Wednesday Medley and Bits of Life Wednesday

 Neighborhood barn


I'm joining Terri
for

Wednesday Medley

Click on the link

and join in!

First of all, THANK YOU to Terri 
for bringing us Wednesday Medley!
 

1. If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Pray, read, blog, journal. Freeze more apples for apple crisp.

2. What’s your favorite piece of clothing you own/owned?

I don't know that I remember every favorite item of clothing, but one favorite was a drab green (like olive but drabber) corduroy coat with a fake fur collar, my favorite winter coat - that was stolen a couple months after my mom had bought it for me. My other favorite item of clothing was a dark rust colored dress with a hood - corduroy again - that buttoned all the way from top to bottom, kinda mid calf, and I wore it with tall brown lace-up leather boots. Wow, that was back in the day. And I could lace up those tall boots fast, with ONE HAND. It was quite the skill.

 Mr. C's sunset photo at Barron High School with the Barron Bears mascot. I thought it was a pretty cool photo.

3. What hobby would you get into if time and money weren’t an issue?

Well, it wouldn't be fishing, that's for sure, but I thought this was a cute pic of a couple of kids on the Wisconsin River, I think it was. Ever hopeful fishermen of Wisconsin. Well, if time AND money weren't an issue, my hobby would be travel. There are a lot of places I'd like to visit, and besides, I love the planning of a trip.  And I like to see how lightweight I can keep my carry on. I think it's becoming a pride issue.

4. What would your perfect room look like? (You can post a picture.)

 

 My perfect room looks like this (above) and has a ceiling like this  (below) and I can be there any time day or night, praying and contemplating the awesomeness of God.

Right, you don't have to have a cathedral to do that, but it sure doesn't hurt. 
(York Minster, by the way)

5. When was the last time you climbed a tree?

That would have been some time before my first hip replacement, like a long time before. But I did love climbing trees when I was a kid. Our youngest just turned 30 years old this year, is married, etc. etc. But just this spring Mr. C. noticed high up in the 90' tall spruce at the top of our driveway (where eagles like to perch, actually) there was a 2 x 4 across a couple branches. Then we found out that our youngest had, at one point in his storied childhood, carried that 2 x 4 up near the top of the tree so he could sit up there and enjoy the view. If I'd known that, I would have killed him! (which is why I didn't know that until this spring). :-) 

 But I did climb the observation tower at Rib Mountain

when we were in Wausau last weekend. That oughta count for something!

 

Our daughter, whose birthday it is TODAY -  and kids - 

whom we visited last weekend. It's always fun.

Happy Birthday, Honey!

6. Tell us something you will do/did today.

Something I did do today was make a batch of Lemon Verbena soap, and compare various backpacks at the outfitters store.  AND, I picked up and held my Tommy who thought he just wasn't getting enough attention, apparently!

 It's been pretty cool out.

High of 55 and low of 39.

Tommy and Smokey enjoy snuggling on that squishy blanket in the screen porch.

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Bits of Life Wednesday - Hodgepodge

It's as though the mare turned and said,
'Stand up, Honey! Can't you see she's taking our picture?!'

Who? Where??

They're Percherons, I believe, such beautiful draft horses!

I found the following bit of information interesting: (from Wikipedia)

"The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in western France, part of the former Perche province from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray or black in color, Percherons are well muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were present in the valley by the 17th century. They were originally bred for use as war horses. Over time, they began to be used for pulling stagecoaches and later for agriculture and hauling heavy goods. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Arabian blood was added to the breed. Exports of Percherons from France to the United States and other countries rose exponentially in the late 19th century, and the first purely Percheron stud book was created in France in 1883." 

Join Joyce and the Gang

for

 She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into their own blog

and join in!

1. What has been the highlight of your summer so far? (It's still summer people!)

It might still be summer in your neck of the woods, but it's looking VERY like fall up here in NW Wisconsin. Soybeans are turning yellow, corn is ripe, sumac is turning red, the petunias are very leggy, etc.  And are we ever getting the rain!

But the highlight of our summer would have to be the birth of our FIRST GREAT GRANDCHILD:

Sweet P

2. What do you wish you'd done more of this summer? Less of?

I wish I'd spent more time at any of Wisconsin's 15,000 lakes. I wish I'd thought less about sorting through books and downsizing and how I should be doing more of it but wasn't. We spent good times with our two daughters' families, one in Wausau and the other in Madison, enjoyed birthday parties for a couple grandkids, a big family reunion, and the week that two of our grandsons were here with us.

Two very special grandsons!

Lake Mendota

at

UW Madison

3. Something you're looking forward to on your September calendar?

There's nothing specific on our September calendar except for dental appointments, but September, if it can get this rain out of its system pretty soon, should be a beautiful month. It usually is, and we typically get beautiful sunrises in September. I'm looking forward to the drier air (my hair will be so happy!), the cool and crisp of fall, and of course the color of God's landscape!

 A September morning in 2014

And I will be planning our October 13 'Early Thanksgiving.' We're hoping to get the whole family together, here, for that.

4. Best/favorite book you've read this summer?

My TWO favorites (in this order) would be 'Four Witnesses' by Rod Bennett, which I would encourage everyone to read:

and...

'Olivia the Spy,' by Ian Falconer,  Kindle version purchased while visiting grandkids. :-) (which I would encourage everyone to read aloud to their grandkids!)

5. Share something positive, encouraging, or uplifting here.

There is nothing more positive, encouraging, and uplifting that I can think of, than knowing that God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe loves me, is merciful, forgiving, and in control of all things. And that Jesus is the exact representation of God (because he IS God). It is a great truth that we need to keep in mind when the world seems to be going crazy around us.

“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-19  

  “'For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you,' declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” ~ Isaiah 41:13-14

The Lord is My Light and My Salvation
based upon Psalm 27 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the amazing Joyce for her dedication to Wednesday Hodgepodge for all these years! That was incredible commitment, Joyce, and we're grateful that you gave us something to write about with such interesting/clever questions. I jumped onto the Hodgepodge bandwagon quite late, but when I did, I found it to be a great place to meet other bloggers, read their take on the questions, and have that special Wednesday post we all loved. Thank you, Joyce! Enjoy your new home, lake, and that darling grandson!

Tommy & Smokey say HI!

enjoying the morning sunshine

***

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

Pumpkin Spice

(You knew it was coming, didn't you!)

Natural Vegan Soap

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


and at


Our ETSY Shop

Have a great Wednesday!

Join me on Instagram: @cranberrymorning