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I can't believe that my father has been replaced by a paper clip.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

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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

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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

Horses, Sheep, Fences, and a Barn

I've been mostly absent from blogland, I know. I would post photos of the cousin's house that we're cleaning out, but trust me, you don't want to see them. Anyway, by the time we make the 3 hour trek, spend 2-3 days there, and come back again, there's not much energy for sitting at the desk and blogging. So that's my explanation for the absence, and if there are more gaps, it will be due to more-of-the-same.  Thanks for understanding, friends.

SO:

I enjoyed watching this little story unfold.

Can you make up a story to go with the three photos above? I'd love it if you left it in a comment. :-) I know you can do it.

 The Gathering

There aren't many green barns in our area,
and this one is a sage green. Most unusual.

***

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Linking to Theresa's Good Fences and Tom's The Barn Collective

Backyard Chickens, Family, Cats, Cattle, Barns, Downton, and Democrats

Ah, look at those beautiful chickens!!!

Last week, as I mentioned in a previous post, we visited our son's family in south central Minnesota. It was snowy, blowy, and cold, but fortunately the roads were not snow-packed and slippery, as they so often are in the wintertime.

They live right in the center of a little town, and are allowed to have chickens in their backyard. So, they've built a pen and a coop and enjoy the company of these beautiful chickens. The goldish ones are Buff Orpingtons and the black and white ones are Wyandottes, I think. Our son has wanted chickens for a long time, and it's fun to see the whole family getting in on the project.

Upper left: Granddaughter, dressed for the Minnesota weather
Upper Middle: Chicken pen
Upper Right: Son, having gathered the moment's chicken production
Lower left: Chicken Run
Lower Middle: Nesting Box
Lower Right: Eggs waiting to be used at breakfast

Christmastime brought a new addition to their family - Bingley, the kitten. As you can see in the collage below, he gets plenty of attention. I also took a photo of their black cat, Peter, but all you can see are two green eyes.

That kitten sees everyone as a tree-climbing opportunity and it's quite a shock to suddenly find yourself being clawed by a cat as he scampers up your leg to get to your shoulders. (See granddaughter, lower right.)

Jazzie, a pretty good traveler

and glad to see the family

 Grandkids, all fans of Bingley

 A sweet morning moment with Grandpa

Bingley, on his best behavior

He's practiced that innocent look.

Peter, the older, more civilized cat

Barn in cold, flat, south central Minnesota

It was fun to spend time with the family, and I hope we can go back there soon!

Pink Barns on Highway 212

Remember this barn from a previous post?

Same farm. Same color. No idea why.
(photo taken in January of 2014)

Many horses

I hope they like pink.

Mr. C. and I have a pen out back (18' x 71', originally built as a dog pen on the rare occasion - like never - that we would go away for a day and leave the dogs in the pen. We tried it ONCE. The dogs were in the exact same spot when we returned as when we had left, which was right next to the gate. After that, we kept the dogs in the house and were never gone for a whole day or got a dog sitter.)  Anyway, it's the perfect spot for a chicken coop.

So how many of you have ever raised chickens? Got any good advice or tips of what to do and what not to do and maybe which chickens are your favorites?  I'd love to hear!  I have been waffling (seems appropriate, doesn't it, considering the egg-laying feature) on chickens for a few years now.

And I always love looking at the Murray McMurray chicken catalog, which just came a few days ago.

***

Downton Abbey or Democrats?

Did you watch the Democrat debate last night, or Downton Abbey? I couldn't imagine why they'd put it on at the same time as Downton Abbey (I bet it wasn't Sanders' or O'Malley's idea), but I watched Downton Abbey until it was over and then watched the remaining hour of the debate. 

Two questions:

1. There was so much about Downton Abbey that I loved last night. My favorite parts had to do with Edith and with Tom. Did you watch it? What did you think?

Sybbie and Tom

Tumblr

2.  Why was Hillary Clinton given so much more air time than O'Malley and Sanders? Or did it just seem like it?  Did you watch it? What did you think?

USA TODAY

 

Linked to Judith's MOSAIC MONDAY

and TREASURE BOX TUESDAY 
and Stephanie's ROSES OF INSPIRATION

and Theresa's GOOD FENCES 

and Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

and Tom's BARN COLLECTIVE

 

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Wisconsin Barns and Good Fences

This is a typical Wisconsin barn, including the attached milkhouse (jutting out in front), the silo room (that area between the silo and the barn) and the main barn. What is not typical, however, is the paint job done on the concrete stave silo tops. Now that's creative!

This barn happens to be east of Rice Lake, Wisconsin on Highway 48.

Silo and one of the cupolas

Across the road to the south is this fence and farm gate. This is quite unusual. One doesn't see many gate posts with lions around here.

 Another Wisconsin Barn

This looks more like a horse barn with a hay loft, or maybe it was the original cow barn. I think I see a peek of the newer main barn in the background, next to the silo. Also, to the left is a corn crib and I think to the right is a machine shed, where farm equipment is stored.

Notice the woven wire fence with a single strand of (probably) barbed wire at the top. I'll admit that most of my fence photos look alike. There's not a lot of variety in fencing on Wisconsin farms. It's usually a board fence, a woven wire fence, a barbed wire fence, electric fence, or in the case of fowl, chicken wire fencing.

 Horses, on a very bright Wisconsin winter day

NOT A WISCONSIN BARN

Pink Farm on Hwy 212, Minnesota

And although it's not a Wisconsin barn, I thought I'd post this photo that our son took on his way home from our house last week. He said that the farm has always been pink. Who knows why. Maybe the original owners had stock in Pepto Bismol. Remind me never to paint our barn pink. I wonder if it will scare off the green grass that would otherwise appear in April or May. 

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***

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Simple Saturdays Blog Hop and Saturday's Critters

Wisconsin Barns and Good Fences

It was fun to see the name on this barn in our area. Except for the fact that it's in the wrong location, it could have been our farm when I was a kid. Everything else fits: That's my maiden name, I had brothers, and we had Holsteins.

I even had a horse that looked a lot like the one on the right. Isn't he pretty! I hung pictures of horses  and a currycomb in Shammar's stall and took him gifts of carrots and sugar cubes.  His stall was on one end of the calf barn. I remember walking into that barn on a cold, dark winter evening. The first thing noticed was the mixture of scents -  hay, calves, horse, urine, and milk replacer for the calves. (The urine and milk replacer were kept separate, btw, in case anyone is concerned).  ;-) Clouds of water vapor rose up from the warm breath of the animals (and me) coming in contact with the cold winter air. Shammar's coat was thick and rough during the winter. And then as springtime appeared, he shed that extra hair and became pretty, shiny, and sleek. I loved that horse. I hated it that he threw me so often.

Old Wood Stall, Calf Pens

from a different barn -
But it made me start thinking about my horse and the calves.

Just this morning I was thinking how thankful I am for warm winter outerwear that is easy to get on and off. My feet stay warm in my insulated Neoprene boots, which slide on and off my stockinged feet so easily. I don't have to put plastic bread bags over shoes to get them into my boots, I don't have buckles that get packed with snow and become nearly impossible to unbuckle.  I have a down-filled coat that keeps me warm, and my hands are not stiff and cold because of mittens that are soaked and then frozen.

We've got it pretty good.

See? My January attitude is already improving! And besides, January is now half over!

I couldn't find the Daguerreotype of my horse and me,

but I did find this one - of our daughter and her horse

in a time gone by.

***

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters