A Paper Clip for Wednesday Medley

 Herefords in the Neighborhood
Don't you love their heart uniforms?

The wild plum blossoms smell wonderful!



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Terri writes:  (and my responses are in blue)

I must admit that the National Day Calendar, at times, leaves me wondering whatever am I going to do with the choices given to us.  When I saw that it is National Paperclip Day tomorrow.... well, here we go!!  Please, please read all about this day before you skip to the questions. It really is quite inspiring!!  Seriously!

Everything below this line is from the National Day Calendar website.

______________________________________________________________

NATIONAL PAPERCLIP DAY

National Paperclip Day is observed each year on May 29.  Yes, even the paperclip has its own day of honor. It is about that well-known piece of curved wire that keeps our papers together and helps keep us organized.

National Lloyd Nelson Day

I can't believe that my father has been replaced by a paper clip. Born on May 29, 1917, he was the best dad ever. The photo above shows him with our first grandson, who is now 15. Looking at this photo of my dad, I am reminded of why I have to fight with that front lock of my hair every single day. Dad went to be with the Lord in December of 2010. R.I.P. Dad. I thank God for giving me such a wonderful dad and for the influence he was and is on my life.

The Paper Clip Project
During World War II this small, universal office supply provided a visual method of protest at a time when any outward signs of objection could be dangerous, even in familiar company.

Early in the war, Norwegians were particularly persistent in their development of symbols. The paper clip represented “sticking together” for a time until the Nazis caught on and banned the wearing of paper clips.

According to a March 5, 1941, Provo, Utah newspaper article (The Daily Herald), the Norwegians switched to new symbols as quickly as the bans could be issued.
In 1998, a group of middle school students led by language arts teacher Sandra Roberts and associate principal David Smith began a project through a Holocaust education class. The voluntary after-school class, Whitwell Middle School principal Linda Hooper’s idea, would be the foundation for developing tolerance and diversity.

Inspired by the story of the protesting Norwegians and their paper clips, the students began to collect six million paper clips – one paper clip representing one Jew who perished during the Holocaust. Adults today still wrestle with how the Holocaust could occur. Imagine middle school students trying to understand the magnitude of such an event on humanity.

The Paper Clip Project gained international attention and by 2001 the students collected more than 30 million paper clips. The school dedicated a Children’s Holocaust Memorial which displays an authentic German railcar filled with a portion of the paper clips.

For more information on this inspiring story, the book and film that followed visit www.oneclipatatime.org

_____________________________________________________________

Everything above this line is from the National Day Calendar website.

1.  Wow!  Had you ever heard of the Holocaust project involving paperclips?  It is a great teaching project, for sure! 

No, and that is definitely an interesting story. My personal greatest connection to the Norwegians, is that I married one. Ya, ya betcha. It was actually his great grandpa who settled in the Westby area of Wisconsin.

2.  Have you ever created a paperclip chain?  How long did it get?

I am sure that I did, at some point in my life. The interesting thing about paper clips is that they're always in the desk drawer until you need one, and then they all seem to have vanished.

I think my cushion storage became a boat for Memorial Day.

 A porch is a wonderful place to play, even in the rain!

3.  I use paperclips as hooks at Christmas time to put ornaments on the tree.  Works like a charm!! What is something you used a paperclip for, other than holding papers together?

I've also used a paper clip to hang Christmas ornaments, and once to keep a skirt together when the top button and a safety pin could not be found.

 Watching the cattle across the road

on our one sunny day, last Saturday.

4.  I am amazed at the shapes and colors of paperclips available.  I found my favorite... share your favorite with us here!

My favorite paper clip is the one that's there when I need it. I don't care about the color, but accessibility and sturdiness.

 Most of May was THIS COLD

5.  Say goodbye to May on this last Wednesday of May.  Be poetic if you will, or simply bid it adieu.

It seems to me that last year I also said something like the fact that May had always been my favorite month until then, and this year I'm thinking the same thing. We've had about two nice days in the entire month. So although the green of May in Wisconsin is gorgeous, I'm looking forward to July. I know that June is in between, but May has been so cold that I'm not going to count on June to bring us warm weather. We'll see.

The good things about May are that one grandson was here for two weeks, we spent a day with family in the Twin Cities because of our great grandbaby's Christian dedication, family was here over a rainy and cold Memorial Day, we made a few trips to the Wausau house, and finally, May should bring us to slightly warmer weather. We hope.

6.  Tell us something about your week so far, please!


I'll tell it by adding a few more photos:

 Making stone pizza on the porch

 The littlest star and mama

3-2-1
Practicing her little heart out
all weekend long! 

 So on that one beautiful day, they were finally able to get the corn planted in the field north of the house. Usually they're planting corn the beginning of the month. This year, because it has been so cold and so wet, they're really struggling to get all the fields planted.

 The Amish neighbors are also planting their fields now.
Their tractors are so much prettier. :-)



HomemadeSoapnSuch.com

and

HomemadeSoapnSuch.Etsy.com

will be closed from June 1 through the summer.

Tommy & Smokey, of course
The Big Visit from their potential new care giver is only ten days away. 
I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone.

Thank you Terri, for the Medley!

Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning

All Creation Praise the Lord

 Bridger marveling at God's glorious sunrise

Hi friends,

I posted this photo on Instagram yesterday for a #throwbackthursday photo. Vee asked me if I had it framed. Actually, no, it was still in digital format because a) I'm terribly remiss in getting my photos actually printed on paper and b) because I took this photo in the summer of 2006. Since at the time I had a primitive digital camera, it is a small file size. So, because it looks far better on the computer than printed on paper, I decided to post it today. But just for the record, I did print it out as a 4x6. At least I have that if the grid should go down. :-)

This photo is such a great reminder to me that God, the source of all being, delights in his creatures giving him praise. If we look at the order of creation, it is obvious that all creation is to be finally led by human beings in giving right praise to our Creator. That is our vocation, our delight, and what brings us deep down joy.

 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights! 

 Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his host!

 Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars! 

 Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!

 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for he commanded and they were created. 

 He established them forever and ever;
    he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

 Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you sea monsters and all deeps, 

 fire and hail, snow and frost,
    stormy wind fulfilling his command!

 Mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars! 

 Wild animals and all cattle,
    creeping things and flying birds!

 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth! 

 Young men and women alike,
    old and young together!

 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his glory is above earth and heaven. 

 He has raised up a horn for his people,
    praise for all his faithful,
    for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 148 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning

Road Trip Medley

NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY – Friday Before Memorial Day

 The road trip we took with our son and grandson, from Wisconsin to Sierra Vista in December of 2017 is the only fun road trip I can remember.

Join Terri and the Gang

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we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and link up at

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NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY

The Friday before Memorial Day is declared National Road Trip Day and serves as the official kickoff of the summer road trip season. With two-thirds of leisure travelers (64 percent)* planning to take vacations this summer, it’s clear that the open road calls when long weekends and Fridays roll around. We pack up, fuel up, stock up and then crank up the tunes. In fact, 63 percent** of road trippers say that having good music, audiobooks and/or podcasts to listen to are the most important parts of a successful road trip. Additionally, three in five road trippers (59 percent) say that having good snacks and drinks for the road, finding great places to eat on the way and finding clean bathrooms to use while traveling are their most important parts of a successful road trip.

How do you travel? There are two kinds of people who take road trips. If you’re going together, you might want to discuss a compromise before hitting the road! The tourist takes their time getting there and doesn’t mind taking backroads to see long-forgotten ghost towns. On the other hand, the pilot enjoys seeing the country from the car, sets a course and frowns upon unscheduled stops or side trips.

Well, that explains it. I would be the 'tourist' traveler, wanting to take backroads and stop for interesting photo ops. You-know-who likes to stick to the freeway and get to the destination asap. Ugh! How boring!

I decided to skip ahead to Friday for today's Medley.  It IS a holiday weekend for us in the USA and lots of folks do take road trips on long weekends.  Let's see where we can go with this one!!

1.  Have you ever done a spur-of-the-moment road trip?  Where did it take you?

Yes! And it took us to the land of never-ending snow. It was the unexpected road trip in April of 2018 when we had flown to Arizona and had intended to make that a round-trip flight, when suddenly the airline notified us that there was a BLIZZARD in Minnesota and our flight was canceled. I think MSP got a good foot of snow and because that flight was canceled and other flights had to stay on schedule as much as possible, they couldn't fit us in anywhere. So Mr. C. spent hours (literally) on the phone, trying to talk to Customer Service and get something arranged. No luck. So we rented a car and drove back to Minnesota and Wisconsin, driving straight through (I didn't do the driving; I did the whining) And this was April 19). It was definitely a must-get-there-as-fast-as-possible trip.

 Somewhere in Yorkshire

2.  If time and money wasn't an issue, what roads would you choose to travel and how long would you be gone?

Taking time and money out of the picture, I would choose to travel all the little roads in England. I would be gone for a few years, but all of my family would have accompanied me, so maybe even five years! I mean, this is a fantasy, right? That would be mine. And every day at 5 PM I would make sure that I'm at one of the great cathedrals for Evensong service.

Deer, on our walk. They came out of the woods long enough to cross the road and get a drink of water.

3.  When you go on a long road trip, what snacks and beverages do you take?  Do you pack a picnic? Does the back seat turn into a nest?

We used to travel between Wisconsin and Lancaster County Pennsylvania a lot. I don't remember the beverages, but I took along a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and lots of ziploc bags full of carrots, peppers, olives, cheese. These days I would also take sparkling water. Although I didn't pack it as a picnic, we actually did eat it as a picnic in a few places - like on Highway 30 just outside the laundromat in Lancaster, PA., as well as in the van.

4.  Please tell us about something interesting or strange you have seen on the side of the road.

 This little rascal climbed out of the pen (under the bottom barbed wire) and was exploring the ditch when we returned from our walk last night. As you know, that barn is just across the road from our place.

 SHE did not approve!

 Even his pal wanted him back inside

Since our neighbor and his wife, who own these cattle, are in Mexico at the moment, Mr. C. decided that we could put this little guy back in the pen. "Just stand there and wave your arms." Oh good grief, I was immediately transported back to childhood where I was in a similar situation, calves or heifers getting out, and I was supposed to "just stand there and wave your arms." Sometimes I could do it and sometimes, if they came running at me, I'd beat it out of there! I told Mr. C., "I'm not very good at this."  But he coaxed him and I did manage to stay ahead of him until he came to the spot where he had crawled out. Then Mr. C. found some wire and rigged up a fifth strand of barbed wire. When our neighbor returns from Mexico, he will be surprised to see that fifth strand. And yes, there is another neighbor who checks on them daily. Right now they're on lovely pasture that has a creek running through it.

5.  Who does the driving when you head out in the car?  Do you stop in the rest areas along our Interstate highways when you have to use the facilities, or do you choose a fast-food restaurant or gas station instead?  Not TMI... inquiring minds want to know!

Mr. C. does the driving. Both of us are more relaxed that way. Wisconsin has pretty nice and clean rest stops, but we usually stop at Kwik Trip stations because it's just part of the upper Midwest life. LOL. Kwik Trip has almost anything anyone could want, onions, eggs, and coffee being three of the most important.

6.  Please share something with us about your week so far.

 This was actually last weekend. While Mr. C. and our son worked on carpenter-type stuff around the house, this grandson and I played SEVEN games. He's a smart little cookie, and so sweet. But I'll tell you, it's not easy to play seven games in a row with a four year old. This one is 'Busy Town.' And evidently it's perfect for a four year old, because he totally got into the excitement of the game. That was so much fun to see.

Spot it

Tic Tac Toe

Pass the Pig

Camper

Memory matching game

Counting Campers

Busy Town

I knew I should have bought 'Guess Who?'  That's a cute one too. 

Got any other ideas for cute games for kids that age? I've seen some really incredibly disgusting games, but the ones I listed are all good ones. I'd love to hear other suggestions.

c. 1927 F.A. Whitney baby carriage

 And after I brought it back indoors...

These two!

One of the things I'm eager to get done in prepping our house for the market is to rip out the horrid old carpet in the rooms upstairs and replace it with carpet or hardwood. But I'm not wanting to do either until Tommy and Smokey are in their new home. It would be so disruptive to these poor kitties, and it will be disruptive enough when the time comes for them to go to a new home. Elizabeth, three hours away from us, is interested in them and is scheduled to visit here the second weekend of June. Please pray about this. I know there are lots of big things to be praying about, but since there are no big or little things to God, I feel okay about asking. And we are called to be good stewards of His good creation.

THANK YOU for the Medley, Terri!

I will be closing both of my shops on June 1. They will remain closed for most of the summer, or perhaps longer. We've got so much to do around here to get our place ready to sell.

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Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

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Medley and More

 

I have enjoyed our beautiful springtime view across the road for the past 30 years
#rustic #rural_love

This view is at the Wausau house
The stream runs from the grotto, down a few waterfalls and into the pond.
Saint Francis** will be installed in a week or so.

 Back view of the Wausau house we'll be moving to this (late) summer

Although the house itself is nice, my favorite part is the nearly .5 acres of backyard with the pond, stream, and gazebo - and lots of trees! This is probably the best possible transition to town after having lived in the country for decades. Thank you Lord for your generosity!

Pond at our current home

I just got the pond plants on Sunday and cleaned our little pond on Monday. The next time I'm in Wausau, if it's not snowing or raining, I'll clean out that pond too. If you look closely, you can see the little last waterfall that empties into the pond.

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Plug them into your own blog post
and join in!
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Thank you, Terri!

NATIONAL NYLON STOCKING DAY – May 15

  (Who even knew this could be a day to celebrate in 2019?!!)

 Our first great grandchild with her sweet parents

Little Penny was dedicated to the Lord on Mother's Day, and

her parents took vows 'to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.'

It was a beautiful day with the family.

I'm going to be sprinkling family photos throughout.

1.  Do you (men don't have to answer) ever wear stockings today?

As seldom as possible. Ugh. But occasionally.

 Two of our grandsons at our home on the day before Mother's Day

'Grandma, come look! We found a whole garden of them!"

2.  Terri can remember her mom wearing hose with the seam in the back.  Do you have any memories of those?  During the war, when stockings were scarce, women would draw a line on their legs to simulate wearing stockings!  How far would you go to superficially fake something today?

I'm sure my mom must have worn stockings with a seam, but I was too busy riding horse, playing football, and climbing trees to notice. How far would I go to superficially fake something today? Well, let's just say that it's not going to be the real Saint Francis at the head of our garden stream in Wausau.

Our daughter-in-law and two of her (their) daughters
on Mother's Day. All lovely ladies.

3.  Women actually rioted after WWII because Dupont couldn't keep up with the demand for nylon stockings!  Is there anything today you would riot for if the supply dried up (other than basic food and water needs)?

Hmm. Would I riot for coffee? But I guess that would be considered a basic food need anyway, so my answer would be NO. 

 Our firstborn and I

He's still such a fun 'kid.'

4.  Pantyhose were first called Panty Legs.  I'm sure we all have worn pantyhose at one time or another (again, men don't have to answer). Do you still have a pair or three in a drawer?  Do you wear them?

One pair. For emergencies. Like tying to the bed and using them to climb down the side of the house in case of fire.

 My favorite photo of the whole day

The little brother had stayed with us for two (delightful) weeks, and I think his older brothers must have missed him. They couldn't keep their hands off him. It was hilarious! Anyway, this moment looked so Norman Rockwell-esque to me. I love it!

5.  This is also National Chocolate Chip Day.  Perhaps chocolate is something to riot for if we ran out?  Joe's favorite cookie is chocolate chip.  What is yours?

It's a three-way tie: chocolate chip with LOTS of chocolate chips, walnuts or pecans; molasses, or peanut butter made with chunky peanut butter. They're all good! Or maybe it's a lemon drop cookie with cream cheese frosting. Hmmm.

 Waiting for the Swedish Kringler to cool.

He was at the kitchen counter, doing his schoolwork.

I told him to be careful licking *those* beaters

and don't turn the handle!!

6.  Please share something with us about your week.

This week is starting out great. When I saw that the temperature early morning was 42 with a 'Real Feel' of 50, I knew it was going to be good. 

 Grandkids playing at the nearby park

on one of our trips to Wausau

They play so well together and I love seeing them having fun.

 Some pics from the past two weeks. We already miss him.

Clockwise, from top left:

Finding a snakeskin

Sleeping beside Smokey

Painting 'Wausau Rocks' *

His introduction to the accordion

*Wausau Rocks involves painting rocks and hiding them various places around Wausau for people to find, hopefully take a photo of and upload to Facebook on the 'wausau rocks' page. We took a handful of painted rocks when we visited and hid them (in plain sight) around the town. We've yet to see them on Facebook, so either people are walking around with their eyes closed or they decided to keep them. That's okay too.

 Smokey's favorite blanket is a soft, squishy white blanket

Tommy's favorite blanket is Smokey.

I hope the young woman who is interested in these two sweeties and is planning to visit us the second weekend of June, will be willing to take along their favorite sleeping boxes and favorite blankets as well. I don't suppose she would take their favorite chair. That might be asking too much.

 +++++++++

 
 nga.gov

** Saint Francis

Lest we think that Saint Francis was a harmless animal lover and was created merely to decorate our backyards, you might find interesting this bit of information on Saint Francis, excerpted from The Pivotal Players (WordonFire.org):

"Saint Francis was born in 1182... The charming troubadour of God was also a fierce ascetic...practiced radical self-denial...represented a back to basics evangelicalism, a return to the radicality of the Gospel. This is what makes him a permanently relevant figure in the life of the Church... Francis was and is like a bell ringing, especially now in our hyper-secularized time, when we're just content with the things of this world, a flattened out sense of life. He is like a wake up call - that God is real, that we find our joy only in Him, that Christianity can be lived in this radical way... Wake up to the reality of God!...He was a radical follower of Jesus who wanted to go all the way with the Sermon on the Mount. That does make him a counter-cultural figure for sure. I do think we tend to domesticate him..."

So when you see Saint Francis standing in my backyard, please do not get him confused with Doctor Dolittle.

***

I will probably be closing my shops for the summer, since we've so much to get done. The plan now is to close for June, July, and August. But keep an eye on us because who knows.

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