Here is to the Red, White and Blue and the Hodgepodge

 

A red, white and blue pot along our daily walk. I snapped this photo last year. We are just starting to plant out our flowers. Last week we dipped down to 35 degrees, but I think we are finally going to be frost free... fingers and toes crossed, this is Wisconsin.

 I too have gotten in the red, white and blue spirit for America's big birthday.  My planters are just getting started, I will share them with you soon.

On to the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names? 

 Yes, I like my name. My middle name is Jane, that is the same as my grandma Vida. She was Vida Jane and I am Carla Jane.

We are blessed to have two boys.

Our first son, Samuel Charles. Samuel is named after my grandpa Samuel. And his middle name is after my father.

Atticus Roy is our second son. I will let you guess where the name Atticus came from and Roy was my grandpa Lepke's first name.

 2.  A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose? 

I will have a slice of blueberry pie please.

I would pick strawberry shortcake as my second red, white or blue dessert.

  3.  What's a job you'd like to try for just one day? 

I would like to be a Lineman for a day. I think it is fascinating how it all works, not that I really understand it all, keeping our power grid going in all weather. 

I am sure there is a rush of energy that comes when they are called out after a storm to get that grid back up and running. 

 4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer? 

Yes, I have our front deck all decked out in red, white and blue. I am just waiting for the flowers to bloom a bit for photos. 

Our American flag is flying proudly and I have some small flags in my pots. 

It is a big birthday for America!!

We are ready to celebrate!!

 5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!  

Mother's day fun,

Amongst the busy of spring,

Yes, said years ago, brings a little boys birthday cheer too. 

 I am not good at this.. Hee Hee...

We started our May with  Mother's Day. We are full of spring garden clean up and planting.  We celebrate our youngest son's birthday and on May 31st is our wedding anniversary. 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

From Columnist Harvey Mackay

Time is free, but it is priceless.

You can't own it, but you can use it.

You can't keep it, but you can spend it.

Once you have lost it, you can never get it back.

 

 

 

Memorial Day 2026

 

Hello Friends,

I am sharing a post I wrote in 2024. 

It is a good reminder to read about the bravery of our men and women. 

This is a story about a World War II soldier from Wisconsin. 

Enjoy...  

Today I am going to share a story I read in our Wisconsin Outdoor News. The author of the story is Dean Bortz. 

The Wisconsin Outdoor News 2023 Person of the Year, Rueben Kolpack. He is 103 years old and is the oldest licensed Wisconsin deer hunter.

Oh he has many milestones, I will share a few with you..

World War II soldier.

Recipient of the Silver Star for gallantry in action, the Purple Heart, African/European Medal, Victory Medal, and a Belgian medal on the recommendation of the French government.

Married 77 years to his wife, Lucille, who passed away in March at age 97, just five days short of her 98th birthday.

Father to six children.

 Successful farmer.

 

 

I want to share a few things from the article that Rueben shared.

Rueben grew up speaking German. While he was at basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas an officer asked if anyone could speak German. Once Uncle Sam figured out Kolpack could speak German, he was sent to radio school and then to the 2nd Armored Division where he was a radio operator and interpreter in a tank battery.

It was a tough duty. He saw a lot of things he'd rather not have had to witness - the huge cost of human lives on the beach of Normandy, the tank ahead of him getting blown to bits by a German Tiger tank and its 88 mm cannon.

"If it weren't for the grace of God, I wouldn't be here today. It was a miracle anyone survived the mortar attack where I was wounded. The stronghold was just 200 yards away on the ridge above us. Those mortar rounds just kept landing around us and the command tank. When people say there isn't a God, they're lying to themselves.

He was struck by a mortar that damaged his right leg. He spent four months in the hospital and was not fully recovered when he was forced back into war for the Battle of the Bulge because of losses in his unit.  

 ♥ ♥ ♥

 

 

Sound Off!!

 Hello Friends, 

Today is going to be a sound off, just to get some stuff off my chest.

I first will start with the USPS. 

I do have to say, my grandma was a rural mail carrier for 40 years. I rode with her on her route. We had so much fun together. I would ride in the back with all the mail. She was loved on her route and she took pride in her work.

I am not sure what is going on with today's USPS, but it is a mess. I wonder if we are going backwards instead of forwards.

 

For several years I have ordered our onion sets from a fantastic grower in Texas. I have not had one bit of trouble with receiving our order in fine condition, until this year.

I received confirmation our onions shipped. A week went by, still no onions on my doorstep? I was looking at the tracking and it looked like our onions where stuck in Ohio.

I contacted the company I deal with, they said they noticed the USPS is no longer updating the tracking information on the sight. WHAT??? CRAZY??

The next week our onions came... 

Our box of onion sets came soaking wet, when I opened the box the onions had mold all around them and smelled awful. 

They had gotten wet, left to sit and rot. 

 

 Thankfully the grower we order from sent out a replacement order for us immediately. 

The reason I am sounding off on the USPS is something honestly has happened to the service we once had, I do not know what the trouble is?

Short staffed?

Our carrier is a sweetheart, I know she does the best she can. Is something going on higher up making the USPS crash and burn? We no longer get mail daily. 

Any thoughts?

Next up...  

Below is a peek of just a wee bit of the mess behind our fence from our backyard neighbor.

Click here to get the rest of the story  

I shared the story about our backyard neighbor in the above post.

Sadly, he broke one of our fence panels moving more junk, a freezer, into his backyard along our fence this past week.

My husband fixed our fence and reinforced it to be ready for whatever may come next.

 

 

Keeping it real here my friends. The blog world can look all pretty and perfect, but in honesty we all are dealing with ups and downs. 

  Keep Calm and Carry On!!

Pink and White Confetti and it is the Hodgepodge

 

It is time for the pink and white confetti. Our apple trees will soon start to drop pink and white confetti. It will dance in the wind and fill the ground with pink and white. 

And it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions. 

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. What do you make more complicated than it needs to be? 

I am going to answer what took me forever to do just the other day. I was adjusting my car seat. I went up and down, back and forth several times, I think I ended up in the same place I started.  

2. What impresses you?  

Honesty!!

 3. On a scale of 1-10 how picky of an eater are you?  (1=extremely and 10=not at all) If you had to eat a meal made entirely of one color what color would you choose? 

 

I am a food snob nowadays because I want to know more about what I am eating. What is in it? Where was it grown? What has been sprayed on it. I read labels. I like to know where my meat comes from, I am really picky about that. 

I would say I am a 3. 

I will pick green. It would be a huge garden salad that came from our garden. I know what has been sprayed on it, NOTHING!!  

 4. What does balance in life mean to you? Does your life currently feel 'balanced'? 

I had to chuckle, because this has been an issue I have been writing about in my journal. I like to have routine in my days. I feel I get more done that way and I feel more 'balanced'. Not all days go as planned and soon I feel like I am 'spinning' like I felt last week. 

 5. If you could travel the world for a year what would be your first destination? 

It would be the UK!!

I have a love for the UK and I have blog buddies I would like to meet.  

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

They do not last long, but we soak in the beauty while they are in bloom. 

Welcome to the Greenhouse

 

 

Hello Friends,

Welcome to my greenhouse. It is busting full at the moment. This week I will start to plant out cold hardy plants. We have some cold nights in our forecast for this week, so I will wait on planting out peppers and tomatoes. 

My greenhouse is unheated, just the power of the sun keeps my greenhouse cozy.

I have tired different ways to retain heat in my greenhouse during the cold spring nights. I have pavers as one section of flooring in hopes they heat up during the day and slowly cool down in the evening. I have tried black buckets of water heating in the sun and placing them in the greenhouse at night to slowly cool down.

 Soon we should be free of frosty nights up here in Northwest Wisconsin and the growing season will get on the way.

 

 

Strawberry plants that I started from last years strawberry plants.

 

 A peek at my lettuce patch.

 

 

This is me.. my husband caught me coming out of the greenhouse saying "where am I going to put all these plants?"

We had to downsize our garden last autumn after the growing season for an upcoming garage build. It is hard for me to downsize my garden. I already have been planning just how to squeeze in and save as many plants as I can before the construction starts.

 

 Welcome to the Greenhouse!!

Over the Rainbow and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday my friends, planting the garden is on the agenda for the next few weeks. We will work on planting the plants that are cold hardy first. As the days and nights continue to warm we will start to plant out our peppers, tomatoes and tropical flowers.

On to the Hodgepodge..

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1. What's one piece of advice you would you give a recent or soon-to-be graduate? 

Hold tight to the dreams you have today and walk with God in their direction. 

 

2. May 15th marks the birth date of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At this point in time are you more in need of brains, courage, heart, or a trip back home? Explain. 

Brains.. I am taking on a painting project. I will be using paint I have not worked with before. I need to study up on the best way to tackle this project. 

 3.  "There's no place like home" is an oft repeated line from Baum's book. When was the last time you felt the truth of that statement? 

We live about two hours from my hometown and our family farm. It is always good to take a trip back home. It is usually at Thanksgiving and Christmas when we all get together. For the past three years, I only see my sister during Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Our family will travel back "home" a few times during the year. Our next big family time on the farm will be our summer weekend of fishing, kayaking, fireworks and more.

  

4. May is National BBQ Month...do you own a grill? Who does the grilling at your house? What's your favorite thing to throw on the grill? What's the last thing you grilled? 

 

We do own a Weber grill. My husband does all the grilling at our house. I love how my husband grills fish, especially trout. YUM!

My husband grilled a turkey on Sunday for our annual Mother's Day dinner. We have been doing this for my mom for many years. It is something she looks forward to each Mother's Day. We host a fun dinner, and grilled turkey is the showstopper on the menu. 

And dessert too. 

 

 5. What's a memory you replay in your head when you need a little joy? 

 

Oh, it would be a memory with our boys. We have enjoyed so many good times. We still do. They know how to make their mom laugh. 

  

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

If you need me, I will be out in the garden.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

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

 

 ♥ visits with both of my son's

♥ special Mother's Day gifts 

 ♥ spending time with my parents on Mother's Day

 ♥ fresh rhubarb, made into rhubarb crisp

 ♥ the first homegrown salad

 ♥ evening walks with my husband and Ernie too

 ♥

Carla 

 

 

 

May the Month of Hope and it is the Hodgepodge

 

May 2023 ~ Yep, that is snow!

 

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. What's something you may do this month?

We hope to go out on our kayaks.

 

2. Hola! Hodgepodge Day lands just after Cinco de Mayo... how do you feel about Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? Do you make it at home or is it a strictly dine out option?  

 I like Mexican food. We are fortunate to have a very good Mexican restaurant in our neighboring city. 

Enchilada are a favorite of mine.

Yes, we have made enchiladas at home. 

 

3. When the children of today grow up what do you think they'll say about this time period? What do you most hope they remember?  

 My neighbor to the right of us has kids. Her son is five and her daughter is a teenager. The other day I was working outside in the garden, they were playing out in the yard. It is often to hear police sirens in the distance. (sad to say) The sirens were getting louder as they came closer to our direction. 

I heard the young girl say, "I wonder what happened?" 

 Her little brother answered, " oh, someone killed someone."

It broke my heart. 

I hope they will remember the kindness they received from their gardening neighbor, instead of the current events on the local news channel.  

 4. What advice would you give a new mother? 

 Remember your marriage ... it is easy to get caught up in motherhood. 

You are busy.

You are tired.

The to do list never ends.

My advice... 

 Make it a priority to make time with your sweetheart. 

It makes you a better mom, wife and your sweetheart will benefit from this time too. 

 

If this advice is going out to a single mom. 

Make time for friends or some self care time.

 

 5. What's a phrase your mother often said to you? If you're a mom do you say it to your own children? 

Sleep tight and do not let the bedbugs bite.   

Yes, I sure did.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

  May is the month of expectation. The month of wishes. The month of hope.

Emily Bronte

Composting 101

 

 

Hello Friends,

I am going to share some tips I have learned along the way about composting.

The photos I will share are of our new compost bins that my husband built for us last October. Our bins are tucked in the corner of our backyard, you cannot see them from the main garden.

We use pallets to make our compost bins, we have a rotation of three.

We have one pile cooking while we use the other.

Here we go with composting 101...

 

 

 We line our pallets with cardboard.

 You need a mix of brown... dead leaves, old soil from pots, dead plants.

You need a mix of green... kitchen waste, egg shells, coffee grounds.

Oh and you can toss cardboard and newspaper in the compost too.

You do not want to put sick plants in the compost. It would be better to toss them into the garbage if you are able or burn them.

 

 

 We turn our pile as we add more waste.

You may need to water your pile if you do not receive rain for several weeks. The pile should be damp. 

 

 

Black Gold... the compost is added into our raised beds giving fresh nutrients to our old soil in the raised beds.

 

 

 It is FREE, that is the big bonus. If you have room to build a couple of bins to keep your garden waste and kitchen waste, you soon will have your own homemade compost/soil.

 

 

Ernie approves of the compost bins.

Do you spy the little copper dog? 

  ♥

Carla