Happy Winter and it is the Hodgepodge

 

 

The past two winters we have not had snow. Winter 2025/2026 is starting out with snow, snow and more snow. We hope to get out and ski soon. The above photos are taken a few years ago, when we had snow, snow and more snow.

Now on to the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 1. What's one thing on your to-do list that you want to get done, need to get done, or that must get done before the year ends? 

 

My husband does metal design work, he is designing and creating a new coat rack for us. I hope we have it up by this Saturday, because we are having company and we need a place for winter coats, hats and more.  

 

2.  December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day...are you a fan? Do you like maple flavor in other food items such as candy, cookies, donuts, oatmeal, hot toddies, coffee?  

 

We tap our maple trees and cook-down the sap for syrup.  We love maple syrup. Yes, I use it in my baking, in oatmeal, drinks and more. We like to drizzle it on roasted carrots.

 

3. Time magazine names a person of the year every year.  The tradition started back in 1927 with a 'man of the year' but has since changed to recognize not only an individual, but also to consider the impact of a group, movement, or idea that most influenced the year. The selection is not always someone or something good (think Hitler in 1938 and Stalin twice). 

This year they've named The AI Architects as their 'person of the year'. What say you? Is this a good choice, an obvious choice, a logical choice? Who do you think should have been named person of the year? 

 

AI is all the talk this year, I do think it is a good choice. I hope that we can have healthy conversations regrading where and how AI is working in our lives. 

The one thing I worry about, is what is real? I will look at a photo in hopes it is real and not AI generated. Or a song, or a speech or text written. I hope we as humans use common sense in the use of AI.

My friend Alice had a health scare. She had surgery and has had to work hard to get back to feeling good again. She has been very brave and continues to be brave as she navigates what to do next on her health journey.

She is the person of the year for me... a true fighter who has gone through a lot this year.

 

4. What's a city, state, or country you've visited that you never care to visit again? Tell us why.  

 

Sadly, the last time we were downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota things did not go that well. We did not feel comfortable and we where happy to get out of the city.

Our son's did venture downtown this summer for a Twin's baseball game, they did think it was better than our last visit.

 

5. Next Sunday (December 21st) marks the first day of winter (or the opposite if you're living down under). What's one thing you love about this new season?   

 We will get out and go skiing and snowshoeing. 

And the days start to get longer.  

  

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 Comfort and Joy

Enjoy the countdown to Christmas.

 ♥

Carla 

 

Joy List Monday

 

Joy List Monday

♥ a weekly ritual  ♥

a reminder to stop and pay attention to the beauties and graces that make life magical and to set aside time for gratitude each day

♥ a cozy home ... we had a major cold snap here this weekend ... waking up to -15 degrees .. so thankful we have heat and a warm house to call home

 ♥ watching the birds visiting the bird feeder

 ♥ snow, snow, snow, beautiful white snow twinkling in the sunlight

 ♥ a cup of hot chocolate waiting for me as I come in from a cold walk

 ♥ birthday greetings .. my birthday was 12/12 

 

♥ 

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

 

Snow, snow, snow and it is the Hodgepodge

 

It is going to be a white Christmas. 

Snow, snow, snow, we are getting more snow. 

Now before I go shovel, it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and commercialism start to take over?  

 

I do not struggle with commercialization of the holiday season. We have a Christmas account, and that is what we can spend. We are careful to not go over budget. I would not be honest if I said, sometimes that can be difficult.

We do a daily Advent reading, that really helps keep everything in focus.

 

  2. What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends? 

 

I want to read a few of our Christmas books that we would read aloud to the boys when they were little. I asked my husband if he would mind if we read a couple of our favorites aloud to each other, he said "that would be fun." 

3. December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? If so does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? If Hanukkah is the holiday you celebrate in December do you send cards to mark the occasion?  

Yes, we still send out Christmas cards. We create a Christmas photo card and I write a newsletter sharing a bit of the year with everyone.

I love receiving Christmas cards and letters. I hope the price of stamps does not make the tradition fade away.

 

4. What's your least favorite holiday related task? What's your favorite?  

It is taking all the decorations down and taking down the Christmas tree.  We wait until after New Year to take it all down, it is just so pretty and I love all the twinkle. 

I love to decorate the Christmas tree. 

 

5. Let's do a little holiday this or that? 

shopping or wrapping  .. wrapping
baking or decorating .. decorating
eggnog or wassail .. eggnog
real tree or artificial .. real tree
turkey or ham .. turkey
white lights or colored lights .. colored lights
ugly sweaters or matching pjs .. matching pj's
peppermint or cinnamon .. peppermint
presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day .. Christmas Day 

 

 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

 

Darkness Falls

Stars Appear

Evening Angels 

Gather Here

 

Happy December and it is the Hodgepodge

 

Our Christmas cactus is starting to deck the halls, we have a lot of buds on our cactus this season, that always makes me smile.

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 does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'? On a scale of 1-10 how is yours this year? (10=off the charts, 1=still looking for it)

I think having the 'holiday spirit' is different for everyone. For me, I get excited for the first day of Advent. This will be year six that my husband and I do a daily Advent reading together. It brings the season all together for me, I am already at a 10!  

 

2. What's your favorite character from a (December) holiday-themed movie, book, or TV special? Tell us why.  

 I do enjoy the movie Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I laugh every year at Cousin Eddie and many family jokes have come from that movie. 

 

 3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition? 

 I do like gingerbread. 

We have created gingerbread houses in the past, but it is not on our calendar for this season. 

 

4. Much of our vocabulary is determined by where we live or where we grew up. What say you-

sprinkles or jimmies? lightning bugs or fireflies? soda or pop? sneakers, trainers, or tennis shoes? sub, hoagie, grinder, or hero? freeway, highway, or motorway? frosting or icing? sauce or gravy?

 What say me... from Northern Wisconsin...

sprinkles

lightning bugs

soda

tennis shoes

sub

highway

frosting

gravy

 

 5. Share a favorite holiday memory from your childhood. 

 

My sister and I went over to my grandparents to help my grandma decorate for Christmas. Our grandparents lived just over a mile from our family farm. During the winter we could cross country ski our farm fields to get to their house. 

A note to my dear readers, my grandpa had a glass eye. 

My sister and I were busy helping my grandma decorate for Christmas. We took a break for lunch. We were enjoying chicken soup and crackers. My grandpa had a "splash" in his soup. His glass eye had popped out and landed in his soup!

We laughed and laughed and laughed. 

And of course the saying "there is an eye in my soup became our joke."

 

6.  Insert your own random thought here.   

 

Family traditions are the glue of the generations. 

Making Chex Mix is just one of the Christmas traditions we have here at this house.  

My boys have already asked, Mom will you have this and this at Christmas.

 ♥

 

If Ornaments Could Talk

 

Hello Friends, for our family, unwrapping each ornament and sharing the memory behind it makes decorating our Christmas tree a family tradition that we try to do together each year.

 

 

Homemade ornaments always bring back memories of school days.

 

 

Three Cheers ... for favorite sports teams.

 

 

Ornaments passed down from generations.

Ornaments rescued from a trash can. 

Oh this little angel could share a story, she was destined for the trash can at a place of employment years ago, I scooped her up and brought her home with me.

 

 

Ornaments that are gifted to us from friends and family, they all tell a story.

♥

Carla 

Rewind to December

 Hello Friends, we will hit the rewind button on the year and head back to December 2023.

Here. We. Go.

We hosted our annual Christmas cookie decorating party. We purchased a state of Wisconsin cookie cutter and everyone had fun making our state all full of Christmas cheer. 

 

A few more of our creations.

 

We had to decorate a cookie to look like Ernie.

 

Christmas bunnies, owls and ornaments.

 

I celebrated a birthday! 

 

 

My mom gifted me this towel, looks like Ernie is getting into the action with Santa.

 

 

Enjoying my coffee in my new Egg Nog mug. My mom found two of these Egg Nog mugs. She knows how I enjoy vintage items and surprised me with them by leaving them in a bag at our house for me to open later.

 

 

We enjoyed a cup of Egg Nog in our vintage mugs with a dash of nutmeg sprinkled on top.

 

Christmas candy, red, green and white.

 

 

 Homemade treats, my first time making small mincemeat pies.

 

 

 A tree ornament gifted to us from my cousin. It is Ernie.

 

 

My favorite Christmas wrapping paper.

 

 

 

Happy New Year from my family to your family.

 ♥

Carla

Our son Sam is missing from this photo, he ended up having a drill for the Guards during this family event. As we head into 2024, I ask for continued prayer for our military and military families. 

Thank you!

12 Photos of This and That

 

Hello Friends,

A little of this and that today featuring 12 photos. Did you know 12 is my favorite number? You might wonder why? Well, I have a 12/12 birthday, that makes my favorite number 12!

So here we go.. 12 photos of this and that.. the one above is of a house I traveled by and had to turn around to take a photo of the giant nutcrackers.

I love nutcrackers. In the below photos you will see my 'Boys in the Band' nutcrackers.

 

 

 The above nutcrackers are stamped on the bottom 'Made in Germany'.

 

 

 Our greenhouse decked out for Christmas. I have fleece in the greenhouse this year covering carrots. I am experimenting with extending our growing season. It does look like snow. You will also see the moon in this photo.

 

 

Our Christmas Cactus bloom is just about ready to pop open.

 

 

I am wintering over our Fuchsia and it also has blooms ready to pop open.

 

 

A fresh batch of Chex Mix... one of our favorite holiday treats.

 

 

Chicken Noodle Soup simmering on the stove top.

 

Homemade Sourdough Focaccia... it takes two days... but so worth it.

 

 

I created a simple evergreen swag.

 

And our little pop of winter cheer as you come to our door.

♥

Carla

 

Knock Knock Says December and it is the Hodgepodge!

 

It is beginning to look like winter... and it is time for the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 1. Does anybody really know what day it is? Last week we skipped the Hodgepodge and I just assumed this week would find us in December, but nope. Still November. Do you wear a watch? Use a paper calendar or strictly electronic? What's your favorite hour of the day? Why?

 The autumn season blew by us. And here we are getting ready for Christmas, winter and dare I say 2024! 

I do not wear a watch. I use a paper calendar. 

7 AM is my favorite hour of the day. I am usually heading out to feed and care for our chickens. Morning is a beautiful time for me.

 2. Tell us something about how you celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. 

We enjoyed time with family. We traveled to my parents farm. Our boys met us at the farm, along with my sister and her husband. We played a few wild games of UNO. Our family loves to play games. 

 3. What's a sound you hate to hear? 

Sirens... I just hate hearing them. After two police officers were murdered here in our village in April.. and the sirens went on for hours and hours during this awful day. I just hate hearing sirens now. My mind says... what now!!  Then I pray, Dear God, and pray a prayer for safety for those keeping watch.

4. Where do you not mind waiting?   

Where do you not mind waiting... well that depends on if I am waiting with some of my favorite people. Recently my son had a doctor's appointment, we waited together and that was extra time I had to visit with him. 

5. I really wish____________________________________.  

My favorite items would not be discontinued. I have a pair of shoes I love, sadly they have discontinued making them. 

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Pumpkin Seed Cinnamon Brittle

We made pumpkin seed brittle giving a twist to the usual peanut brittle. 

Do you make homemade brittle? 

 

The End of December ~ This and That

 Hello Friends,

I will share a few more happenings from December with you. 

 

For several years now we host a cookie decorating party. My dad gets very creative with his decorating. 

 

Looking down at the table.

A sugar cookie dog decked out for the holidays and ready to be eaten. I will admit, I ate this cookie.

 

Speaking of dogs, my dad found a puzzle that had the face of our dog Molly. 

We put the puzzle together as a family. 

RIP 

Molly

Her memories are always with us, we usually have a Christmas Molly story we reminisce.

 

 

I will show you my homemade luminary. We had extreme cold weather over Christmas weekend. I change the water for our hens several times in the day during this time, because of how cold it is. The ice forms around the water can and as I  tip it out, it forms a luminary. Above I have a candle burning during the evening December 31st as we ring in the New Year, 2023. 

♥

Carla