Happy Autumn and It is the Hodgepodge!

 

Dahlia's are Autumn's showstopper flower!

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. It's officially fall y'all. In the northern hemisphere anyway. Any signs of it where you are? What's your favorite thing about this time of year? 

Wisconsin likes to show off during the Autumn season. And as usual the pops of reds, yellows, oranges and burgundy colored leaves are all around us.

My favorite time about this time of year is you simply want to get cozy. Warm drinks, cozy blankets and the fireplace is glowing.

 

2. Have you visited any 'falls' in person? Tell us about one of your favorites? Of the following top ten famous falls (according to this site ) which would you most like to see in person-

Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe/Zambia), Igazu Falls (Argentina/Brazil), Niagara Falls (US/Canada), Angel Falls (Venezuela), Yosemite Falls (California), Dettifoss (Iceland) Kaieteur Falls (Guyana), Plitvice Waterfalls (Croatia), Gullfoss-Golden Falls (Iceland), or Sutherland Falls (New Zealand)

 Wisconsin has several beautiful waterfalls. And some are off the beaten road. Last summer our friends Deb and Bonita joined us to find one of these lost falls, Yarnell Creek Falls. It was a fun adventure and yes we found the falls.

I have not visited any of the top ten falls. My parents went to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. I am going to pick Niagara Falls.  

 3. What's something you'll miss about summer? 

My garden. I love that I can just head outside and create a delicious fresh salad for lunch or dinner.  

 4. A favorite fall recipe?

It is tradition to roast pumpkin seeds after we carve pumpkins. Last year I roasted the seeds and shipped them to our son who was deployed at the time. He was so tickled that we shipped him pumpkin seeds.. they are one of his favorite treats of the Autumn season.

Recipe

Fresh pumpkin seeds

Olive oil

Cinnamon and Sugar

Preheat you oven to 300° 

Toss your pumpkin seeds 

your olive oil .. cinnamon and sugar all together.

Spread on to a cookie sheet.

Bake, stirring a few times, until crunchy and golden brown.

About 30 to 45 minutes.

Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

 5. Something you enjoy but lately have allowed it to 'fall by the wayside'? 

I have not been taking photos. My husband's hobby is photography, he is the picture taker. I too like to take photos, but this summer my picture taking  'fell by the wayside' in fact I did not take any photos of some of my flowers and hanging baskets. 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

"In a world full of people who couldn't care less, be someone who cares more." 

Author unknown 

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

 ♥ enjoying the garden

grasses

morning glories

and more

morning glories

 

♥ apples and pears

a dear friend let us pick apples and pears at her brothers orchard

 

 ♥ making crab apple jelly 

 

 

 ♥ dehydrating pears

 

 

♥ another fun flower year

closing the Flower Shack for the season

 

 

♥ a few more bouquets from the season

 

♥ wishing you a beautiful week full of little things that make you smile ♥

♥

Carla 

It is Planting Season

 

Garlic Harvest

Planting Garlic

Hello Friends, today I am sharing the article I wrote for the September issue of the Cameron Chronicle, our village newspaper.. the little paper with personality.

 

It is Planting Season

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

It is planting season. That is right, it is time to plant garlic, spring bulbs and vegetables.

Garlic is easy and a lot of fun to plant.

There are two varieties of garlic, softneck garlic and hardneck garlic. You will want to plant hardneck garlic. Hardneck garlic is a good choice for very cold winters.

How to Plant Garlic

1. Plan to plant garlic in Autumn about 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes.

2. Garlic grows best in loose, well-drained soil.

3. Just prior to planting, break up the garlic heads into individual cloves, leaving as much of the papery covering on each clove intact as possible.

4. Plant cloves 3" to 4" deep, place them so the pointy ends face up.

5. Water gently to settle the soil, and then cover the bed with a 4" to 6" layer of straw. Even as air temperatures drop, the soil will stay warm enough for the newly planted cloves to establish roots before the ground freezes. Sometimes you'll see some green shoots form in Autumn it is fine and won't harm the garlic. They'll begin growing very quick in Spring.

Spring Bulbs

Tulips, daffodils, allium and crocus are just a few spring bulbs to plant this month.

Microgreens

Do not forget to start your microgreens indoors on your windowsill. This is a fun way to garden and eat tasty greens during all seasons.

Until next time, happy gardening!

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack, I don't care if I never get back, and it is the Hodgepodge!

 

Hello Friends.. It is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge!

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 1. Did you watch any coverage of the 9/11 services on Monday? Yes, I did and I also read a few articles. How do you feel on this day some 22 years after the events occurred? I am sad. Our nation is so divided it just breaks my heart. Share more if you want to share more. 

I do know America is not perfect.. but the United States of America is a true miracle. I pray it will always be a beacon of freedom. 

 2. September 13th is National Peanut Day...do you like peanuts? I do! Your favorite dish that contains peanuts? My favorite way to eat peanuts are at a baseball game.

 

 

A blast from the past... our boys having their baseballs signed.

 I enjoy sea salt roasted peanuts.

3. Something you're currently 'nuts' about? 

Good Earth Sweet and Spicy Tea

4. Your favorite Peanuts character? There are several quizzes online if you're curious...I took two and got the same character for both so I'm sure it's accurate lol. (Click here for the link)

I took the quiz. And I am  Charlie Brown.

You are Charlie Brown, an ambivert.

As an ambivert, you're both introverted and extroverted, depending on your mood or the situation. You're gentle and lovable, determined and hopeful. You mean well and care deeply about your friends. When it comes to failure, you stay optimistic, press on, and cheer for your friends to keep on going!

 

My favorite Peanuts character is Snoopy.

 

 5. Tell us about a job you worked 'for peanuts'? 

 

I worked/volunteered for Barron County Aging and Disability for the nutrition program. I worked two weeks on.. two weeks off for about 4 1/2 hours a day. I made $7.25 an hour. I was well aware of the pay 'peanuts'.  I did it because it was fun for me to serve our local community. I have good memories and lots of fun stories from my time making 'peanuts'.

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

Happy Read a Book Day and it is the 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. It's National Read A Book Day...whatcha' reading? What's a book you want to read? 

Three Sisters by Heather Morris is what I am currently reading. I plan to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, also by Heather Morris.

2. Which is better...having high expectations or low expectations? Explain why.  

I live by low expectations. That way I can be pleasantly surprised, instead of disappointed.

3. Serenity is________________________.  

 When I am busy in the garden. My garden does not feel like work to me, it brings me joy. Even when I am at war with Japaneses Beetles.

4. What's  the most interesting thing in your purse or pocket right now?  

 I have a deck of playing cards in my purse. We have been known to get a good ol card game going if we have a long wait.

 5. What helps you calm down? 

A long walk.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs 4:23

 

Hello September 2023

 

Sunflower Power

Hello Friends, Happy September

I am sharing with you some of the bouquets I designed this summer season.

 

The Power of Pink

The garden season was challenging for me this season as we were on the edge of being declared in an extreme drought. Challenges that I faced were short flower stems, irregular shaped flowers and slow growth. Another challenge was a Japaneses Beetle infestation. Earwigs use to be my least favorite insect, but the Japanese Beetle has taken the Earwigs place. In fact I have come to like Earwigs after dealing with Japanese Beetles.  I hate Japanese Beetles, hate, hate, hate them. They ate my dahlias and African marigolds before I could use many of them. Because of the beetles I will be looking at growing other variety of flowers that I hope they do not like.

 

Strawflowers a new favorite

I was able to keep up with my flower subscriptions and have the Flower Shack open once or twice a week.

I was not able to offer Special Occasion bouquets to the public, but I was able to fill  requests from friends and past customers.

 

Delivering Smiles

 

I am already planning what I will do different for the 2024 garden season. I will be trying a few new variety of flowers and I will stop growing a few others due to the beetle problems I mentioned above. 

Happy September 

♥

Carla

 

Foxglove beauties