Hodgpodging When I Should Be Packing

Our daughter and her daughter

Happy Birthday to her!


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for

1. What pets did you have while growing up? Tell us a little something about them.

I should be packing for our trip (repacking, actually), but had to catch the Hodgepodge!

The two pets, whose memory I cherish the most were Shammar, my Arabian/Welsh horse and Sheri, our Border Collie. I probably spent as much time on the ground next to my horse, after he threw me, than actually riding him, but I loved that horse, and when I rode, we FLEW! He was a beautiful animal and I loved him and spoiled him to death. Sheri was an amazing cattle dog. She could be sent to round up the cows from the pasture and would do it. Sheri was sweet and amazing, and ranks right up there with Bridger.

2. What is one thing you absolutely must accomplish today?

I absolutely must go finish packing my carry-on bag, for we leave for England about noon. Mr. C. and I both travel with just a carry-on each, and believe me, it takes a lot more packing and unpacking when you're trying to limit your stuff to just one bag. It was on my first trip to England that I learned that one doesn't take as much as one can possibly stuff into the bag, but as little as possible that you can get by with (my daughter will hate this sentence, but I'm in a hurry). That bag has to be lugged through the airport, all the train and tube stations, up and down flights of steps, etc. I know. Poor me. I can feel the sympathy. LOL.  We'll be going to London, Canterbury, Dover, York, the Cotswolds, Oxford. Pack four pr. of socks or three? (I wash along the way). Decisions, decisions.

 Same girl, flower girl at her brother's wedding

(in 1992)

3. Where were you ten years ago? What were you doing there?

I was probably celebrating our daughter's (pictured above) birthday. It was also the year of her wedding, her cousin's wedding, our trip to London/Yorkshire with our other daughter and son-in-law, visiting my dad in the nursing home and reading books to him, looking at maps with him (we both love maps), and taking him out to coffee or to our house for the afternoon; canning tomatoes and freezing peppers. Enjoying the company of Bridger and Misty. :-(( Those are the things I can think of that I would have been doing. 

 Rievaulx, just after a downpour

4. September 26th is National Dumpling Day. Did you celebrate? Apple dumpling, xiao long bao (steamed Chinese dumpling), chicken and dumplings, pirogi, matzoh balls, or gnocchi...which dumpling on this list would be your dumpling of choice? Have you ever made homemade dumplings of any kind?

There is nothing positive that I can say about any dumpling. They're doughy, squishy, gooey on the bottom. Definitely the opposite of the crunchy, crispy kind of thing I like.

5. 'There are two kinds of adventurers: those who go truly hoping to find an adventure and those who go secretly hoping they don't.' William Trogdon

So which kind are you?

I LOVE an adventure, as long as I'm certain of the way back home.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Watch for us

***

My shops are closed until October 10,
but at that time I plan to open with a
20% off sale.
That includes all soaps (Christmas ones too!)  AND photo greeting cards.
Stay tuned.


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Woodland Flowers



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Hodgepodging Festivals for Extroverts

Still wondering what this building might have been
in times past. Bar? Restaurant? Hotel?
On Highway N in central Wisconsin


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She writes the questions;
we write the answers.
Plug them into your own blog post
and join in!

1. What's something you'd rate a 10/10? Tell us why.

The shy little grands
They're a delight.

2. What job would you be terrible at? What makes you think so?

Being the executioner at an animal shelter. No explanation necessary, I would think.

Another view of that old building on N

Glad I could get these photos before it totally collapses.

Now I'd really like to find its history.

3. When did you last take a fall? What's something you're falling for (in a good way) these days?

A couple winters ago, falling on the icy driveway, another reason I hate winter. What I AM falling for are the bright, crisp autumn days (which I hope come soon, instead of more rain).

The two brothers (above) are staying with us this week while their mom and dad are in England to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. The corn is much taller than the seven or ten year old! This was on an adventure. We walked to the spring and then home by way of the cornfield.

Barn on 12th Avenue

4. According to the Travel Channel here are some of America's best fall festivals-

National Apple Harvest Festival (near Arendtsville PA, close to Gettysburg), Harvest on the Harbor (Portland Maine), German Village Festival (Columbus Ohio), Wellfleet Oyster Fest (Cape Cod), and Wine and Chile Fiesta (Santa Fe NM)

Have you ever been to any of the festivals listed? Which one appeals to you most? Does your hometown have any sort of fall celebration, and if so will you make it a point to attend?

Festivals don't appeal to me. I'd be more likely to visit any of these places the week AFTER the festival.

 A pretty Wisconsin farm on Highway N

5. What is your goodbye message to summer?

Why are your visits only three minutes long???

Bull snake on my water hyacinth

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The boys' parents visited Hadrian's wall yesterday.
I took this to send to them via Instagram
The boys on Hadrian's Wall aka a rock pile near the spring
Hi Mom and Dad!


***

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My HomemadeSoapnSuch shops will be closed
September 23 - October 10,
which is why my 2017 Christmas soaps
are already in both shops.
Check them out!

Mandarin Spice

Natural Vegan Soap

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


and at


Our ETSY Shop

 Just Tommy this time.
Smokey probably decided she didn't want to be squished 
by her monster brother.
 

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Apple Crisp Recipe

 

 Apple Crisp
McIntosh Apples from our faithful old tree

One of our sons and his family stopped in the other day and before he left, he said, 'Say Mom, could you give me your recipe for apple crisp?' So I grabbed my trusty 1969 Betty Crocker cookbook, snapped a photo of the recipe, and sent it to his Instagram account. What did we do before Smartphones??

And it even has my own handwriting. Awwwwww.

Should tug at his heart strings in years to come, 

if he doesn't lose the .jpg file.

And I forgot to tell him that I used a gluten-free flour mix,

but he wouldn't have used that anyway.

By the way, I made an 8x8 this time because

I have no willpower against fresh apple crisp

made with our McIntosh apples. None whatsoever.

 Sweet old McIntosh in better years.

It desperately needs a good pruning.

This is the second copy of this edition that I've owned.

My other one was falling apart, except for the pages that were stuck

together due to some of the recipe ending up on them,

so my daughter and SIL found me another one.

Of course I transferred all my notes before somewhat reluctantly pitching the old one.

 ***

As promised, my 2017 Christmas Soaps are ready and in my shops today. I know there are those who like to get a head start on their Christmas shopping, and because both of my shops will both be closed from September 23 - October 9, I wanted to post them early.  I will process all orders that come in on or before September 23 (and after October 9 of course).

Check out my natural, handcrafted vegan soap!
Buy any 5 or more, Get 1 FREE 

Soap bars are appx. 3x3x1
and 4.5-5 oz.

Peppermint Tea

All Natural Vegan Soap

All natural base oils including extra virgin olive oil -  and essential oils.

With peppermint from my garden.

Right now I have a batch of peppermint in the dehydrator.

It smells wonderful!

And maybe a little lingering apple crisp.


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

and at

Our ETSY Shop

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Hodgepodging A Thousand Words

 Although it's going to be in the 80s today,
it's starting to look very fallish out there.

 Join Joyce and the Gang
for

She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and join in!

 We've been seeing and hearing flocks of geese

and sandhill cranes in our neighborhood this week.

I love it!

And this early morning there was a doe and her fawn

under our apple tree.

1. Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.

I certainly always hoped so, when I was a kid and had to write a paper for English class.

But actually, yes, I do think so, especially for poor writers. :-)

 Something to ponder.

Something to praise God for.

And Grandpa got a giggle out of this three year old!

2. Have you ever driven any part of the Pacific Coast Highway? If so what was your favorite stop? If not, is this sort of trip on your bucket list?

Yes, many years ago. My favorite stop was the airport and returning home. Even back then, California seemed like a foreign country. If I had any aspirations of visiting before it breaks off into the ocean, I'd probably better do it sometime soon. But it's definitely not high on my bucket list. I'm more interested in traveling the eastern coast.

 Antique railroad freight wagon

Rice Lake, WI

3. How do the changing seasons affect you? As the seasons change do you find yourself looking more forward or backward? Which season-season transition bothers you most? Why do you suppose that is? 

I love having four distinct seasons here in Wisconsin. I love the change from summer to fall and the change from spring to summer. But fall to winter is depressing because winters are so very long up here, and winter to spring is still very cold, wet, and dreary. So let's go back to thinking about May, June, July, August, September, and October. They're beautiful here in Wisconsin. And we do need snowy December for Christmas.t

 Our Four Seasons

Can you see why I like fall and summer better?

4. It's your birthday and you get to pick the dinner menu. What are we having? Do you ever lie about your age?

I would choose fish and chips at The Cricketers pub in Canterbury. And no, there's little point in lying about my age. My hair and wrinkles tell it all. I doubt anyone would believe me if I said I was 29. or 39. or 49. or 59!!!  Yikes. I never dreamed I'd live to be so old. 

My daughters and their mother

5. What's a life lesson you've learned recently?

As God's image bearers on the earth, reflecting his image to the world, we can look at Jesus (not anyone else) to determine how we're doing as image bearers.

Philippians 2:6: 'who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.'

   

As God's image bearer, does my life have the remotest resemblance to Jesus' life?

What do we most want our children and grandchildren to learn about God? If we are God's image bearers, what of his character are we reflecting to them? Are we reflecting a true image as Jesus did, or a distorted image? And because of it, how will they perceive God? So back to your first question, 'Is a picture worth a thousand words?' I'd say that in the case of parenting and grandparenting, it most definitely is. And I pray to be aware of it every day.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

We're so grateful that Hurricane Irma wasn't as devastating as initially predicted. That doesn't mean, of course, that we'll stop praying for those who lost so much and are left homeless and/or without electricity and with such a huge mess to clean up in Florida, or those who were and are affected by the storm and its aftermath as it moved farther north.

And a little more random:

 Tommy & Smokey, of course.

 ***

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Woodland Flowers
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No harsh chemicals
No animal products
No artificial colorants
Great lather
Moisturizing
Delicious fragrance
Kind to your skin

NOTE:

My shops,

HomemadeSoapnSuch.com

and

HomemadeSoapnSuch.Etsy.com

will be closed from September 23-October 9.

Because of this, Christmas soaps will be in my Etsy shop
by Friday, September 15. I hope.



 

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Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Hodgepodging Another Birthday and Autumn

September 4, 2017

Join Joyce and the Gang
for

 She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and join in!

1. When you think about your future what do you fear most? Hope for the most?

At some point, getting our farm ready to sell and moving is the thing I fear AND hope for the most.

2. September is National Chicken Month. How often is chicken on the menu at your house? What's a favorite dish made with chicken? What's something you're a 'chicken' about doing or trying?

Chicken is probably on our dinner menu at least twice a week. I love chicken stirfry, chicken penne pasta, chicken vegetable soup, baked chicken, etc. etc. I can't think of what I'm a chicken about at the moment.

It's starting to look very fallish around here.

I picked the wild catnip for kitty entertainment in the winter

The wonderful McIntosh apples from our persevering old tree

will become apple crisp by tomorrow night.

3. What are three things you don't own but wish you did?

A Tardis-style carry-on bag that totally packed weighs no more than 10 pounds. 2 ounces.

A refrigerator that's six feet wide and 1 foot deep.

A silent snowmobile.

Cute little calves and many calf hutches.

The other calves are off the photos.

4. Would you rather be a jack of all trades or a master of one? Elaborate.  If you answered one, which one?

I tend to be more a jack of all trades and master of none. At this point, I would like to be a master of one, but it reminds me, with a chuckle, of our oldest son who, upon hearing his younger sister play the violin (beautifully, I might add) said,

'I'd do anything to be able to play like that.

Well, anything but practice.' 

5. Ketchup or mustard? On what?

Coarse, dark, and spicy mustard - on a burger or chicken sausage. No yellow French's mustard, please.

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Over the weekend we were at another grandson's birthday. He is now seven years old and just started school yesterday. He's a fun kid, and made sure that I knew the names of his seven Angry Birds before I left to go home.

 7 little angry birds
and I can name them,
but I have no idea what they're angry about

 A sweet and fun grandson

***

Check out my natural, handcrafted vegan soap!
Buy any 5 or more, Get 1 FREE
 

Peppermint Tea
Natural Vegan Soap


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

and at

Our ETSY Shop

Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning

Psalm 23

  'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

  He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters; 

     he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
    for his name’s sake.

 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
    I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff—
    they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows. 

 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    my whole life long.'

Psalm 23, NRSV

(I think that occasionally reading a passage of Scripture in a version different 
from what we've memorized helps us pay closer attention.)

***

And here's some music that will bless you!

Have a blessed Lord's Day!