Happy Blueberry Day and it is the Hodgepodge

 

The above photo is a pitcher of refreshing blueberry/lemon verbena infused water.

YUM!

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 something you enjoy now that your younger self would never have appreciated? 

 Coffee

When I was younger I did not like coffee. Today I appreciate the different roasts, coffee beans and the ways to make coffee. My favorite way to enjoy coffee is making a cup of pour over coffee.  My second is french press. My third is camp coffee.

 

 2. What was peaceful about today? 

Watering my potted plants. 

 

 3. It's National Blueberry Day (July 8). Will you celebrate?  You can have one of the following right now-a slice of blueberry pie, a warm blueberry muffin, or a stack of blueberry pancakes...which do you choose?

 Wisconsin blueberries come into season late July. We usually go to a pick your own farm to pick fresh blueberries to freeze to enjoy during the winter. 

 

I do make a delicious blueberry muffin. And now I am hungry for just that.

 This or that-blueberries or raspberries? raspberries 

blueberries or strawberries? blueberries

 

 4. Do you need a break? From what? 

I currently am doing alright, because we have been receiving rain once a week. Otherwise I would answer, "I need a break from watering the garden."

 

  

5. What has surprised you most about getting older? 

The trouble I am having with my eyes. My eyesight is one thing. And now I have dry eye. It got very bad this spring. I recently saw my optometrist, she recommended some drops I will start this week.  

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My summer display is filling out nicely.  

 

Let Freedom Ring

 

 

Happy Birthday, USA!

♪♫♪ From The Mountains, To The Prairies, To The Oceans, White With Foam ♪♫♪

God Bless America

 

Eternal Vigilance Is The Price of Liberty.

Thomas U.P. Charlton

 

  And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea. 

 ♥

Carla 

Happy Birthday America and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!

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. What do you love most about your country? 

I live in the USA.  I love the spirit American's have to go help. No matter the situation, you will find everyday American's go help.

An example:

Steve Svendsen is a local pastor. He was stuck in Haiti when the country collapsed in 2024. He was rescued by regular citizens. Below is a snip-it of  an article written by Ruth Erickson a local journalist. 

 

The Rev. Steven Svendsen, a local pastor who spent Feb. 26-March 10 teaching at the Haiti Bible Institute in Haiti, only to find no way out of the country when hoping to depart a week ago due to an uprising of gang violence, arrived back on American soil on Sunday.

"Thanks for all the praying and encouragement, friends," Svendsen posted about 5:30 p.m. Sunday. "Thank you Mercury One and Congressman Cory Mills for a heroic rescue. I'm back in the USA. I have been in three countries today. There is no place like home. We have it really good here."

 

2. Your favorite patriotic song? 

The Star-Spangled Banner 

 

 3. Red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Something you own besides a US flag with some combination of those colors or decorations as part of its design? 

I am a big fan of blue. I have a lot of blue decorations. Our home has blue trim. 

My husband and I have T-shirts for the big 250th birthday that are red, white and blue. And has stars. 

 

 

 4. What's one thing you want more of this summer: fun, rest, adventure, connection, quiet, or confidence? Elaborate. 

 

We are planning on having more adventures.  

We will have our annual family gathering in August, we spend several days together at the farm. We have the opportunity to have fun, rest, find adventure, connect with each other after not seeing each other for a long while. 

 

5. What was your ultimate, go-to summer activity when you were a kid? Do you still do any version of that today? If you answered yes, does participating in this activity as an adult make you feel like a kid?  

 

I loved swimming. We would head to the lake and go swimming weekly, sometimes daily. If we did not make it to the lake, we would go down to the river to swim.

I no longer swim as much as I use to do. Mostly, because I have to travel. When I was a kid, the river was in the backyard.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 
 

 

Heading North

 

Episode #17 

We went to our favorite place on earth for our day date #17, Lake Superior.

We enjoyed doing a lot of stuff this day, it was a full day.

We visited Tetzner's Dairy.

Visited Houghton Falls.

Stopped at Siskiwit Falls.

Enjoyed dinner with my parents. We met up for a smelt fry.

I pressed spring flowers along the way.

It was a fun, full day up North. 

We purchased fresh smoked fish. Fresh from the waters of Lake Superior.

 

Siskiwit Falls 

 

Visiting Tetzner's Dairy

We came home with fresh ice cream!

We enjoyed a homemade ice cream sandwich.

I was picking spring flowers and pressing them as we traveled.

Thank you for coming along with me on our day date #17.

How do you like the added art work to this sign? I am finding a lot of additional touches to the signs on our adventures.

 

#15 & #16

 Hi Friends,

For those of you following along with our 52 Day Dates, I am going to do some catch up here the next few weeks. You will notice my photos are of spring, not the full summer that we are currently in. Hang in there with me, hopefully I will get caught up here.

Episode #15

Honey Help and Cook Together 

 

I was busy cleaning gardens. I had my climbing plants to clean off the tip top of our obelisks. Our Day Date became an afternoon of Honey Do. We worked together on the projects that I am not able to do without some help.

 

 

 We made dinner together. 

 

 

 We made one of our favorite one pan meals, Cajun Shrimp. We had sweet corn on the side. It was great to get a few projects done and make a delicious meal.

 

Episode #16 

Spring Walk

We went for a beautiful spring walk at Veteran's Park.

The frogs started to sing, spring, spring, spring. We saw turtles sunbathing. The loons were back on the lake for the summer. It was a fun hike seeing everything wake up from a winter's sleep. And those who migrate back for the summer, loons, ducks and geese.

 

To be continued...  

Happy Summer and It is the Hodgepodge

 

Happy Summer 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. Summer's here!  In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you're in the southern hemisphere substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? What's your biggest summer pet peeve? 

 

  I love the long days of summer. 

My pet peeve is the humidity. That gosh darn humidity.

 

 2. What song always reminds you of summer?

I attended girl scout camp each summer as a young girl. I loved singing the songs that we did. In the morning, noon and night we would sing.  It was great fun. I love hearing camp songs. My memories will go right back to all the fun of girl scout camp.

This Land is Your Land

A Boy and A Girl in a Little Canoe

B I N G O

The Other Day I Met A Bear 

 

3. What's something you remember about your childhood summers? Do you think kids today get to enjoy summer the way you did as a child? Elaborate.   

 We would play all day outside. We would play all night outside. At night we would play a game with our neighbors, we would hide and seek at night. It was great fun. I must admit, my friend Paulette was the best at giving you a fright. We loved it. We would do it over and over.

I did not grow up with screens, computers or hand held devices. So life was much different for me growing up in many ways. 

 4. We celebrate Fathers Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa. 

 I have the love of nature. That is something I was taught by my dad. I accompanied him many times in the woods during the hunting seasons. He taught me to listen to the woods. I loved our adventures hiking along the river. He taught me to respect the river, any body of water for that matter. We would have to hike to a special place along the river to go Musky fishing. It was not an easy hike to get there, but once we got there it was a great day. It was one of my favorite adventures we would take.

 

5. Let's wrap up with a summer this or that-

• flip flops or sandals         sandals
• beach or pool       beach
• watermelon or peaches     peaches
• shorts or sundress     shorts
• iced coffee or ice cold lemonade   iced coffee
• amusement park or water park    water park

 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 " A Joy Shared Is A Joy Doubled"

 

 

 

Thrift Finds

 

An outside water dish for Ernie. 

Another fun thrift find. I love the paw prints.

 

The thrifting jackpot. 

My husband and I love NORTH. When we ask each other were we want to go spend the day, we will say along the shores of Lake Superior. We get in the car, and head North. I was so excited to find this North highway sign.  I have big plans for the display that I plan to do using the sign. The sign is up. Now I wait for the shelving that will go with it. Stay tuned.

 

I can get swooped in by dishes. I usually have to say no. I do not really need anymore dishes. Hee Hee!  My husband and I could not help ourselves with these. Daffodils are our wedding flower. These are fun happy spring dishes.

My husband also found a tackle-box for his fishing gear. 

I picked up some craft paper. 

We had a fun day out of thrifting.

 

 

On the Trail

 

 

Hello Friends,

We recently hiked at Interstate State Park, St. Croix, Wisconsin.

I took a few photos of the other sights we saw.

 

 

STAY GREEN

 

 

SUNBEAM

 

 

MUST BALL OUT!

 

And bones in a tree.

 

It is a Summer Salad Hodgepodge

 

We are trying to save the strawberries. We have several robin nests on the property. They like to dine in the strawberry patch. I have placed bird netting on top of the berry plants, in hopes we will be able to enjoy some fresh strawberries.

It is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 1. June 17th, 1994 was the day of the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase. What were you doing in 1994? I'm guessing somebody is going to tell me they weren't born yet but that's part of the fun of the Hodgepodge. Lots of generations are represented here. 

I was working as a lifeguard. I worked as a lifeguard during my college summers.

  2. What's your favorite summer salad that isn't the traditional tossed green lettuce kind of salad? Do you like fresh fruit in a salad (other than in a fruit salad of course)?

I love a fresh tomato, cucumber and aged Gouda cheese salad. I like to sprinkle a bit of Raspberry Blush Vinegar and  sea salt  on to the salad. Let it sit to bring out the flavors.

 Yes, I will add our fresh strawberries to our green lettuce salad. Later in the season I will add raspberries. I love that I can walk out the back door and pick our dinner salad in the summer months.

 3. Is chivalry dead? Should it be? 

I think it is pretty much dead in my neck of the woods. We did teach our boys to be gentlemen. I am blessed to say that I have seen both of these grown men hold doors and help elderly women. 

I am an old soul, so no, I do not think it should be dead. 

 4. Would you rather spend a week of your summer vacation in Hawaii or Alaska? Have you ever been to either? Are they two places you really would like to see? How do you feel about 'Hawaiian pizza' aka pineapple on a pizza? Have you ever eaten Baked Alaska? 

  Alaska!!

I have not been to either. But my sister would work in Hawaii for several weeks during the winter months. She would bring treats back for us. YUM!

I would really like to visit Alaska. My great uncle Jerome homesteaded in Alaska before it became a state.

I like 'Hawaiian pizza' and yes, I have eaten Baked Alaska.

 

5. World Cup play is happening now...are you interested? Watching any matches? Did you or your children play soccer/futbol? There are eleven US cities hosting matches-

-Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York with the stadium in NJ, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle

along with  three cities in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey)

and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver)-

You get free tickets to one of these matches. Which city do you choose? Tell us why. 

Yes, our oldest played soccer.

No,  I am not currently watching the World Cup.

I would choose Vancouver, Canada. My husband and I both want to tour Canada someday, so this would start the journey.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Happy Father's Day

I have a memory that has been coming back to me about my dad. I grew up on a dairy farm. Before milking the cows in the summer months, my dad would stand in the middle of the driveway, toss a tennis ball in the air, hit it with a bat and it would sail over the barn roof. My sister and I thought it was so amazing. The strongest man on earth. 

 ♥

 

Episode #24

 

 Hello Friends, I last shared episode #14 with you on our day dates, I am rather behind. Today I am jumping to episode #24. I plan to stay current and go back to share our past day dates. I will tell you, life is full and I will take that as a blessing. My goal is not to fall behind again. 

Friday, June 12 we took a trip to Interstate State Park, St. Croix, Wisconsin. 

Looking across the river is Minnesota, "Hello Minnesota". 

Click here for more about Interstate State Park 

 We decided to hike Silverbrook Trail. We have visited Interstate many times when our kids where growing up, but we never hiked this trial.

Below is some information about the remains of the mansion that once was. 

You are able to see much of the foundation, the old mine and the natural spring. 

 

The weather was beautiful. We had high humidity earlier in the week creating some nasty storms. Friday was a perfect Wisconsin summer day. We did see some storm damage on our hike.

Team Day Date

 

 

We set off to find the hidden waterfall.

 

 

I love the sound of water, we could hear the falls before we could see it.

Later in the evening we did have a thunderstorm, you can see the clouds forming in the below photo. 

 

We enjoyed a fun dinner at the Drive In before heading home.

 

The Weather and Hodgepodge

 

Hello Friends,

No snow alert today. How about a humidity alert. Wisconsin is hot and humid. We have nasty storms in the forecast for the next few day.

Enough about the weather, it is time for the hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1.  How would you define 'the good life'? 

I am living the good life. I have a beautiful home, garden, family, and friends.

I have my health.  

I have the freedoms that many do not have in our world.

I am thankful.

  2.  What's the most used app on your phone (and are you proud of that)? 

Weather App

I can look at the weather App, not believe what I just read. Open the App again in hopes it changed. I do this often during the winter when the temperature is -25 and the wind chill is -50!! I am in hopes the forecast will change in the matter of seconds I close and open the App.  The next few days we are going to have stormy weather, once again I will be checking often. 

3. 'Every rose has it's thorn', 'everything's coming up roses', 'looking through rose-colored glasses', 'it's no bed of roses' or 'stop and smell the roses'...which rose idiom best relates to something in your life currently. Explain.  

 

 I am going to say 'stop and smell the roses'. My husband and I are taking time each week to do something a bit different as a day date. We are going for one a week. So far we have done well, we have been creative. Some weeks the day date is very simple, with making dinner together. I will post soon on our progress. 

 4. How do you feel about floral flavorings in food or drink (rose, hibiscus, elderflower, lavender)? 

If we are talking tea, I love herbal teas and many have rose, hibiscus, elderflower and lavender in them. 

I have enjoyed different main course meals and desserts with lavender.  

5. Over the course of your life what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else?  

 Pondering about my boys. Thinking about how they are doing in life now as grown men. And back when they were little, pondering on how well I was parenting them.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 Carl Buechner

This and That

 

Our lupines bloomed so well this season.

 

Happy June my friends,

The year is flying by for me. I am struggling to keep up with all the adventures I want to share with you here on the blog. Yes, we are still doing our 52 day dates, but I have not been able to keep up posting. One day I will dump it all on you. 

We went thrifting for one of our day dates. We had a great day and found a treasure. I will get around to sharing soon. 

In the meantime, let us go for a stroll in the garden. Meet our new kitty, pick out your favorite bouquet to take home and take a peek at a special gift.

 

 

Our son Sam needed help with one of his kitties, Benny. We adopted Benny. He is adjusting well to his new home.

 

 

We celebrated our wedding anniversary on May 31st. Our friend J made us this lovely pillow. Each rectangle is a piece of history. The cloth is from the 1930's.

(a rich history dating back to the 1930s when flour companies began printing colorful designs and sewing patterns on cotton bags to help struggling families make their own clothing during the Great Depression)

 

Flowers and more flowers. Photos of a few bouquets I have made.

 Our peony have done so well this season.

 

 

Decorating for the big birthday party. I created a red, white and blue theme of planters on the front deck. I will share more as they grow and fill in.

 

 

I also created a bed with red, white, blue flowers and plants that is at the front of our property that you can see from the street. Happy Birthday America!

 

 

Taking a peek at one more bouquet. Iris, peony and bees balm are used in this bouquet.

Do you have a favorite? 

 

♥

Carla