Hodgepodging a Bit o' Green

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1. Best place you've been lately?

Hmmm, that's not an easy one. Maybe I could answer, 'Most recent best place?' in which case it would be Westby and Viroqua Wisconsin, which I've mentioned before, and of which I've shown dozens of photos. Needless to says, I took dozens more photos this trip (last weekend), so I'm sharing some of them with you today. Most of the photos today are from the Viroqua area. What's 'best' about it is the topography.  I love that 'driftless' area of Wisconsin, such beautiful hills and valleys, even though it was pretty cold. I'm definitely not complaining, though. We're getting sunny days. I can imagine how sick to death our friends on the east coast are of this horrid month of March. No one likes it when March comes in like a lion and remains a lion for the entire month!  

2. What's something you should say yes to today? Or this week? Or even this year?

There are personal things I would like to say 'yes' to, but I'm not going to write about them. So I guess I'd have to say 'yes' to my nagging conscience regarding painting some of the rooms in our house. I hate painting. I like baking, cooking, and hopefully will like gardening again after about a five year hiatus, but painting? Yuck. Still, it needs to be done, so I should say 'yes' to it.

3. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day in any way, shape, or form? If so tell us how. In Western cultures the color green is typically associated with jealousy, nature, good luck, and growth. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'green'?

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word 'green' is our green alfalfa field. Here is one of my favorite photos: Mr. C. and the grandsons and Bridger.

The alfalfa field and occupants,

August 2012

This year we are celebrating St. Patrick's Day by inviting friends in for a potluck dinner on Saturday evening. There should be a nice group here, good food, board games, hangman at the blackboards, and generally hanging out with all the usual suspects. I'm making a large pan of shepherd's pie and four loaves of homemade bread, and we'll see what the others contribute to our St. Patrick's Day stone soup. Also, before we eat, we're going to be dividing into five groups and reading the Benedicite, each group taking two stanzas.

It starts like this:.      

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,

praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

 

4. What's a product or service you love so much you'd happily be their spokesperson? Tell us what makes you such a fan.

Moto Z Force (l)

with auxiliary battery pack (r)

I have always liked my smartphone, but right now I am a huge fan of my Moto Z Force phone with the snap on extra battery. It's an amazing phone, and I discovered, after hours of concern, that it can fall out of one's back pocket into the toilet and survive. It did take a second of shock to realize that my phone had actually fallen into the water, then it took another second to grab it out (yes, with my bare hands, but it's an expensive phone and the water wasn't yet polluted, TMI?) and another few seconds to get it buried in a bowl of white jasmine sticky rice (uncooked).

I left it there overnight and only tried the phone the next forenoon, after much prayer, and I am happy to report that it is just fine. What a scare that was!  I will no longer carry my phone in my back pocket. So often I don't carry a purse and if I don't have a jacket with deep pockets, it seemed the natural thing to put the phone in my back pocket. Anyway, I'll figure something out, but I can't tell you how grateful I am that my phone works!

5. March 14th is Pi Day. How are your math skills? What's the last thing you did that required math of any kind? And most importantly do you like pie? What's your favorite kind? With ice cream, whipped cream, or please hold the cream?

Maybe I'll make this: lemon meringue pie/cake

I'm not too bad at math, loved algebra, and probably the most recent thing that required math was figuring out sizing on a photo I wanted printed to fit a certain frame. So it was that same old basic algebraic formula that I've used hundreds of times over the years, whether sizing photos or changing ingredient amounts in a recipe.

I love pie and almost never eat it. My favorite would be a berry pie or lemon meringue without the meringue. No ice cream or whipped cream. And I'll probably bake a lemon meringue (with the meringue) for Easter Sunday, eat more of it than I should, (because I don't seem to have a shut-off valve regarding pie) and then not eat pie again for another year (or maybe a piece of fresh berry pie in the summertime - strawberry or blueberry). It works for me.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

This is now a 25 x 37 framed print (minus the watermark)

on the wall in front of my computer desk 

Canterbury Cathedral

Tommy & Smokey go in Thursday for their

'wellness checkups' and shots. 

I wonder if they'll be okay going into the same cat carrier.

Good luck with that, huh!

clipartix

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It's Positively Hodgepodge!

 I'll take the tree off the porch
as soon as it stops looking like
Christmas out there!


Join Joyce and the Gang
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 She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and  join in!

1. January 24th is National Compliment Day. Is it easy or not so easy for you to accept a compliment? Share a recent compliment you've given or received.

I'll let you know. (but seriously yes, and easy to say thank you.)

But I don't hesitate to give compliments, or I guess I should say that I like commending people for things they've done well, happiness they've brought to others, or beauty they've created. It is good for people to be acknowledged and helps them become happier people. And why on earth not? If it's not sincere, then of course it's just flattery. But contrary to what some seem to think, commending someone or giving a compliment doesn't detract from you in any way, (an attitude that just boggles my mind.)

 Big snow storm yesterday.

2. Ten little things you are loving right now.

Tommy & Smokey (except that Tommy just crashed my Bridger shrine photo and broke the candelabra doing it.)

Fire in the stove

Thoughts of spring

Grandkids

Good coffee

Snow that won't stay more than three more months

A good snowplow and a man who loves to push snow around

Good books that arrive in the mail

A PayPal account that I hope will increase soon

Book of Common Prayer

A not-so-little thing, Mr. C. who keeps that miserable long driveway plowed after snow storms and who is a cheerful and fun companion.

 I'll pretend that Tommy didn't do this on purpose.

3. Would people describe you as a positive person? Do you see yourself that way? I read here  a list/description of eight things positive people do differently-

I don't know. I hope they would. I certainly see myself as a positive person. I positively hate winter, so even that should count, right? But I love May, (except for a few years ago when we got a May blizzard with 18 inches of snow) and I think of the beauty of May awaiting me.

Positive people find something to look forward to every day, they celebrate the small stuff, they're kind, they stay busy, accept responsibility for their actions, forgive themselves, know when to move on, and resist comparisons

Which action on the list would you say you do regularly? Which action could you add to your life to give you a more positive outlook? If you're a positive person, what's something you do regularly that's not on the list?

I would say that I've got most of that list covered, but there's room for improvement in the area of kindness. Of course I have to be out among people in order to be kind to them, and I mostly find myself being kind to Tommy & Smokey, who are the ones here at home with me, staying warm beside that ever-hungry stove. And yes, I am kind to Mr. C., but that occasionally takes more effort.

To add to the list, I'd say that spending time reading and praying (see Book of Common Prayer) and in general reading good books regularly is really important for staying positive.   Also, worrying less about decluttering the house (my daughter will cringe) and instead enjoying it during the long winter months helps me stay positive. There's so much fun stuff around me - Did I mention books? and dark chili chocolate? and replays of Endeavour and Lewis?

 I did get rid of the clutter, I want you to know.

And it's not my fault that Mr. C. brings home bits and bobs from job sites! 

BTW You can get a Church of England Daily Prayer app for your Kindle or smartphone. 
It's the best habit. I love it.

 4. Homemade chicken soup, beef stew, or a bowl of chili...what's your pleasure on a cold winter's day?

A bowl of chili - about 5:30 in the afternoon. Love it!

 Hospital pics from last week.

Daughter (left) knitted that darling hat! (Scottish Blackface sheep, my favorite)
Little patient and brother getting a ride in the wagon, thanks to Gpa.
Tommy & Smokey & Tuppence getting a drink 

Little Patient

upon being discharged from the hospital

Pure joy.

5. The best part of my day is....

That would be morning. I am definitely a morning person. And Anglophile that I am, starting the day with my version of a Full English Breakfast: (I did say my version).

 Black coffee and a protein bar

and my Kindle, of course

And morning Scripture and prayer with BCP (see above). Yes, I have the app. So handy.

Why did some churches stop kneeling for prayer??

6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

 New book and fresh attempt at liking tea.

Book a huge success,

Tea an utter failure.

(the part of my Anglophileness that I regret)

But I love my 'Robins in a Starry Night' mug.


“Being a disciple of Jesus is not primarily a matter of getting the right ideas and doctrines and beliefs into your head in order to guarantee proper behavior; rather, it's a matter of being the kind of person who loves rightly--who loves God and neighbor and is oriented to the world by the primacy of that love. We are made to be such people by our immersion in the material practices of Christian worship--through affective impact, over time, of sights and smell in water and wine.” 

 “Liturgies aim our love to different ends precisely by training our hearts through our bodies.” - James K.A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom

 Snuggling during the blizzard

***

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All About Lilacs

Lilacs on my cookstove make me happy ♫

I don't know why John Denver popped into my head this morning, but as soon as I had that thought about the lilacs on my cookstove, I heard his voice singing...  I was not a fan but that doesn't mean I don't hear his voice when I see a country road or sunshine, or...

Fortunately, even John Denver's voice is usually drowned out by my own thoughts or voice praising God for all this beauty.

The little blackface sheep were given to me by Bobby, my cousin, and the butter churn is from Mr. C.'s grandfather. I don't know where the old box came from, but I have a few old boxes that I'm fond of, and this is one of them. 

 White lilacs and flowering crab blossoms
After the daffodils have faded, I have these amazing colors and fragrances to enjoy!

 My lighter purple lilacs, plentiful!

 The deep purple lilacs against our rusty barn roof

 Last, but not least, a photo that popped up when I was looking through my photo archives for 'lilacs.' Bridger, standing in our backyard, spring of 2005 when he was four years old. I just had to post it. If you don't want to see photos of my German Shepherd who died in May of 2013, then talk Mr. C. into getting me another GSD puppy.


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Linked to Amy's Five on Friday

and Eileen's Saturday's Critters

and Stephanie's Roses of Inspiration

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Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

 

Asparagus and Garlic Scapes with Cashews - GF Recipe

Asparagus & Garlic Scapes with Cashews

Gluten-Free Recipe

We actually remembered to plant our garlic last October, so now we have nice tall garlic scapes which I used in this recipe. I would normally have used walnuts instead of the cashews, but it seems that my walnuts have disappeared.

This recipe is about as easy (and delicious) as it gets. 

Asparagus & Garlic Scapes with Cashews - GF Recipe:

Several nice tight spears of fresh asparagus

Several garlic scapes

1/2 c. cashews

Sea salt

Slightly steam asparagus spears in a skillet with a wee bit of water - just for a very short time. You don't want these cooked through, just starting to get bright green.

Remove them from the skillet, pour the water out, and dry out the skillet with a paper towel.

Now, add butter and olive oil (some) to the skillet. Then saute the garlic scapes and the asparagus spears by rolling them back and forth in the skillet over medium heat until you can put a fork through the asparagus, but DON'T overcook asparagus. It is NASTY stuff if you do. And it is delicious if you saute it until it is just barely tender. I mean barely!

Sprinkle the cashews on top and roll them around a bit with the asparagus and scapes until the cashews are hot. The cashews do not taste good if you saute them with the asparagus and scapes. I tried that, but it changed the taste entirely.

Hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know if you decide to try it and whether or not you liked it!

A nice addition would have been a few sun-dried tomatoes (julienned) or a few thin slices of a red cayenne pepper or even a red bell or Carmen. It would be pretty in there, wouldn't it!

 Bridger, Fall of 2012

supervising the planting of the garlic

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This post may be linked to one or more of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and Get in My Tummy and  Cure for the Common Monday and  Clever Chicks Blog Hop and  Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and  Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and    Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Creative Showcase and Memories by the Mile and  Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday  and Love Bakes Good Cakes and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and Wildcrafting Wednesday and   Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and The Girl Creative, Thursday and  Creative Things Thursday and Be Inspired and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and  Thursday's Inspiration and  The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and Creative Things Thursday and   Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and   Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and Share Your Creativity and   A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday and  Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special

Bridger, 2001-2013

 Bridger watching the sunrise

We had to bury our 12 year old German Shepherd Monday night. It was tough, although of course we knew he couldn't live forever. But we have had 12 great years with that sweet and loyal dog. (And as those who have Shepherds know, they're not really dogs. They're people in dog's clothing. Really nice, big people - with big teeth.)

How generous of our Creator to give us these lovely creatures to walk the earth with us, to help us, to be companions and protectors!

I'll miss that sweet dog. Already there are so many times that I expect to hear him bark - and he doesn't. I expect him to get up to meet me and he's not here. UPS left a huge box just outside the back door yesterday, which I wasn't aware of until I took Misty out for a walk. When Bridger was still alive, we always knew when UPS was here, when any vehicle drove up the driveway, when a noisy truck was driving past, or when tractors were in the field.

Consider yourselves lucky. I had a much bigger collage before I trimmed several photos from it.

Clockwise, beginning at upper left:

Playing football. Bridger loved to play football with the boys, but he mostly grabbed the ball and ran to keep it away from them.

Keeping track of the squirrels, bunnies, and birds

Sweet, innocent-looking [Alpha] pup. It was love at first sight.

My major shedder getting brushed (this was after one side only)

Relaxing on the deck with Misty

'Help! Get the stickseed off me!'

The reason he got the chicken can only once

I wonder if Misty will enjoy having 3 dog beds to herself.

Thanks for indulging me, my friends. ♥

Anglophile Friday - Sheep of England!

We're heading out tomorrow morning for a wedding a few states away, so this will be a quick blog post. What could give us a cheerier start to our day than to look at these cute sheep faces!

So, if you're sick of seeing these sheep, you can just keep it to yourself. LOL. They were probably my favorite thing to photograph. After all, we always ended up going to England in March - just in time for lambing season.

And of course every flock of sheep needs a shepherd, right?

Enter.....(drum roll).....BRIDGER!!!

I know. As my sweet blog readers, you do put up with a lot from me, don't you!

Shepherd Boy

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This post is linked to: 

Mosaic Monday 
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Photo Friday

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Big Maple Got a Haircut Yesterday

 BEFORE

One of those huge branches leaned quite close to the house, just above our bedroom. It was only a matter of time before a wind storm would put that thing right through our roof. Time for a trim.

Still, a little hard to see so much of the old tree cut away.

 DURING

 AFTER

I remember going with my parents to see the aftermath of the Colfax tornado many years ago. After the tree was trimmed, it reminded me very much of the Colfax tornado. :-(

Most of the leaves you see here are from two other maples.

Hopefully there are enough remaining leaves for the big maple to survive.

MISTY: 'Is it safe to come out now?'

Until the trimmings had been cleared away, I had to put a lead on blind little Misty when taking her outdoors, so she wouldn't run into branches. She was very confused. Bridger had been listening to that chain saw all day and had no desire to go out and confront it.

***

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