Hodgepodging America's Dairyland

Back in Westby for the final round

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1. When was the last time you chatted with a neighbor? About what? (sharing that last bit is optional)

Who is my neighbor? I chat with people in the grocery store (mostly about increasing prices or the weather or where to find an item) people I meet here and there wherever I go (about whatever comes to mind) and with Tommy and Smokey and Mr. C., my closest neighbors. Otherwise, there are no close neighbors out here in the middle of nowhere.

Except for these lovely ladies

2. River, lake, ocean, or waterfall...which one are you most like and why?

I have absolutely no idea what this is all about. I'll take a stab at trying to answer a right-brain question with a left-brain brain, and say probably a river - because I like to be moving and like to travel - to go somewhere.  I can't imagine where a waterfall comes into this, but it seems like it would be uncomfortable and dangerous.

Red Cedar River nr. Sand Creek, WI

3. July 13 is National Delaware Day. Ever been to Delaware? Delaware is called 'the first state' because it was the first to declare independence from the British. What's your state's nickname and does that moniker make sense to you? If you were in charge, what nickname would you give your home state?

I've never been to Delaware. My state's nickname is The Badger State OR America's Dairyland. I prefer that one. If I were in charge of naming it, though, I would change it to "Wisconsin - Home of Tommy and Smokey." Can't you see that on every Wisconsin license plate!

Wisconsin - Home of Tommy & Smokey

4. What dish did you contribute to the last pot luck meal you attended? Do you have a go-to recipe for pot luck suppers?

It was probably a gluten-free chicken penne pasta casserole (delicious) or a salad. Pot luck dinners aren't my favorite thing, because there's not much there to eat. Once I saw someone bring out a wonderful green salad, and just as I got my hopes up, she poured an entire bottle of some unknown liquid substance all over it, drowning the poor greens, tomatoes, and vegetables in a long list of unpronounceable ingredients.

Looking through my 'chicken' files, I saw this and realized that I'd not made this in a long time. It's one of my favorites (so why haven't I made it recently ??): Basil Pesto Fetuccine with grilled chicken. SO good! On the menu soon!

5. What is your number one tip for a brand new parent?

You can never love, hold, or talk to your child too much. One young parent told me that she didn't want her child to become 'too attached' to her. Really?? I think that's called BONDING and what we should all want. (Yes, I was accused, when our firstborn was a wee lad, that he was too bonded to us.) Children need a sense of security that only comes through bonding.

Yep, definitely too bonded.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

The past couple days we were in Westby, wrapping up the cousin's estate. Mr. C. had to testify before a judge that he'd taken care of all the particulars of the estate and all was in order. Then the judge said to him, 'I just have one question:  Where did you get your shirt? I really like it.'  HAHA. (It's a sage green Field & Stream shirt that he got at Sam's Club and it really is a nice shirt, but that gave us all a good laugh.)

Jerseys on Bloomingdale Road
nr. Westby, WI

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

***

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Hodgepodging Across the USA

Sweet little Lucy, learning a game from Grandpa
She can't quite get the hang of how to hold her hands. :-)





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1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why?
(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)

If anyone from Wisconsin ever rates summer an 'eh,' they need to be ashamed of themselves. Our summers are so short compared to our beastly long and cold winters, that I couldn't rate the worst of one anything lower than a 3. So, I'd say this summer has been somewhere between a 6 and 7. I've been out and about exactly twice, but have enjoyed our porch, the screened room, the wonderful views and glorious breezes. Okay, let's make that a 7. I'm hoping for a great August, September, and October, and most likely they will be rated a 10+.  Stay tuned for an update on that.

 Cute daughter and cute son-in-law

I put this on Instagram with the caption, 

'Green Acres is the place for me...'

In reality, they both love living in the city.

Driving our old Ford while here on the Fourth.

2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who call you Aunt (or Uncle).

I have lots of fun memories of my aunts and uncles. My dad was one of eight children and my mom was one of five. My dad's siblings all had a fine-tuned sense of humor and I loved being around them. There was one exception, and that was when, at my high school graduation party, I opened a lovely box to find a pair of panties with the name Orlando Cepeda written on them (you'd have to be old and have been a baseball fan to remember him).. I never forgave Aunt Elaine for that. ;-) Actually, I loved all those aunts and uncles. They loved silly jokes, puns, saw the funny side of life, and laughed easily.

3. What's your favorite food dipped in chocolate? What's your favorite food dipped in cheese?

For chocolate, I'd say first of all that it *must* be dark chocolate, the darker the better, and dipped in almonds or Brazil nuts is quite wonderful. PLEASE do not get any cheese soft enough to dip anything in. That is a horrid thought. I like hard cheese, please. If I'm going to harden my arteries, I want to get it done fast!  I'll admit that when I was a kid, I did like Velveeta on rye with sliced green olives on top. Now I'll just take the olives (green, black, or kalamata) and a slice of Dubliner or Stilton.

My favorite sandwich when I was a kid.

Better when accompanied by a cherry phosphate.

Kinda nauseating, isn't it.

4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.

I am astonished at how fast the body heals, when given half a chance. What a wonderful Creator, who thought up all the systems in our bodies and then how to make all those systems do what they do in order to cause healing. Just think of the last time you had even a paper cut. It hurt like crazy. And yet a couple days later, it had all but disappeared. All healed. Praise God! I mean, REALLY!

 Jazzie on the front porch

5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board...which board have you most recently encountered?

None of the above. But maybe Jazzie looks 'bored' in the photo above. Really, she was enjoying being outdoors and observing her domain. I took this photo late afternoon on Monday, when that golden light was coming into the screened-in area of the porch. (The porch is L shaped.) I love that time of afternoon/evening. 

Speaking of bored, that's what comes to mind when watching the political conventions. It's the same old same old. I told a friend that I was writing in his name for President. I'm sure he thought I was kidding.

Cheery daisy

6. What's your favorite story from scripture? Why that story?

Hmmm. Well, when I was much younger, I think my favorite was the account of Jael and Sisera, where she drove a stake through his head while he was sleeping, pinning him to the ground (like never to awaken again). But that might have been when I was mad at Mr. C. about something.

Maybe the account I like best is of Rahab the harlot. Why? Because it shows that God is not playing favorites, but has his arms open to all who will put their trust in him, regardless of what they've done or not done in their past. And because 'he knows our frame, that we are but dust,' it's not like he's counting on us being shining examples of virtue even when we do choose to follow him. But what he does do is put his Spirit in us, that will cause us to recognize God in his grace and mercy and want to respond to him in praise, out of gratitude. And over time, miraculously, we want more to love people and less to drive stakes through their head(s). God is in the business of forgiveness, restoration, reconciliation, and making us more like his Son.

7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?

Boston, MA; Beaver Falls, PA; Great Falls, MT; Flagstaff, AZ; San Francisco, CA.

The Mighty Mississippi River on a gray day in June

8. Insert your own random thought here.

 Jazzie is back for a visit while her family is on vacation.

She's enjoying being here, I think.

Note Mr. C's fashionable neon yellow construction shirt.

***

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A Berry Blue Hodgepodge

Blueberries from the Farmer's Market

Join Joyce and the Gang
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1. Tell us about one fun thing on your June calendar. 

Waking up after hip replacement revision surgery next Monday.

 Bookstore, York

2. How careful are you in the sun? Do you tan or burn? Do you make it a point to see the dermatologist every year? 

I've never seen a dermatologist, and if I am in the sun, I wear a good sunscreen. 

Blue Pallet, Backyard

3. Describe a time when you wanted to 'throw in the towel'? 

I can't think of a time. I hate to give up.

Blue Door, Canterbury

4. What's a song you love that has a day of the week in the title or lyrics? 

Monday, Monday by the Mamas and Papas (or Grandmas and Grandpas by now)

 Blueberries, more or less

5. Are you a fan of berries? Which one's your favorite? What's the most recent berry dish you've eaten? Which blueberry breakfast food appeals to you most-blueberry pancakes, blueberry yogurt, or a blueberry muffin? 

I love berries. Blueberries are my favorite, followed closely by strawberries. My favorite blueberry breakfast food would be blueberry muffins, but I haven't made any in quite a while. I like blueberry yogurt as a snack.

Here's a link to My Favorite Blueberry Muffin Recipe

 Blue Dress and Coat

Spring/Summer Catalog, 1916

6. What's something you want to do before your next birthday? 

Walk, hike. 

 Blue Iris

7. June 1st is National Say Something Nice Day, so let's all say something nice here. 

My cat whining at me while I'm writing this is not annoying me. At all.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Just a little red this morning, to go along with all the blue:

 Our Daughter-in-law sent us this photo of

little Oliver working on the birdhouse for his grandma.

:-)

***

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Hodpodging Most Patiently

Pumpkins, Squash, and Mr. C.'s rats

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1. What's something that has recently 'tried your patience'?

The long and difficult process of trying to get health care providers to communicate effectively with each other. I have given up on 'quickly.'

2. Do you think patience comes to us naturally or is it something you have to learn as you grow? On a scale of 1-10 generally how patient are you? (1=I blow up at the drop of a hat and 10=I've got all the time in the world).

No, I don't think patience comes naturally. See #1. You learn patience as you grow older (and realize that you're not in control of the universe). I'm not a 1 and I'm not a 10, so that would be somewhere in between. I think that personality and birth order do makes a difference here. I suspect that patience comes sooner to middle children than firstborns or babies of the family. Sometimes, though, it's hard to tell the difference between becoming more patient or simply falling into a state of resignation.

Lavender

3. Share about a time when you felt like you could fly. Or a time you wished you could fly. Or a time you felt like you were flying.

I've never felt like I could fly, and unlike Mr. C., have never wished I could fly. Can you imagine what it would be like to run into a flock of migrating birds?


As far as feeling like I was flying, when I was a kid I had a recurring dream. I was standing at the top of a very long flight of stairs and jumped off the top step...floating...all...the...way...to ...a...soft...landing... at the bottom. It was a great dream. I loved that dream and hated being awakened from it. My next favorite recurring dream was riding horse across a wide open field without being thrown off. In reality, I got thrown off more than my fair share.

My oft-recurring and not-so-fun dream was of my brother and me seeing Squanto, Tanto, and Samoset (and lots of Hollywood extras) with war paint on their faces, peering into our living room windows and somehow missing the fact that we were escaping out the back door and running to the woods as fast as we could. I know we watched way too many westerns. I never became desensitized to that dream. It scared me every single time.

 Tuppence, recalling last night's nightmare

4. Your favorite song with the word fly in the title or lyrics, or your favorite song that relates to flying in some way?


Fly Away Home - Mary Carpenter Chapin

OR

Let's Go Fly a Kite - Mr. Banks

5. What's in your fall picnic basket and where are we picnicking in your neck of the woods this time of year?

Why we don't have picnics in January

Curry chicken salad with craisins and walnuts, ripple potato chips, McIntosh or Honey Crisp apples, and an assortment of olives and cheese. Where? Anywhere on a maple tree hilltop with beautiful blue skies, crisp fall leaves, and no bugs. It would be nice if it were located above a clean and rocky river.

 McIntosh

6.  Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, landscaping...which skill would you most like to possess and how would you put that skill to use today?

Do you mean as a result of hard work and dedication, or do you mean as a result of a miracle? I would like to possess landscaping skills and the ambition to do something with them. Neither is likely to happen.

 Looks like another fence sampler.

The Andrews Sisters

Just before breaking into

'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy'

7. What's something you think is too expensive to justify buying lately?

Almost anything except books, but lately it would be low-lighting for my hair. My ancestors were long livers, so this could be a very expensive project if I were to keep it up, and it's not like I'm trying to pretend that I'm 20..or 30...or 40... ... ....you get the idea. Doing nothing is always easier and less expensive than doing something.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I wonder if I would be more ambitious if I weren't a middle child. 

I wonder if I'd have better answers if I weren't actually writing this at night.

***

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***

This post is linked to

Theresa's Good Fences

and

Eileen's Saturday's Critters

 

Hodgepodging the Five Year Old Mind

Red Dahlia, October 4

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1. It's October so let's get this out there first thing...have you jumped on the all-things-pumpkin bandwagon? How so?

No, although I do have both pumpkins and squash in the garden, which I will probably have to bring indoors in another week or so.

Mr. C. recently bought a loaf of very sweet and moist pecan pumpkin bread somewhere. I took a bite. It was dangerously delicious. So I sliced it up, put the slices in individual baggies, and stored them in the freezer. I don't need that stuff sitting on the counter staring at me. Mr. C. will be able to pull a baggie out and take it in his lunch. I tend not to steal things from the freezer. At least up until now.

2.  "We have more power than will; and it is often by way of excuse to ourselves that we fancy things are impossible." Francois Duc De la Rochefoucauld  

What's something you once thought impossible, but in hindsight see as more a matter of lack of will?

Cleaning off the vegetable garden. It is a horrid job. Horrid. I love planting, I love canning. That's about it.

 Wood violets near the driveway

3. The rose is America's National Flower, but every state also has its own (click here to see the list). Are you happy with yours? If you were in charge what would you declare your state's flower? If you're outside the U.S. what bloom would you like to see labeled as your country's national flower?

Wisconsin's state flower is the wood violet. I'm happy with that. They're a beautiful little flower. I love how they are out so early in the spring - and then I work at pulling them out so they don't take over. I would prefer that they would stay where I want them without my having to constantly remind them.

4. What have you lost interest in recently?

Decorating for fall. Fall is beautiful all around us, so it's a little hard to get too excited about trying to compete with God's handiwork... besides the fact that I tend to be unmotivated about that kind of thing.

5. In your opinion, who's the best living musician?

Hmmm. Well, I think John Williams the composer would be high on my list. John Rutter, composer, conductor, arranger would be also.

6. S'mores-love 'em or no? Ever make them indoors? Last time you sat around an outdoor fire? Are making s'mores and sitting round a fire pit on your autumn bucket list? Do you have an autumn bucket list?

 Grands, at their backyard campfire

sent to me by our son

I hate S'mores. They're way too sweet. Just give me some chocolate (and it needs to be very dark) and you can keep the rest. I do love sitting beside an outdoor fire, but haven't done it yet this year. Good grief! How did this happen? I love campfires!

No autumn bucket list.

7. Your favorite small town? Why?

 Near Hawes (I think)
or it could be Reeth

My favorite small town would be Hawes, North Yorkshire. It's so near so many places I like to visit, near my favorite sheep, near my favorite cheese, and in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. So much to love.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Photo August 2015

Best friends

Just before a fight

And now they're both five years old.
So here's how the five year old mind works:

The one on the left:  His mom told me that when she mentioned to him that tomorrow was photo day at school, he said excitedly, 'Oh, I'll have to wear something with polka dots!  Oh wait, I don't have anything with polka dots. Hmm. That could present a problem.'  No idea where the polka dot idea came from.


The one on the right:  He was demonstrating to me last weekend, how he catches bees. 'I just catch them by their wings.'  Don't they sting you?? 'No, they just buzz, and then I let them go.'  His dad tells me that it is true. He's caught three bees that way and is convinced, although his family has tried to dissuade him, that bees don't sting -  because he's not yet been stung. Nothing can talk him out it...except, I would imagine, the first bee that stings him. It's only a matter of time.

***

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