Little Things I Love - Wednesday Hodgepodge

Longing for Apple Blossoms and Lilacs

Can't be too long now, can it??

Join us at Joyce's Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Thanks, Joyce

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Are you blooming where you're planted as we begin the month of May?

 April 1, 2012

No sign of May flowers yet this year

Lots of rain/snow still falling

I'd say that I'm blooming where I'm planted. Here, in the country in NW Wisconsin is definitely where I belong. (except during those miserable months of January, February, and March. But I guess they're the price we have to pay for living in such a beautiful place the rest of the year.)

2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being no big deal, and 10 being full scale panic, rank your fear of spiders.

 A friendly little fella, photo taken in 2010

He must have been on our wall.

My fear of spiders is close to ZERO. Maybe a 1, and that's only if I think they're poisonous. No one ever taught me to be afraid of spiders, UNlike my successful mouse-fear teachers - who will remain anonymous, but who used to tell me that a mouse would crawl up my pant leg. Yikes! It's not that mice aren't cute, but they SCURRY. Shudder.....  My first Mouse Post ... And another Mouse Post.
So it's mice, not spiders, that scare me. And besides, who would be afraid of sweet, kind, lovable Charlotte???

fanpop.com

3. May is National Salad Month (who knew???)...besides lettuce, what are two must-have ingredients in your favorite salad?

 Something like this

but this one is missing the peppers

Nothing worse than ordering a salad in a restaurant and getting iceberg lettuce and a hunk of hard, unripened tomato. Disgusting. And then they expect you to pay for it. My salads at home are made of two different types of lettuces (neither of which is iceberg - usually), dried or ripe tomatoes, red and green pepper slices, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, English cucumbers, onion, black pepper. I can't have only two other ingredients. Sorry.

4. I mentioned on my blog last week that my Daughter1 will be moving to Washington State after she is married. Of the following sites in the Northwest, which would you most like to see in person-Crater Lake (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), Vancouver (British Columbia), San Juan Islands (Washington),  Mt. Rainer (Washington) Oregon Coast (Oregon), Mt. St. Helens (Washington), or Olympic National Park (Washington)

I would love to visit Vancouver, but only if I could fly there. Driving west from NW Wisconsin, there's a whole lot of flat land before you get to something interesting like Great Falls, MT. Not that the Dakotas and eastern Montana aren't beautiful in their own way, but I've been across the Great Plains in a train. I could fall asleep and wake up a half hour later and the scenery would be exactly the same. Maybe a different elk.

Who are these 'overpopulation' people and have they ever visited middle America????

And now that I've offended everyone who lives in the Great Plains region, I'll have to admit that it's a marvelous part of the country, the bread basket of America, and the fields of sunflowers and wheat are truly gorgeous! And, it is truly awesome country! So please forgive me. I'm just more of a trees and hills kind of person.

5. This coming weekend marks the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby...when did you last race (literally or figuratively) to cross a finish line?

 Okay, I'll admit that I didn't race up these steps!

I am still working on getting to my finish line. My goal, after hip replacement around New Years, is to run up and down the stairs again. I was telling the PT that I haven't walked up a flight of stairs  since I was about 5 (okay, maybe not quite literally, but almost). I don't know what the deal is, but even with my bad hip, I was usually able to run up the stairs. So much time is wasted walking up steps (because we all know that I never waste time on the computer, right???)  Anyway, that's one race I plan to win - getting to the point where I can run up a flight up steps.

6. What is something little you love?

Lucy

Seriously? Something little I love??  No hesitaton - Lucy, our newest grandchild, born March 29.

 Lucy and her mama

7. Would you say you are more of a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner? Elaborate.

I would say visual, because when I'm reading I need to know exactly where a place is, see it on a map, read charts and graphs to understand things better (obsessive about knowing the correct pronunciation of place names!), but then if it's getting the news, sometimes the audio is better for me because then I'm not distracted by the visual. And then there's the kinesthetic aspect. Yeah, I'd say probably some of that too. With many projects, I'd rather just do it intuitively, figure it out as I go along, rather than read the stupid instructions. But there are other times where I follow instructions to the minutest detail (like my own soap recipes, so I can count on each batch turning out the same).

So I guess this proves I have a split personality and need therapy NOW. (I'm hoping that's just a joke.)

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

How humiliating! 
  I hope the horse can't read.

This is a week of horrid weather events across mid  and eastern America. We've been hearing of tornadoes and the resulting loss of life and/or homes. So many people's lives were changed instantly, and they're trying to figure out what to do next. We should be remembering to pray for them. It's a good reminder to us as bystanders that nothing about life is certain, that we need to focus on the things that are really important and let the little stuff go.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

***

Don't miss our Springtime Giveaway!
Three Winners!
Ends Friday Night

ENTER
HomemadeSoapnSuch Giveaway!

 Check out all my handcrafted soaps at

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and

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Vintage Rusty Stuff

Pulley on the old barn door

For those of you who love rusty stuff, have I got a treat for you!! :-)

Barn door hinge

Barn Window
No, it's not rusty, but I like it

Barn Cleaner

Barn Beams

Another Rusty Hinge

Old Boiler

This is really the most interesting of all, and it's not part of the barn - it's the old monster boiler that resides in our 18'x71' dog pen (that's feet, not inches). It is so huge and heavy that rather than try to move it, we simply built the dog pen around it. (I know, I know...) At least it won't be able to escape, should it ever have a mind to try anything funny. Of course, this is the same dog pen that the dogs have spent a total of probably 2 days in since its construction about 12 years ago. They much preferred the A.C. and soft beds of the house rather than being outdoors.

Anyway, I hated this ugly, rusty boiler for at least two years, but after a while, like so many things, (and this is the dangerous part) it just became part of the landscape. Know what I mean?? I gave up my hate. Let it go. No longer did I see it as an eyesore. (I'm sure this is partly due to the influence of my rust-loving blogger friends!!) Maybe one day, if I'm lucky, some famous author will do for my monster rusty boiler what Willa Cather did for the old plow (or 'plough.') Until then...

***

“There were no clouds, the sun was going down in a limpid, gold-washed sky. Just as the lower edge of the red disk rested on the high fields against the horizon, a great black figure suddenly appeared on the face of the sun. We sprang to our feet, straining our eyes toward it. In a moment we realized what it was. On some upland farm, a plough had been left standing in the field. The sun was sinking just behind it. Magnified across the distance by the horizontal light, it stood out against the sun, was exactly contained within the circle of the disk; the handles, the tongue, the share—black against the molten red. There it was, heroic in size, a picture writing on the sun.”   - Willa Cather, My Antonia

***

So, do you think there's any hope for my old, rusty boiler? 

 Our Barn, February


***

Don't miss our Springtime Giveaway!
Three Winners!
Ends Friday Night

HomemadeSoapnSuch Giveaway!

Natural, Handcrafted Vegan Soap

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

HomemadeSoapNSuch

and at

Our ETSY Shop 


***

This post is linked to:

Rubbish by Roan, Treasure Box Tuesday, God's Growing Garden 

 Rurality Blog Hop, and Freedom Fridays



 

Springtime Giveaway Natural Homemade Vegan Soaps

Pictured above are just some of the many soaps available.

I hope you'll all enter my 
HomemadeSoapnSuch 
Springtime Giveaway!

There will be THREE winners.

Each winner gets 2 bars, their choice.

I don't know about you, but I don't like having to jump through 20 Rafflecopter hoops when entering a giveaway. SO, I'm keeping this simple.  No Rafflecopter.  Entry names will be printed out, cut apart, put into a hat, and Mr. Cranberry (don't you love that name? It was a blogger friend who gave Kevin that moniker. lol) will put his paw into the hat and select 3 names at random.

RULES:

#1.  Must be a follower of CranberryMorning blog.
Please let me know how you follow.

.

#2.  Check out all my handcrafted soaps at

HomemadeSoapnSuch.Etsy.com

Then come back here (to this post) and leave a comment

letting me know which 2 soaps you'd like

if you're one of the winners.

All soaps are natural and handcrafted,

made with natural base oils, essential oils, quality fragrance oils,

botanicals, and only natural colorants.

Each bar is 4.5-5.0 ounces,

 comes wrapped in its own distinctive label

and is enclosed in a clear cello bag with gold seal.

Like this:

 Perfect Mother's Day Gifts!!

Giveaway ends this Friday night at 9 PM CDT

Winners will be announced Saturday, May 3, on Cranberry Morning.

Be sure to leave your contact info in your comment 

so I can reach you if you're one of the three winners.

Sorry, U.S. addresses only.

Have a wonderful Monday!

 

Ghost of Blackfriars Bridge, London, Anglophile Friday

Pilings from the old

LB & SCR Railway

(London, Brighton and South Coast Railway 1846-1922)

Blackfriars Bridge

One night, after meeting outside St. Paul's Tube Stop and following a ghost around a particular neighborhood in London, the group returned to St. Paul's. We needed to get to Blackfriar's Tube Stop in order to take the train back to our hotel. London's puzzling enough in the daylight, but even more so after dark.

As my daughters and I were studying a London tube map, suddenly, our tour ghost appeared before us, took pity upon us, and offered us a ride to Blackfriars. Who wouldn't get into a car with a ghost?

We knew he had a reputation to uphold and doubted that he was going to turn into a serial killer that night.

It was amazing how deftly he sped through London traffic to get us where we needed to go.

Shaughan Seymour, actor and tour guide, was a superb guide for 'Ghosts of the Old City,' informing us of so many interesting facts about the area while scaring us to death and even breaking into song, often at the same time.  Quite the fun experience.

"...when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

- Samuel Johnson 

*** 

This post is linked to:

Treasure Box Tuesday

Weekly Top Shot
 

Check out my handcrafted, vegan soaps
Buy Any Five or More, Get One FREE

'Green Tea & Ginger,'   'Morning Brew'
Natural, handcrafted vegan soap

HomemadeSoapNSuch

and

Our ETSY Shop 

Have a great weekend!

 

Sapping, Maple Syrup, Amish, and Good Fences

This post was ready to go last week when I realized that Thursday was Maundy Thursday and I wanted to do a post on that. I'll have to tell you that a lot has changed in a week's time! Our snow is GONE, for which I am so grateful! But the following text refers to last week when the sapping was going strong.

"This week we've been seeing a lot of sap bags hanging in maple woods in our neighborhood. With temps below freezing at night and warming up during the days, it's perfect for sapping."

Each big maple tree has two bags attached.

Neighborhood Amish barn and horses

Looks like this Amish family are also on their way to collect sap.

Pretty curious. Pretty and curious.

Really Good Fences

What a difference a week can make in NW Wisconsin! We now have no snow on the ground. Yea!!

 Packed and ready to go!

Appx. 400-500 books

We're heading up to Half Price Books in Minnesota. It's Kevin's birthday and we're hoping to at least get enough cash to pay for fuel and buy a birthday dinner at Good Earth. It seems to be one of the few restaurants on the planet that doesn't poison perfectly good food. They just leave it perfectly good, and let us pay them for not poisoning it. We're willing to do that - on special occasions.

Happy Birthday Man

Does Jazzie look relaxed or what!

***

Click on the button below and join us at Good Fences

Thanks, Theresa.

and also linked to:

Rurality Blog Hop

and

From The Farm

***

Check out my handcrafted, vegan soaps

Buy Any Five or More, Get One FREE

'Cranberry Tea'

Natural, Handcrafted Vegan Soaps

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

HomemadeSoapnSuch

and at

Our ETSY Shop

 Hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

 

Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties: Inspiration Monday and  Mosaic Monday and The Marketplace  and Market Yourself Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and  Making the World Cuter Mondays and You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Treasure Box Tuesday  and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday  and What we Accomplished Wednesday and Whatever Goes Wednesday and  Adorned From Above  and Rurality Blog Hop and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday and Good Fences and  Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Weekend Reflections and  Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and   Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and The Charm of Home and  Share Your Creativity and A Favorite Thing Saturday and Weekly Top Shot and Shadow Shot Sunday and  Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday