Hops - Beautiful Vine

I've had this hops vine for many, many years.  I never really have done anything with the hops - I'm not sure what to do with them.  I've added them to my fall decorating with the cornstalks, but that's about it.  

I started the plant under this old windmill.  Now it is covered along with the old dump rake and a shrub near by.

I looked on pinterest for some ideas.  I hope to have some of these made up for the Ringle Harvest Day.  $30 each.

picture compliments:  http://zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com/2012/01/oh-pretty-flowers.html

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Sunflowers in my 2014 Garden

I LOVE sunflowers!  Every year, I plant a variety, along with my sweet corn.  I always plant the mammoth ones, this year the heads are huge.  When the corn stalks are dry so are the flower heads and they bundle up nicely together for fall decorations.  Enjoy.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Primitive Farm Sale - Crandon, WI - Sept. 5, 2014

For those Wisconsin followers and ones that love primitives, my cousin Vikki Carbonari is doing a "Living Estate Sale" near Crandon, WI, on Sept. 5 & 6, 2014.  She is an auctioneer - however, this is a tag/estate sale.  The items will be marked - no bidding. 

Looks like lots of primitives!  I am going and will be in line by 8 am - that means I have to leave home by 6 am.  Here is the link with the pictures:  http://carbonariauctions.com/septembersale/

Vikki also has a blog:  http://hikchik-hikchik.blogspot.com/

If you go, or decide to follow her blog....tell her I sent you.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Inspiration From My Mother-in-Law - Marlene

I have been blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law!   I only hope to model my relationship with my sons-in-law by the example she has shown me.  

Stereotypical examples of mother-in-laws, are often ones of meddling, busy body, know it alls.   I have friends who have this type of mother-in-law; however, not me.  Marlene has only ever shown me kindness, generosity and patience.   She has always stepped back and let Al and I do our own thing.  She has always jumped back in when we failed.  She NEVER said "I told you so" or made us feel bad.  She has ALWAYS been supportive of ALL of our decisions.   

I could give many examples, but I will leave you with this one.  We were remodeling our kitchen.  We had saved up enough money for new cupboards.  Al went to Menards and loaded them up in our old truck.  We don't need to split hairs here as to who said to tie the boxes down and who said they will be fine....needless to say, one of the boxes slid off the top and broke into many, many pieces.  When we returned home with the pieces and cupboards, Marlene called us and asked how the remodeling was going.   Al told her the whole story.  Without our asking, she sent us a check to cover the one that broke so we could get another.  She always does things like this - not just for her children, but strangers as well!

She doesn't go on the computer or even read my blog, so I am not afraid of embarrassing her.  I chose to write about this today because of something I said on Sunday.  It is something Marlene use to say to us all the time and I didn't totally understand it till now.  Justine and Josh came for lunch after church, when they were done eating, they said "should we do the dishes?"  I said "no, leave them alone, once you leave I have nothing to do but those dishes."  I instantly thought of her - I repeated something she said to us.  She was wise enough to put the time she wanted to spend with us over those dirty dishes.  Thanks Marlene - I get it now.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin. 

Motivational Monday - Building Relationships

For the first Monday in 22 years, I wake without children in my home; without children coming home tonight.   I am in need of some motivation.... 

Over the weekend, while preparing for my Sunday school lesson, I received a "light bulb" moment.  As I read this single sentence...I knew I would write a blog post about it.  "A good relationship is not a monologue, rather a dialogue."  

This was relative to my Sunday school class in helping them learn how to pray and "listen" to the voice of God.   Which, I too was blessed by the lesson, in reminding me to take time to just be still and meditate on Him.  When God "talked" to Elijah he was not in the wind, earthquake or fire.  He was in the still small voice.  You can read about it in 1 Kings 19:11-12.  

In thinking on all of this, I related it to my "new relationships" with my daughters, their husbands and Al. 

It is easy for a mother to create a relationship with her children on a monologue level.  When children are little, you need to give instruction, direction and inspiration, most of which is done as a monologue.  As they grow, you should be creating a relationship with them that becomes a dialogue.  If you are not, you are missing out on the blessing of learning what your children are thinking.   Yes, they need to come to their own understanding of life, their own convictions between right and wrong and their own spiritual relationship.  No amount of your monologue will change this fact.  You need to be a good example; practiced what you preached!  Actions speak louder than words!

I'm not an expert at anything...however, I have been successful at a few things...none gives me greater satisfaction than my children leaving home and creating their own lives.

So, building on the relationships I have already established with them and their husbands - I am challenged by that quote.  These young married couples will hopefully value my advice - not as a monologue - rather a dialogue.  

Lord, help me to remember that.  They have their own mistakes to make and lessons to learn from.  I can think of a time when Al didn't have a job and I was on maternity leave and we drove 3 hours in a snow storm to get some FREE cheese.  Or the multiple jobs we worked to make ends meet.  Those times, the trials, are now, fond memories.  We learned to lean on each other and Jesus.  

I was challenge by that quote in my relationship with Al.  Poor Al, over the years, my relationship with him has become a monologue..."we are doing this, then we need you to do this"...I could give many examples.  He has done so much for his girls - I need to remember that he is feeling the effects of this empty nest too.  

I hope some of what I have babbled on about here, will help you and your relationships.  Whatever stage you are in, the type of relationship you are in...or maybe not in... that you will learn to build a good relationship with dialogue and not monologue.  If we learn to take time to be silent and listen...we just might get inspiration from a still small voice.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Anna and Jon's Wedding

We had a very nice day - hot and humid - but, no rain.  I told you all that I would post pictures of the day.  

This is what we did with those roof slates.  They were the table numbers - each had a picture of Jon and Anna at that age.  

We had an ice cream bar - it was very popular!

I bought the galvanized letters from the Kane County Flea and Al used a barn board from his Grandma and Grandpa Luetschwager's barn 

I also bought this letter photo picture the same day from the Kane County Flea Market.  

We had program fans and lots of water 

The little cousins watching on the side their first dance.  

 Jon and Anna met through 4-H so Anna actually is a 5-Hr one for husband....

We did this photo booth - it was a huge hit!

 I always save the glasses from the estates I buy out - here are some pretty thick coke bottle ones...sadly, my niece Christal and I couldn't see without our regular glasses or with these...

God blessed us with a great day, one filled with fun and fellowship.  We will miss seeing our daughter every day - no one more than her dog Dolly, who has been moping around here all day....she even has run out to the driveway looking for her car...we all need to adjust I guess.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.