Driftless Wisconsin, Visiting Grandkids and a Parchment Medley

Last week we had a visit from two of our grandchildren from New Ulm, Minnesota. Since they were going to be with us for the week, we spent a day in Wausau, leaving here at 7:30 in the morning for the 2 1/2 hour drive there, so they could see the Wausau house, spend a little time in Wausau, and of course have time with their cousins. It's always fun seeing the cousins enjoying each other's company. And it's always great to spend time with our daughter.

The river water level has been lowered deliberately, 

so that work can be done on the bridges.

More photos and text sprinkled throughout today's Medley, which is brought to you by Terri, our host, who blogs at Your Friend From Florida. She writes the questions, we write the answers. Plug them into your own blog and join up at her blog!

Terri's questions are in black, my responses are in blue.

Can you believe it?

It's

National Parchment Day,

Last Wednesday in June

1.  Who knew there was a day to celebrate parchment paper?!  Do you ever use parchment when you bake or cook? Tell us about your favorite way to use it, please.

 I rarely use parchment in baking unless my recipe says I must. 

 Toe and ankle dipping in the Wisconsin River

Toe dipping in the Red Cedar River

2.  When Terri thinks of parchment paper, she usually thinks about special writing or artist papers. She loves using specialty papers for creating cards or other art projects. Tell us about a creative way you have used parchment paper other than to bake with!

I don't think I've ever used parchment in any creative way whatsoever. I'm sorry, Terri. My creativity extends only to soapmaking and journaling, I'm afraid.

On our walk along the Wisconsin River, we encountered a pipes and fiddle duo who serenaded us. Fortunately, our granddaughter had the presence of mind to record them (see video below). Thanks, Elisabeth.  I was so mesmerized by their sound and skill that I only managed to think to take a couple photos. They were incredible, and it was such a fun mini concert. 

 Uilleann Pipes

Video courtesy of @elysadans

3.  Terri used to be in the cake business and has piped many borders and roses and leaves and letters, etc., etc.  You can make a pastry bag from parchment paper!  Have you ever tried decorating a cake with a pastry bag and specialty tips?  Do you have a picture to share?  Don't be shy, now!

I'm afraid I'm batting zero here. But I would highly recommend reading Terri's blog, for I bet she's had lots of experience working with parchment.

Happy kids hanging out at The Blue Goose

 Later in the week we drove to 'The Motherland,' as Mr. C. calls it, the Driftless area of Wisconsin in the SW part of the state. 

No fear of putting the cart before the horse here.

After stopping to visit an Amish friend we'd not seen since last summer, we went to '24 Valley Road' as he directed us, for ice cream and an interesting barn he knew we'd like.

Not this barn. This is The Blue Goose

with the most fabulous ice cream!

 Sunshine and shadows at The Blue Goose,

where all four of us got huge helpings of ice cream

for under $10 total. Mine was blueberry waffle cone.
I'm sure that I ordered a small dish, but no kidding, it was a veritable mountain.
So I ate only a few bites and threw the rest away.
(Yeah, right. LOLOLOLOL)

It's a good thing I don't have that kind of ice cream or any ice cream sitting in my freezer.

I know it wouldn't be there for long.

Here's that barn Sam said was a must-see.

Definitely close to the road!

 

4.  Tell us about something you baked or cooked in the past week or so that turned out great, parchment or no parchment.  Will you share the recipe?

 Blueberry scones. This one is cranberry, but the recipe made last week was made with fresh blueberries. Delicious!

The most recent thing which might have called for parchment paper, but which I baked on a sil-pat lined baking sheet was blueberry/lemon scones. They were delicious. I still have a few in the freezer which I'll pull out at some point in the near future and heat up in a 200 degree oven just to thaw and then crisp up the exterior.  I'm pretty sure the silicone sheets I have were ordered from Amazon. Click HERE to see them. I use them for scones and cookies.

HERE is the recipe for the blueberry scones in the blueberry/lavender version.

 I had to zoom in on this scene through the windshield as we were approaching one another, and have removed the heads (ouch!) to protect the privacy of the Amish. I know, it's not like they're going to be reading this blog or anything, but I've been told by a few Amish friends that they don't mind photos at all as long as their faces are not showing. So, there you are. But it was such a delightful scene! A team of beautiful horses and a wagonload of fresh hay topped by a young Amish boy, probably about 8-10 years old.

I think that meeting our friend Sam completely dispelled any preconceived notions our grandkids might have had (or that many people have) about the Amish. They are good businessmen and women, intelligent, skilled, and have a great sense of humor. They're hardworking and very community-minded people. By the way, our friend Sam is a skilled cabinet maker and makes cabinets for huge condos in Chicago and (multi-) million-dollar 'cabins' on lakes up north. When I asked Mr. C. about having Sam make book shelves for us for the Wausau house, he responded, 'We can't afford Sam.'  Oh.  Oh well. Sam does incredible work and is in high demand. And a really great guy. I would show you a picture of him, but...

5.  The last Wednesday in June!!  How can that be? Has your June flown by or have you been able to enjoy each day and make it slow down for you?

June has definitely flown by, and it's been a pretty chilly one, so I'm looking forward to July. 

 Two of the grandkids,

standing under the most famous street sign in Westby. :-)

 Visiting the ancestors

 Country Coon Prairie Lutheran Church

6.  Tell us something about your week so far, if you will.

So far this week, the weather seems to be trending toward warmish and I've been cleaning out and packing and donating (while listening to interesting YouTube interviews and lectures). Sound familiar? I also spent an afternoon working on my journal, although I have noticed that I'm not doing nearly as nice a job on journalling as I usually do. I think it comes from a sense of guilt - like that I should be cleaning out and packing and donating. Sigh.

I'm also missing Tommy & Smokey, and have heard nothing more about them. Poor little waif kitties. I pray that their new 'mommy' is treating them in the manner to which they had become accustomed. xo 

 One of the beautiful white and purple bearded iris

that originally came from my great grandmother's garden.

I will be moving some of these to the Wausau house.

I expect my HomemadeSoapnSuch shops
to be closed for the summer.
Lots of back-and-forth between
Dallas and Wausau.

Check out my natural, handcrafted vegan soap!
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The shops will be reopened when we're move into the Wausau house.

Thanks for the Medley, Terri, as poor as my responses were!
I'll try to do better next week. :-)

PS. Thank you, Lord, for letting me live in Wisconsin in the summertime and please forgive me for the complaining that I do all February and March.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning

A Paper Clip for Wednesday Medley

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

The wild plum blossoms smell wonderful!



Join Terri and the Gang
for

She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and link up at Terri's blog,

Your Friend From Florida

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

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

for

She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and link up at

Your Friend From Florida

 

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!

Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning