It is a Blue Hawaii Hodgepodge

 

Footprints on the beach

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

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 

 1. When does time pass slowly for you? When does time past quickly for you? 

 

When I do not feel good time will pass slowly for me.

When I have time to spend with our kids, the time goes too fast.

 

 2. Do you have a favorite beach? What's your favorite 'beach' activity? Tell us what we'd find in your beach bag.

 

Wisconsin Point,  Lake Superior is my favorite beach.

I love to walk the beach looking for treasures.

In my beach bag you will find..

two beach towels, a bag for keeping treasures, water bottle, snacks and my camera.

 

 3. Your favorite book or movie with a beach setting? 

 

Blue Hawaii with Elvis Presley

I watched this movie the first time with my grandparents, my grandpa would sing along, it was great fun and fantastic memories.

 

 4. What's a food you love, but find it's a pain to eat? Is it worth it? 

 

Crab legs ... oh yes it is worth it. 

 

 5.  Do you like roller coasters? What's the best (or worst) roller coaster you've been on? 

 

I do not like roller coasters, I have never been on a roller coaster.

I know, how can I say I do not like roller coasters if I have never been on one. LOL!

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

When two people love each other, they don't look at each other, 

they look in the same direction.

Ginger Rogers

 

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

 

Millions and millions of maple seeds fell this spring, I am still finding them and pulling them up. It is weird I know to put this on my joy list.. but here is why..

that little maple seedling

 ♥ is determined

 ♥ shows me the power of nature.. that little seed will find a way to sprout.. reminding me that I too just need to keep on trying

 

 

I will not blow this photo up.. gross enough.. why on my joy list?

♥ it is healing

I had a terrible reaction to a bug bite. 

 

HELP... we are in a traffic jam and we are on the way to a special wedding.

Why on the joy list?

 ♥ we made it

 

 

My garden is doing so well this season.

And you know the answer to this one, why on my joy list?

 ♥ she loves her garden

 

 

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

 ♥

Carla

 

Raffle Tickets and the Hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday and it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

1. What's a characteristic you admire in others? Elaborate. 

I have three  friends that are going through some very difficult situations. I admire the resilience they demonstrate.

 2. Do you have a favorite mug? Let's see it. Why is this one your favorite? 

I have several favorite mugs. I will share one that my mom gifted me a few years ago. I bring the mug out after Thanksgiving and I drink my morning coffee in it during the holiday season. I like it because it has the vintage scene on it and it is from my mom.

 

 3. July 15th is/was National Give Something Away Day...will you (or did you, depending on what day you answer these questions) give something away? If so what? Do you regularly give away or do you tend to  'accumulate'?

This past weekend my husband and I cleaned a section of our basement. We took a load to Goodwill on July, 12. The load had a lot of seasonal outdoor decor that we no longer put out on display.

 I try not to 'accumulate'.

 

4. You're planning a trip. Do you prefer exploring big cities or smaller, more off the grid towns? World Atlas lists these 12 'off the grid' towns to see in 2025. How many on the list have you seen? Of those listed which one would you most like to visit? Tell us why? 

Boothbay Harbor Maine, Middlebury Vermont, New Hope Pennsylvania, Rehoboth Beach Delaware, Brevard North Carolina, Saugatuck Michigan, Medora North Dakota, Ouray Colorado, Lamoille Nevada, Neah Bay Washington, Hood River Oregon, or Cambria California

*You can read more about each destination by clicking the link above. 

We would enjoy exploring the smaller towns.

I have been to Medora, North Dakota.

I would enjoy visiting Boothbay Harbor, Maine. We would enjoy the history and taking the sailing excursion to see the whales, seals, puffins and more. 

5. Have you ever...ridden a motorcycle? been to a Disney park? met a celebrity? won a contest? Tell us something about whatever you answered yes to on this list. 

I have not ridden a motorcycle.

I have not been to a Disney park.

I have not met a celebrity.

I have won a contest.

A little side story regarding raffle tickets. There is a fella in our local area that is considered the Raffle King. He sells raffle tickets, lots of raffle tickets. I became friends with him years ago while I was working for the Cameron Community Center.

After I left that position, we reminded friends and I would purchase raffle tickets from him when I saw him around town. He had a health event that caused him not to be able to get out as often, but no worries, he would mail me raffle tickets with a sweet letter. He always was sure I had some #12 tickets, because he knows #12 is my favorite number.

 

 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon ~ who could not be happy.

Oscar Wilde

 

Little Plants and Big Plants

 

 

Hello Friends, we will go for a walk around the garden. 

 

Cucumbers, they are my very favorite and I cannot wait to eat the first one of the season.

 

 

I planted a succulent into a dish that is used to hold a scrubby. I like how it is growing. 

 

My cabbage continues to grow. 

 

I am loving this combo.

 

 

Some of my little plants.

 

 

Make today so awesome, yesterday gets jealous.

Avani Sharma

 

Time Management and it is The Hodgepodge

 

Be sure to bring some bug spray!

 

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. What's an adult problem nobody prepared you for? 

Time management.. where do the days go? 

Actually my grandpa warned me about it, he would say "the older you get the faster the day goes" he just forgot to prepare me for it.

 2. How tuned in are you to all the recent food related health news? Have you gotten rid of your scratched cookware? Did you pay attention to food additives before they made the news? What's one healthy eating/cooking/food shopping habit you need to adopt? 

I am somewhat tuned in. We do not have any scratched cookware that I am aware of? We have used cast iron for years and years.

Yes, we did pay attention to the food additives before they made the news... but now I know way more.

Seed oils are an area that I need to look at more during my shopping.

 3. What's getting worse and worse as you get older? How about better and better? 

My eye sight is getting worse and worse. I wear progressive glasses, it is a complicated relationship that we have.

Better, I have gotten better at saying, No, to things I do not enjoy doing. And that has taken a long, long time to get better at. 

4. Are you more of an indoor person or an outdoor person? Elaborate. 

I am an outdoor person.

You can find me..

in the garden

paddling on the water

hiking in the woods

snowshoeing

 skiing 

or 

sitting on the porch with a good book.

 

  5. If you had an expert personal assistant today, what would you have them do? 

I have a stack of clothes to be ironed. I do not like to iron... so personal assistant where are you?? 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

We need the tonic of wildness..

We can never have enough of nature.

Henry David Thoreau

 

 

Independence Day Playlist

 

♪♫♫♫♪ A few years ago my husband created our Independence Day playlist, we have added to the list each year. Here are some of the songs we have on our Independence Day playlist. ♪♫♫♫♪

 

The Star-Spangled Banner

Lee Greenwood - God Bless the USA

Centerfield - John Fogerty

Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie

Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

Song of the South - Alabama

Fishing in the Dark - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Little Bitty - Alan Jackson

 Highwayman - The Highwaymen

On The Road Again - Willie Nelson

Jackson - Johnny Cash and June Carter

Hello Mary Lou - The Statler Brothers

American Made - The Oak Ridge Boys

The Gambler - Kenny Rogers

Faithfully - Journey

Your Love - The Outfield

Born in the U.S.A - Bruce Springsteen

Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp

 

 

♪♫♫♫♪ That is just a few of the songs we have on our Independence Day playlist, it is over 6  hours long. What would you add? ♪♫♫♫♪

We also have several polka's on our playlist..

Beer Barrel Polka - Roll Out the Barrel  

♥

Carla

 

 

Happy Birthday America and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Happy Birthday America

and it is the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 

 1. What does freedom mean to you? 

This is a difficult question for me to answer, because I could take it in so many directions. I have decided to take it regarding food.

Freedom to me means you have the right to decided what is best for you and your family. 

I will share an example of how I look at freedom...

If you want to drink raw milk, you should be able to drink raw milk. 

I already know what some people will say to me, "Carla, drinking raw milk has risks. People can get sick." 

My answer to this is, "How can you have freedom without risks."

I was raised on drinking raw milk. 

2. How will you celebrate Independence Day this year? If you live outside the USA answer this question as it relates to your own country's patriotic holiday, wherever that may land on the calendar.

We will be celebrating America's birthday as a family in August. This Independence Day our family is going in different directions.

3. This or that...red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Watermelon, home made ice cream, or blueberry pie? How do you feel about fireworks? 

I love blue!! It is my favorite color.

Stars!!

Home made ice cream!!

I like fireworks. 

 

4. What have you purchased recently that made you excited?

A gift for my husband, it will be here this week. I am excited to give it to him.

5. I'm thankful to live in America (or fill in whatever country you call home) because____________.

 I am proud to live in America, because I am proud of the freedoms we have as a nation. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

"Common sense is seeing things as they are and doing things as they ought to be."

Harriet Beecher Stowe

 

 

New Blooms and Growth

 

Hello Friends,

The garden is busting. Each day it changes, new blooms and new growth.

I will give you a little tour. 

Above are our onions, I am concerned I planted the onions too deep?

Let us move on to the flowers... 

 

The front garden. I have worked on this garden to have never ending blooms from early spring to late autumn. I am so pleased with how it is looking this season.

 

Looking at the below photo you will see this gardeners feet and her prize cabbage. Oh how excited I am to make fresh from the garden coleslaw, one of my favorite summer harvest treats.

 

We have been eating fresh strawberries daily, picking some to add to our morning breakfast or to add into our drinks.

Our roses are having a fantastic season, as you walk past our climbing rose you can hear, buzz, buzz, buzz, it is loaded with bees. 

 

"Hours fly

flowers die

new days

new ways pass by

love stays"

July is Knock, Knock, Knocking and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Bayfield, Wisconsin   June 2025

 

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

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 

1. What does adventure mean to you? 

Heading out with the ones I love to explore new places and places that we have visited many times before. 

Starting something new and unknown can also feel like an adventure to me.

Below are photos of a recent road trip to Lake Superior.. one of my favorite places to go on an adventure.

 2.  What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

Enjoying Fish and Chips on the shores of Lake Superior

 

I worked as a waitress and those tips come in handy. I do think one needs to earn the tip. If the job is not well done, well you do not tip as much as for a job that is well done.

We tip our waitress and waiters. I tip Heather who cuts my hair. 

I do not resent being asked if I would like to tip.

I decide on the amount I want to tip.

 

 3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream...do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What's your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream...what's your pleasure? 

We do like ice cream. We do not eat it daily. It is a true treat, so it is once in awhile.

I love Chip and Mint ice cream.

I do like a good soft serve. A favorite place to stop for ice cream is Culvers. 

 

 4. What's your 'back in my day, we____________________ ' story or saying? 

My boys have heard me say this over and over in the last few years..

'back in my day, sports was sports, we did not add political agendas to sports.'

We just enjoyed watching the game. 

 

 5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives.

 

 Blooming

Historical

Peaceful

 

 We visited Bayfield, Wisconsin in the first weeks of June. We enjoyed  garden tours in many of the historical areas of Bayfield. 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

  A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.

Winston Churchill

 

He Grew Hair

 

 This fella is along our river walk.  In early spring he was bald. 

 

During our walk last week, we noticed he has decided to grow his hair out.

Ha Ha!

Happy Monday!

 ♥

Carla

 

 

Hello Summer and It is the Hodgepodge

 

 

Hello Summer and it is the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

1. Summer officially begins this week (in the northern hemisphere)...what was your favorite thing to do in the summer when you were a kid? What do you like most about summer now? 

Family would come to visit from Southern Wisconsin. I enjoyed playing and visiting with my aunts, uncles and cousins.

And what do I like most about summer now? The same thing, we get together as a family one weekend every summer. We laugh, get out on the water kayaking, fishing, campfires, enjoy delicious food and we have s'mores.  

 2.  Something you'll celebrate this summer? 

I guess I answered this above. We will celebrate family. 

  3. Summer tastes like? Smells like? Sounds like? 

Summer tastes like?

Watermelon!!

Summer smells like?

The beach!!

Summer sounds like?

Road construction .. the below photo was taken from our bedroom window.

 

 4. June 18th is National Splurge Day...what's the last thing you splurged on? What might you splurge on today? 

What is the last thing we splurged on? Cheese! We love Gouda cheese. Marieke Gouda in Thorp, Wisconsin makes the best Gouda. We don't live close by, so when we had a recent road trip that way, we stopped and splurged to fill the cheese drawer in the refrigerator.

Click here if you want to learn more about Marieke Gouda 

 

I will not be doing any splurging today.

 

 5. Share a favorite summer quote, saying, song lyric, or meme. 

 

"And you know it's not so much the heat as it is the gosh darn humidity"

 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We enjoyed a special Father's Day with our boys. 

We went to a local baseball game, it was a fun game, lots of action and of course spending the day with family, that is what it is all about.

  ♥

 

Early June in the Garden

 

 

Hello Friends, the garden changes daily. I will probably be a week behind in showing you the changes here on the blog. The garden keeps me busy, but I love it and would not want it any other way. Today I am sharing some photos of our garden in early June.

 

 

 

Be on the look out for a green garden friend in the below photo.

 

 

Did you find him?

 

 

We feed the orioles oranges, that is why you see oranges hanging on a bird-feeder. 

 

 

I will be excited to share this pot with you as it fills out. I am excited for the combination I planted in this pot. Yes, you spy maple seeds in the pot. We had HUNDREDS of maple seeds fall this season. Since this photo was taken, this pot has been cleaned of maple seeds. We had buckets and buckets of the maple seeds. My aunt Sharon shared with me it happens every three years or so, the maples go crazy producing their seeds.

 

Note... clean the rain gutters of all the maple seeds.

If I could have .05 cents for each maple seed, I just might be rich.

 

 

I seek quiet joys. 

John Clare 

 

Enjoy your week my dear friends.

♥ 

Carla