas lights.

 4. What's your go-to recipe when you're asked to bring an hors d'oeuvre to a party? 

Taco Dip and Chips

 5. December 3rd is National Play Outside Day...what might you do to celebrate?

As I type this, we are receiving our first big snow of the season. We are up to five inches already and it is still coming down. My husband and I both enjoy snowshoeing and cross country skiing. I have a feeling we will be enjoying one of the two this weekend.

 6. Insert your own random thought here.  

 

Armchair Gardening

 

 

 Hello Friends,

Today I am sharing the article I wrote for the November issue of the Cameron Chronicle.

"The Little Paper With Personality."

 

Armchair Gardening

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

At the end of October, the garden is put to bed. The pots are packed away. Spring bulbs are planted and seeds have been harvested.

Now it is time for armchair gardening. Now is the time to study the books and flip through the magazines you did not have time for.

Seed catalogs will arrive, it is time to start to write notes about seeds and plants you want to include in the new season.

Armchair Gardening

Books

The Creative Gardener

Inspiration and Advice to Create the Space You Want

Author Adam Frost

The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening

Author Monty Don

Magazines

Horticulture

Birds and Blooms

 

Happy Thanksgiving Hodgepodge

 

November in Wisconsin

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. When did you most recently need to 'think fast'? Elaborate.

Just last Wednesday.. we went to mail a package to our deployed son. We had a new person working the front desk of the Post Office. She had not been trained on a military address and became very frustrated. We had just visited the Post Office last week to mail a package to our son. Her frustration was growing.. I thought fast and shared what we did during the week before when coming in to mail a package. She calmed down and we got the package mailed.

2. The Hodgepodge lands on National Fast Food Day. What was the last fast food you ate? I ordered a mushroom and swiss burger with french fry and an ice tea to drink. What's your favorite fast food? Culver's How often do you grab fast food? Not often.

 3. Life in the fast lane, get nowhere fast, on the fast track, not so fast...pick one and tell us how it applies to your life in recent days

 Life in the fast lane.. because life is moving along.. and Thanksgiving sneaked up on me.

 4. Are you a fast walker? fast talker? fast worker? fall asleep fast? stay fast asleep without too much trouble? 

I am a fast walker.

 5. What is one 'hard and fast rule' in your house? 

NO.. devices at the dinner table.

  6. Insert your own random thought here.  

 

 Happy Thanksgiving

♥ 

Carla

  

Welcome to Camp Lemonnier

 

 

Hello Friends, today I will share an update from Sam.

 First, I am so thankful for technology. Sam is able to text message us just about daily. We have received one phone call from him. There was a delay and some static, but it was great to hear his voice. 

Above is his patch. The 157th are now in charge of AFRICOM. The team that the 157th are relieving are from Illinois. They trained the 157th and left to come home to the states. The 157th are now at the ready.

 

 

The troops live in shipping containers. Sam's unit are stacked shipping containers and he lives on the third level. Some of the troops try to garden. He always lets his gardening mom know what the growing conditions are.. "not much vegetation here mom."

The November Full Moon in the African Sky.

Thank you for the continued prayers for the 157th.

♥ 

Carla

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home ~ Our South Garden in bloom in early September 2022.

 

Hello Friends,

Today I want to share with you a message I recently read from Charles Swindoll that made me smile. I think it will make you smile as well.

The beautiful music of living is composed, practiced, and perfected in the harmony of home. The freedom to laugh long and loudly... the encouragement to participate in memories and deepen our roots in the rich, rare soil of authentic happiness. 

It made me smile, because it is so true of how important home is. I love when I can invite others into the comfort of my home. I enjoy decorating my home for the seasons. I love when my boys are excited to come home. 

Home Sweet Home

   And speaking of home. Below is a photo of our chicken coop and the chicken run. I love when the leaves fall on the roof of the run.

The below photos where taken in early October on a lovely sun dance day. 

The coop is all winterized for our dear hens. A cozy.. home sweet home.

 

2022 Pumpkin Party

 

Hello Friends,

We hosted our annual pumpkin party October 23rd. It was a beautiful October day in Northwest Wisconsin. Our last few weeks of October and early November weather has been fantastic.

We enjoyed a menu of..

Homemade Creamy Potato Soup

A variety of Wisconsin cheese slices and homemade sourdough crackers.

Hot Apple Cider

Catie, Sam's girlfriend came with her little sister. Catie made a delicious Sweet Potato Pie and Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies.

We also enjoyed S'mores and Apple Hand-pies later in the day.

We set up pumpkin carving and pumpkin painting outside. 

My parents grew all of the pumpkins that we carved that day.

Eleanor is Catie's little sister. This was the first time meeting our family. She was not shy at all. She really enjoyed time with my mom.

 

Eleanor painted all of her pumpkins. She loved painting.

 We saved seed from all of the pumpkins. My parents are already looking forward to planting, growing and hauling a truck load of pumpkins for our 2023 Pumpkin Party.

 

 

Button Up

 

Hello Friends,

Welcome November.. and it is time to button up.

My husband always calls out during that last week of October and the first week of November, "It is time to button up."

 The following can be checked off the list...

Spring bulbs planted  √

Garlic planted √

Garden hoses and water turned off  √

Outdoor pots and planters cleaned and stored  √

Outdoor furniture cleaned and put away √

Greenhouse cleaned  √

A few things that have to get finished up this coming week..

Winterize chicken coop

One last grill and the grill is cleaned and put away

 

We have enjoyed amazing weather these last few weeks of October and the first week of November. I am sharing a Weather Fun Fact..

November 2nd

1933 Eau Claire, Wisconsin reached a high temperature of 75 degrees  

2022 we tied that record, we enjoyed 75 degrees on November 2nd.

And how about the coldest temperature set for November 2nd?

1951 Negative 1 degree

I will take the 75!

Happy Weekend my friends and do you button up?