Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Hodgepodging the Lawn and Grub Show

Pond garden, May 30, 2013
See how late spring comes to Wisconsin?






1. April is Lawn and Garden Month. On a scale of 1-10 what's the current state of your lawn and/or garden. (10=a showpiece, 1=send in the professionals). Tell us about any lawn or garden plans you have for this month.

At this point, I'd say it's about a minus five. I've not been able to do any gardening for a few years and rather than calling in the professionals, I'd probably rather call in the tractor and disc and start over. The photo of the pond garden in May of 2013 (above) is how I would like it to look again this year. We've had an infestation of ground moles, which make the backyard bumpy and horrid, and as long as we had dogs living with us, I wouldn't let Mr. C. put out poison for the grubs, which is what the moles eat. So, it got pretty bad. Now that we no longer have dogs (sadly), we can put out grub poison and start the lawn project again.

 Strawberry Boy
July 4, 2015

2. "Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there."~Thomas Fuller  What does this quote mean to you?

It means there are weeds among my strawberries and raspberries. It's that simple.
I looked up Thomas Fuller and found a few more quotes:

All things are difficult before they are easy.
If it were not for hopes, the heart would break.
Health is not valued till sickness comes.
(These don't strike me as particularly profound.)
Choose a wife rather by your ear than your eye.
That one reminds me of the song,
If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Never make a pretty woman your wife,
So from my personal point of view, 
Get an ugly girl to marry you.
I think Thomas probably meant exactly what he said.

 April in Dallas, 2013

3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God?

Jesus of Nazareth, God in the flesh, who loved us so much that he took the sin and pain of the world on himself at the Cross, who defeated the powers of evil and death, who ushered in his Kingdom, who is Lord of the Universe, who works in this world by his Spirit and through those who follow him, who will come again at the final consummation and renew all things. That's the first thing.

 And then there's beauty, joy, peace, love...


4. If we were chatting in person, how would I know if you were nervous?

I would be trying to rip open the bag of chocolate chips with my teeth.

 Daffodils and Crab Apple Blossoms
May


5. Do you like the color yellow? Would I find any in your home or wardrobe? Daffodils, tulips, roses, sunflowers, day lily, black eyed susan...which yellow bloom on this list is your favorite?

I love yellow, as long as it's the soft, pale yellow that looks good on so many people but me. I have a baby-duck yellow fleece jacket that I wear even though yellow isn't my best color, just because it's such a great baby-duck color. Daffodils are my very favorite, because they're the first to appear in my garden. As a result, I feel a kind of loyalty to them.

 Misty (R.I.P.) liked sensible shoes too.
And she always loved lying next to my shoes.
In her last months, I didn't brush her because she acted like it was torture.

6. Flip flops or bare feet?

Neither. I'm a sensible shoes kind of person. I  could probably go barefoot outdoors on nice grass, but not indoors. I can't stand to step onto a drop of water or sand or goo or anything else that might have been spilled on the floor. Definitely not flip flops. They would drive my toes crazy.

 From Easter, 2016

7. Tell us about any Easter plans, celebrations, or traditions you'll carry out this month.

As much as I would love to attend York Minster on Easter morning, I will be celebrating the Resurrection at our own church and afterwards, will come home to family who will join us for Easter dinner. We'll provide the dinner and dessert; they have to bring candy for the kids. I hope they remember. And if it's nice out, we'll take a walk along Fifth Avenue - or maybe to the woods.

 York Minster

8.  Insert your own random thought here.


Over the weekend, we were in Wausau, helping a certain little 3 year old girl celebrate her birthday.  The bottom right photo was taken shortly after her birthday party began.



***

Check out my natural, handcrafted vegan soap!
Buy any 5 or more, Get 1 FREE
 
Southern Magnolia
Natural Vegan Soap


...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at
 
HomemadeSoapNSuch


and at


Our ETSY Shop


Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning


Judy

31 comments:

Preppy Empty Nester said...

Hi Judy! You and I have the same taste in sensible shoes! Love that pic. And those sweet pics of your darling granddaughter are precious! Enjoy a week.

Vee said...

Your sense of humor is so much fun! Grub poison, eh? Must put that on my grocery list. 🤓

Your answer is perfect for question three. Did Joyce say one thing? No, she said first thing...I know this: I could have done better.

Your little granddaughter is so cute. You all must have worn her right out!!

A blessed Easter to you🌷

Aritha V. said...

I love to read you answers. And you photo are as always so beautiful. So nice to read he first thing that comes to mind when you think about the Lord. Thank you for it.

NanaDiana said...

Love your hodgepodge---as I always do. Your little gd is just a doll...that last picture of her is precious.
I know you must miss your sweet Misty. It puts a wrench in my heart sometimes to think of the wonderful pets I have had and lost.
Hope you have a great Wednesday- xo Diana

MadSnapper said...

I am going to state the obvious here... your grandchildren are so beautiful.. I only wear shoes when I go out, and then it is sandals not shoes. I own two pair of sketchers go walkers for actually walking for exercise, but I never wear them as shoes. hubby and I are barefoot people our whole lives. when I married him, he would go barefoot in stores, right past the signs. I put a stop to that by putting a pair of crocs like yours above in each car, at one time we had 3 cars. I refused to go inside anywhere if he did not wear them.

the only way you would know I was nervous if we were chatting is we would not be chatting. if I get nervous which is very rare, I quit talking.

Heide at ApronHistory said...

I crave yellow this time of year! Any other time of the year I can pass it by, but in Spring, bring on the Yellow Daffodils!

maddie/cadesmimi said...

"ripping open a bag of chocolate chips with your teeth" Ha Ha Sounds like something I would do :)
I loved all of the quotes from Thomas Fuller!
Your pictures are all lovely and sweet. Beautiful grands, for sure :)
Have a blessed and happy Easter,
Kathy (Reflections)

Stephanie said...

My oh my, what a cute little strawberry boy! Your Hodge Podge posts are always a delight to read, dear Judy.

I hope you have a beautiful and blessed day. Hugs!

Sandi said...

So pretty!

Debbie said...

I SOOO love visiting here as your pictures are always sooo beautiful, and today was no exception. Your answer about the first thought of God was perfect! What a little doll your grand daughter is! Wishing you and yours a very blessed Easter!

Lynne said...

I do that teeth thing on things too . . .
Cereal bags are the worst, although I have recently found the secret.
Oh my, happy 3 year old . . . fun to see, be with . . .
Wellies, sturdy shoes, some "flats", a few boots, sandals, no flip flops . . .
Family, egg hunt, traveling away . . . Easter weekend . . .
"Family Pizza Night" scheduled for the 12th . . .
Our new thingy . . . many MANY birthdays in Match, April
so we are meeting up at our favorite pizza place.
In berween . . . it is all about watercolor . . . my recent love.

Linda said...

You have such beautiful photos! I linger over each one! And I really really REALLY like your beautiful header!
Gardening is a lot of work! Sorry you don't have critters now........we don't either.

Joyce said...

We had a huge problem with moles in our Maryland yard. It really was a bit like Caddyshack, and hubs finally figured out the best way to get rid of them was to take his morning coffee and his rubber mallet and stand in the yard and literally whack-a-mole. Crude but effective. They are so destructive! Apparently there are armadillos here, which create similar problems but we haven't seen any yet. Happy Easter!

Arlene G said...

I am a flip flop kind of girl at home and at the beach but I like Tom's and Bernie Met's for running errands.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I like your answer to the quote! I do love how your garden looked in 2013. I do love yellow. Recently when I was in Florida I found out that my sister doesn't like yellow on herself. I never knew that. Enjoy your Easter, sounds perfect. The party on the weekend looks like it was a fun time.

Debby Ray said...

I love your take on the Thomas Fuller quotes! And look at that little darling in her darling YELLOW dress. For some reason yellow looks better on children :) Loved all your answers, Judy!

Cathy said...

I enjoyed your Hodgepodge answers and as always your photos too. Happy Birthday to your granddaughter!

wildirishrose said...

What an adorable birthday girl! Happy birthday to her!

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Judy, I absolutely adore this hodge-podge. You have the best sense of humor! Now I'm trying to picture you opening that bag of chocolate chips with your teeth---I'll open the bag before you come.
Wouldn't it be amazing to worship at the York Minster on Easter Sunday? I probably would be in tears the whole time.
Have a wonderful afternoon. ♥

Empty Nester said...

Take a walk on Fifth Avenue...LOL Marry an ugly woman...LOL You are on a roll today, Judy! That was just too much excitement for that sweet little birthday girl. She's just as cute as a button. I don't like to step on stuff inside either which is why I am armed the vacuum on a daily basis. It's also one of the reasons I need to live alone. Ha! Loved all the pictures, as always.

Terri D said...

What a sweet little princess in a baby-duck yellow dress! I enjoyed your Hodgepodge answers today and (always) your photos!

Mrs.T said...

Yes, that yellow dress on the birthday girl couldn't have been sweeter. Adorable dress, adorable girl. And yes, parties are exhausting!

I'm very much with you on the shoes question. Haven't worn flip flops since my teens other than in the shower at campgrounds. Barefoot ... no, not any more.

Enjoyed reading your answers today, as always!

Susie said...

Judy, I really like seeing family pictures. The boy picking strawberries is adorable. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

Anonymous said...

So happy someone else said weeds for their response to that quote! Enjoyed your answers and your photos Judy! We were at York Minster just after Easter in 2004 and I think one of the photos on my Hodgepodge is from the Minster. Hope you have a lovely week.

Tanna said...

Loved your answer to number 3. Gave me goosebumps. The good kind.

I've gotten to where I don't like to be barefooted... for all the same reasons. I didn't used to be this way. LOL! I think it just crept up on me. And, your Crocs and athletic shoes look VERY familiar. ;)

Such a precious little one!! Pure joy to celebrate with family!

blessings ~ tanna

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Judy, what a beautiful garden! My answer to #2 would have been: dandelions. I am waging war on dandelions, and I'm really not up to the task, but there's no one else to do it. Those things have taproots like carrots! I'm with you on the barefoot issue. I don't know how people do it - I've seen them walk into dirty public restrooms with bare feet!

podso said...

A walk on Fifth Avenue sounds good, in your Easter bonnet. There seemed to be a certain excitement about Easter hats when I was a kid. Every hodgepodge I've read the writers like yellow but not wearing it. I've heard yellow is "coming back" and one of the BB teams recently playing had such yellow uniforms one almost needed dark glasses to watch. Those crab apple blossoms seem they would be worth the wait. Gorgeous!

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Wonderful photos of the flowers, sunset, and sweet little grands. The birthday girl is adorable :) I don't like bare feet or flip-flops either. When you live in the country like we do, there are always bugs and thistles! I couldn't think of one thing I have in my closet that is yellow....although I do like the color. It hasn't been a popular color in fashion for quite a few years. Your Easter plans sound wonderful. xx Karen

Cindy said...

I loved your answer about the first thing that comes to mind about God. It's so true!

Carla from The River said...

Happy Easter Judy,
I do enjoy reading your Hodgepodge. :-)
I like the photo of Misty and the shoes. ;-) Sweet!! You should hear me get on my soap box of kids hiking, playing and running in flip flops. NO!!! I do not get it? And we wonder why the kids have injuries!!
My boys have to wear shoes hiking, playing and running! ;-)

The photos of your grandkids make me smile.
Have a great weekend,
Carla

living from glory to glory said...

Good Morning! All I can think to say is this DITTO; to all the other comments :o)
Your heart and home inspires us all and your LOVE for our LORD makes me thankful...
My sweet kittle passed the other morning, I miss her so much, she was almost 14 yrs old!
May your Easter week and your family get together be wonderful
Glorious Day He Has Risen!!
Always, Roxy

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails