Looking back at 2025 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! 

 

Another goal of mine for 2026... take more photos! 

And just for fun, I placed this Lego guy in my pot of succulents. My boys already placed the big black plastic spider in my plants. In fact they have them placed all around the house. They know mom is scared of spiders and like to tease me even when they are not visiting. 

 ♥

Let us get on with the Hodgepodge... 

 

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2025? 

Challenging

Emotional

Shift

 

2. I ask this question every January, and I always get comments about how we shouldn't be banning words. This is fun and games so just play along : ) 

Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse, or just general uselessness (go here to read about how the words are chosen). Here's the list for 2026- 

67 • demure • cooked • massive • incentivize • full stop • perfect • gift/gifted  • my bad • reach out 

Which one (if any) do you use most often? Which one of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word you think should have made the list? 

  I use the following ... cooked * perfect * gift/gifted * 

My son Sam's girlfriend uses ... my bad ... it makes me chuckle when she says it. She also got me into saying 67 as a joke, and so far it has only been funny and not annoying. She warned me to get ready for 78... she is trying to keep me up to speed. Hee Hee!

I have gotten tired of..  full stop in news commentary/interviews. 

I usually answer what word I think should have made the list with the.. F-bomb.

I do think it is OVERUSED.

 

3. What are your nightly rituals? Is that different from your 'ideal' nightly ritual? If so what's your ideal?  

 

 I wash my face each night, put on moisturizer, brush my teeth and floss too.

I have PT I do each evening before bed to help with my TOS. 

 

 4. January 6th is/was National Bean Day. Do you like beans? Which one is your favorite? Last thing you ate made with beans? 

 

Yes, I like beans. My favorite are baby butter beans.

 We recently had Nacho's with black beans. 

 

 5. Are you easily embarrassed? Elaborate. 

I am not. I usually end up making fun of myself when I goof up. 

 

  6. Insert your own random thought here. 

After the fun of the Christmas cards arriving in the mail, I get excited to head out to the mailbox and find the seed catalogs.

Is it too early to think spring? 

Hee Hee 

 

Pumpkin Carving Party 2025

 

My husband used my dad's carving tools to write "We're Having A Good Time" into the pumpkin.

 

Hello Friends, we enjoyed another fun pumpkin carving party with our family. My parents grew all the pumpkins. They have gotten very good at pumpkin growing. We had a fantastic selection of pumpkins to choose from to create our 2025 pumpkin masterpieces.

 

I used a little basket to make a hat for this pumpkin.

 

I found a little basket and white bird in a stash of my craft items. The pumpkin I picked out did not have a stem on top,so this idea worked perfect to add the straw hat and bird.. raven. I painted the white bird, black, to make it a raven.

 

 

The pumpkin party crew, and Ernie too.

 

My husband and I created this one together.

My husband and I created this chicken pumpkin. We used chicken wire for the inside to give it a true chicken coop look. 

More creative ideas, does this one look like an owl to you?

 

 

 And now for the pumpkins all aglow.  

 

Happy Halloween to you! 

Boo to You 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. What do you like most about your family? 

When the going gets tough, we will rally to help one another. Some of our family is spread across the miles, my one uncle and aunt living in Texas. This past year my Texas aunt had hip surgery. The Wisconsin families rallied to send care packages and made phone calls to check in with her. 

  

2. What's something nice that's happened to you recently? 

 

We were given a bunch of apples,  organic, fresh from the apple orchard. I made apple butter and apple sauce with some of the apples. Other are in our cold storage for fresh eating and making other apple treats.

 

  

3. Do you like the color orange? Besides a pumpkin and an actual orange, what's something orange you love?

 

I do like the color orange. Our son Atticus who is sporting that bright orange colored stocking cap below, he would wear bright orange stocking caps all winter long during his growing up years. This started when he was just a little guy, he would pick out an orange stocking cap as his new hat for winter.  

He is holding a bluegill he caught ice fishing in the below photo. 

I love all my photos of him sporting his orange stocking hat! 

 

Below he is older and yep, still sporting an orange stocking cap.

We are on the shores of Lake Superior in the below photo. 

 

4.  What's something you have now you couldn't have imagined having five years ago? How does that make you feel? What's possible now because of it? 

 My husband and I worked very hard to become debt free. We are going on year number three, and it feels so good. What is possible? We feel that if any changes in our life were to happen we have the freedom to make decisions that we may not have been able to do if tied in debt.

 

 

5. Let's wrap this one up with an October this or that...
pumpkin bread or apple cider donut ~ apple cider donut
cozy sweater or cozy hoodie ~ cozy sweater
apple picking or pumpkin picking ~ pumpkin picking
scary movie or Hallmark movie ~ Hitchcock movie
hay ride or corn maze ~ hay ride
twinkle lights or candles ~ candles
autumn hike or autumn bonfire ~ autumn hike
 
 
 
 
 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 

It will be two years that we adopted Ernie. He is our first rescue dog. Golly what a journey we have had with him. I would not trade it, it has been a fantastic lesson for us. Watching a scared dog who lived over six months on the streets of El Paso, Texas, with gentle care and training turn into a true best buddy.

 

Apples to Apples and it is the Hodgepodge

 

We went apple picking on Saturday with our son Atticus, take a look at this beauty!

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. 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.' How does this saying ring true in your own family, either the one you grew up in or the one you made?  

 

I would have to say our youngest is like me in many ways. He is funny. If things get to serious, he will crack a joke. I am the same way. We like to lighten the mood. He also does not let too much worry him, he figures something out. I am the same way, it is figureoutable.  

 2. Something you're nuts about these days? How about something that's driving you nuts? 

 

I am nuts about..  

Jackson's Avocado Oil Sweet Potato Chips, I am nuts about them, do not leave me alone with a bag. 

What is driving me nuts? 

I was stuck not knowing  a baseball players name, I knew his nickname, Thor, but I could not think of his name. I did not want to look it up. Ha Ha. I am trying to use the old grey cells. I did not have to look him up, my husband gave me the answer, Noah Syndergaard.

 

 3. What does abundance mean to you? 

 

For me abundance means an overflowing amount of something special to you. For me, I have an overflowing amount of people who love me, I am blessed, so very blessed. 

 

 4. Caramel apple-caramel cake-caramel corn-caramel sundae-caramel macchiatto...what's your caramel treat of choice?  

 

 Caramel Sundae

 

 5. What's a childhood memory that always comes to mind as the leaves start to fall? 

 

Trick or Treat on Halloween night. 

My mom would drive my sister and me around our country neighborhood. We would get the best trick or treats, because it was just me, my sister and our three cousins that went trick or treating. Our neighbors loved seeing us kids. We would get bags of candy from Kenny Brown and Ed K. Irene W would make us fresh popcorn balls.  The Newton's gave us cans of soda. Trick or Treating out in the country will always be a fun memory for me, and my mom had fun too, stopping to see all the neighbors. 

 

6. Insert. your own random thought here.  

 

  Catch a leaf in mid air, make a wish, kiss it and toss it into the wind. 

 ♥

Carla 

Cinnamon and Sugar and Everything Nice Hodgepodge

 

Hi Friends, it is a cinnamon and sugar homemade doughnut Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1. June 10th is National Herbs and Spices Day. Besides salt and pepper what herb or spice container do you reach for most often? Is there a spice you truly dislike? What's a recent dish you made that called for more than salt and pepper?  

I love herbs and spices. During the summer months I head out to my herb garden and pick fresh herbs for my cooking. Fresh dill and chives for my scrambled eggs this morning. I cannot think of a spice I truly dislike, but one that I do not use a lot of is cardamom. 

I made a pasta last week for dinner and I added lovage. I absolutely love lovage, it is easy to grow and adds that celery taste to dishes.

 

 2.  It's been said 'variety is the spice of life'...in what way is this true for you? Elaborate.

  Oh yes, I am always learning something new. I am a very curious person, I rarely sit still.

 

 3. What's something in your life that adds 'spice' (excitement, intensity) even if also comes with challenge or unpredictability? 

My kids add "spice to my life" ..

deployments

flipping cars

(our youngest buys cars and flips them with the help of his older brother)

letting me know of the next up coming adventure

"hey mom, we are heading to a car show in Tennessee."  

♥

and the best adding of spice is our future daughter in law.

 ♥

 

 

4. If you could instantly master one skill or hobby, what would it be and why? 

I would love to master another language. I have shared this with my husband many times. If I could just wake up one morning being able to speak French. 

Ha Ha... I have tried to learn, but I struggle.

 5. We're halfway through the year...what's one book, movie, or activity you've loved this year that you'd recommend to others? 

The 2025 Old Farmer's Almanac 

I listened to a podcast about the farmers almanac in 2024. I decided to pick one up and just see how well it predicts the weather. I have been following what the almanac says about the week and will record our weather. So far this year the almanac has been about 90% correct. There is tons of other information in the almanac. I have enjoyed following some of the garden tips and tricks it provides.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Halfway through the year... GULP!!

 

 

 

Say Cheese and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Happy June

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 do birthdays look like in your house? How are they celebrated? Any special traditions? What about birthdays growing up? 

We love to celebrate birthdays, but it usually is not on that loved one's day because of distance and busy schedules, but we do celebrate with a lot of fun for the entire day.

Below is a photo of last year's birthday celebration that we had for our son Sam. We celebrated by meeting up at a favorite Wisconsin state park. We hiked, had a picnic, opened gifts, explored Lake Superior and then went out to our favorite bar for burgers.

I completed Sam's T-shirt quilt for his birthday. 

My birthday is in December and my sister is a New Year's Baby. Our joke when we got older was how many times our birthday gifts were wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. Our parents always made our birthday's special.
 

2. Someone is sending you a dozen roses...what color are you hoping for? Are you someone who gets accused of seeing the world through rose colored glasses? Is your accuser correct? Elaborate.

 Pink or Yellow

I do get accused of seeing the world through rose colored glasses. 

My accuser might be correct. I limit my intake of current events, so I do not always know what society is up too.

 3. June 4th is National Cheese Day...will you celebrate? What's something (besides a burger) you make in the summer months that calls for cheese? 

We do a lot of picnics during the summer months. We usually will have cheese and crackers in the picnic basket. 

Oh yes, we will celebrate. We have a cheese drawer in our refrigerator, I eat cheese just about everyday. I am from Wisconsin. Hee Hee!

 4. 'tis the season...any weddings on your June calendar? What's the first word that comes to mind when I say marriage? 

No weddings in June, but we have one in July.

 What's the first word that comes to mind when I say marriage?

COMMUNICATION

and 

TEAMWORK

I think communication is the key. And teamwork makes the dream work!!

 

 5. What are you most looking forward to this June? 

My husband and I are going to Bayfield, Wisconsin to take part in some garden tours. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.

Alfred Austin

 

 

 

  

Conversation

 

Conversation

I started something new here at The River, I ask a question to spark conversation.

"We need never be ashamed of our tears" Charles Dickens 

When's the last time you cried?

 

One of our boys best friends is leaving for basic training next week. My son Atticus' best friend will leave for Fort Jackson. Fort Jackson, the same place our son, Sam back in 2018 completed his basic training. 

Tears of pride.

Tears of worry.

Tears of memories... oh the many adventures our boys had when they were little and still do today as they are grown men. 

Tears of happiness... this is what our friend has wanted to do for a long time, it is coming true for him, he is an American Soldier. 

 Godspeed for C.M.H

 ♥

April Showers and it is the Hodgepodge

 

 

Hello Friends, above is our 2025 Easter Cake. I made my son Atticus' favorite cake, Sugar Cookie. I decorated with fresh violas. I did try to sugar the violas, but I failed at it. I will share the cake recipe and how my sugaring went in a future blog post. 

 Today it is time for the Hodgepodge. 

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

1. The Hodgepodge lands on National Picnic Day...will you celebrate? Do you enjoy picnics? Dining out of doors picnic or otherwise? What are three or four things I'd find in your picnic basket? 

We will not celebrate. It is not picnic weather here in my neck of the woods. I do enjoy picnics. We do picnic on our adventures. We enjoy kayaking, after we will enjoy a picnic overlooking the lake we were on.

You will find a tuna sandwich, pickles, crackers and cookies for dessert.

2.  A time recently where you felt 'antsy'?  

Our Spring elections, I was running for a position.

3. As the saying goes...'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.'  Do you like lemonade? When did you recently need to make lemonade out of lemons, figuratively speaking? 

I am not a fan of lemonade. 

While I was sugaring the violas for my Easter cake, things were not going well. I had to come up with a plan B. 

4. Recently five 'celebrities' made a brief (ll minute) foray into space aboard Jeff Bezos Blue Origin rocket. Did you hear about this? Your thoughts? If money were no object is this something you'd like to do someday?

I did not pay attention to this. 

No, I am not interested.

5. Favorite thing about the 'space' you're sitting in right now?  

Looking up at my bulletin board seeing photos, quotes and more of my favorite things tacked on my bulletin board.  

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We gifted our maple syrup for Easter. 

Two Tree Maple Syrup is the name of our little Sugar Shack.  

What Did You Learn

 

A gift from my friend J, during the pandemic.

 

Hello Friends, 

March 17th 2020 our state started to shut down because of the COVID pandemic. It is amazing to me that was 5 years ago. So much happened in 2020 and so much continues to happen, it is hard to keep track. 

I do know that I learned a few lessons from the COVID pandemic.

One of the lessons I learned, is how special relationships are. Friends and family rallied to keep each other upbeat during the pandemic. I am thankful for the text messages, the phone calls, letters, packages, prayers and more.

Having someone stop in the middle of their day to send a text message... "Just said a prayer for Sam."  or "How are you on your supply of toilet paper?"

My sister sent fun postcards each week.

I started to text friends and family daily.

We made it a habit of checking in on each other.

 

My lesson learned...  DO NOT LET GO OF NOURISHING FRIENDS and FAMILY .. do not let that go once we get back to "normal".

Our lives get busy. We can forget to take time to text a friend, make that phone call or set up that lunch or coffee date. 

I did not want to do that. So I continued to keep on with nurturing my friends and family with text messages, calls and setting up those special lunch and coffee dates.

Let us not to get busy in life that we forget to spend "real time" with our loved ones.

How about you? 

Did you learn any lessons 5 years ago that you are still doing today?

Or goals made and continued?

As I look back at how our world is just about to turn upside down as we shutdown our state, here is a look back at some of our 2020.

 

We had a 2020 graduate. 

BooHoo... his final year of shooting sports was cancelled. 

We had a small graduation party with family.

 

 

 

 Our National Guard son earned the following for his role with the pandemic.

The Wisconsin National Guard was very busy in 2020 with the pandemic, the Kenosha riots and the election. Our son Sam was deployed for all three events.

 

 

 My husband carved the 2020 pumpkin. 

RIP 2020

 

 

 And a special Christmas gift from our friend D. She made the perfect 2020 memory ornament ... who can forget the toilet paper shortage??

 

 

 

 

Winter Memories 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. What's a winter memory you treasure (can be from any winter in your lifetime)? 

I am going to go back to my childhood days. My sister, me and our friends Alex and Arthur would build snow forts together. We would play after school into the dark. It was fun times. We would play "the Russians are coming" and we would roll into the safety of our snow fort. We played for hours... and did not seem to get cold. Ha!

 2. Tell us about the last time or a recent time you were caught up in red tape. Does it send your frustration level off the charts or is it something you've come to expect when dealing with any sort of bureaucracy?

I have come to expect it with any sort of bureaucracy. 

The DMV is rather S.L.O.W. here in Wisconsin... how about in your neck of the woods?

 

3. Do you eat/like fish? Do you cook fish at home? What's your favorite fish dish? Ever been ice fishing?  

I am sharing some memories. 

Yes, we are an ice fishing family. 

The photos below are of our boys and me... enjoying a day of ice fishing inside a warm ice shanty. A shanty is a also called an ice house. It is like a little camper you set up on the ice. And some ice houses can get fancy.

 

 Yes, we like to eat fish. My husband makes a great fish fry. 

 

 4. Did you watch any of the US President's Inauguration coverage on Monday, Jan 20? On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being not at all and 10 being very very) how interested are you in politics in general? Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics? 

Yes, I did watch some of the US President's Inauguration.

I think I might be an 8 ... I keep a good eye on things. We have a son in the military. I know that during Sam's deployments I pay more attention to all things going on.

Do you follow/keep up with/ get involved with local politics?

I had to laugh that Joyce had this as a question, because I plan to write a post about this subject. I attended our local village caucus last Monday night. I will be on the ballot for our spring election. I am running to become a trustee on our village board.

 

 5. What's the coziest thing you own and what makes it so? 

My winter coat. I love my winter coat. It is from Duluth Trading Company. It breaks the cold winter winds from getting to my bones.

Duluth Trading Company 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

We went for a walk along the river Friday, before the cold snap hit us. Canadian geese were flying to the open water on the river. There were hundreds of them. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving Hodgepodge

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving Friends,

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our boys this past Saturday, November 23rd. We also decorated our Christmas tree. 

The boys stayed the weekend.

We enjoyed good food

Played Scrabble, I lost.

Decorated our Christmas tree and did a lot of catching up.

Here we are, it is Wednesday already, and it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 Click here to join the fun!

Home for the Holidays

1. Talking turkey...are you cooking the turkey this year? We did enjoy turkey this early Thanksgiving. Does ham belong on a Thanksgiving day menu? We usually have ham for Christmas dinner. When it comes to gravy do you pour it over your whole plate, skip it altogether, or land somewhere in between? My husband made our gravy, I did put some on my dressing. It was good. I usually skip gravy altogether. Cranberries-homemade or jelled right out of the can? We like jelled right out of a can.  I also have a homemade cranberry dish I make.  Do you look forward more to the main course, the savory sides, or the desserts? I look forward to the savory sides. 

 I know there are at least a couple of bloggers who participate here who live outside the US and won't be celebrating Thanksgiving. If that's you feel free to adapt this question to your December (or any) holiday meal.

2. Holiday movies...tell us your favorite and what it is about the film that makes you love it. Is it the film itself or a memory it stirs? 

1954 White Christmas - Bing Crosby - Danny Kaye - Rosemary Clooney - Vera Ellen

I love the music, the dancing, the acting. I love Gen. Waverly, the love for America, the love the men show to Gen. Waverly.  White Christmas is a family favorite. We all know the songs and several of our favorite lines from the movie too.

 

3. A favorite way to give back and help others? 

 Samaritan's Purse

We participate with Operation Christmas Child

and 

Operation Heal Our Patriots.

4. Name a place or setting you encountered this month that made you feel grateful. 

 The dentist. We just had an appointment last Wednesday. I am so grateful for my hygienist, Krista, we have become friends. She has been my hygienist for close to 9 years. She has watched our boys graduate, go into the military, college, deployments and more. We talk as if we are old friends. 

I gifted her a potted plant. I am grateful for her and my dentist as well, they make me feel comfortable and I do not mind my dental appointments.

 

 

5. Knowing what you know today, if you could redo yesterday what would you do differently? 

I am typing this on Tuesday afternoon to be posted on Wednesday morning. I had a great Monday, November 25th... so I do not think anything.

 

 

6. Spill your own random thought here. 

Spilling out a few more photos from our feast last Saturday.

Happy Thanksgiving!!