Farmhouse Friday - Week 40 - Puttering Around

 

I made that wreath to use as a decoration in a photo booth area for the Ringle Harvest Day on Saturday, October 10.

We've been eating all the things from our garden and our neighbor's garden preparing all of our meals together.  Al is actually a good cook.  The kitchen was my room, but now I'm forced to share it with him.  We help each other.  

So, with just the 2 of us, we tend to have leftovers.  So, I took them all out and made a soup.  It was actually good! 

I'm not sure why, but I've been loving hot peppers this summer.

The squash with cinnamon and nutmeg.  I made squash "drop muffins" - I made it up not sure what it was, other than good.  

A few friends helped me mark all the booths for the event. 

Wally and Melanie always have a cool display in their front yard!  This year is is spooky clowns.  

My week was working on the event.  I have to say, I do all my own social media - no AI here.  It takes so much time to come up with original content.  I'm not the best with all the tricks and sometimes takes multiple times to post and share.  However, my stuff doesn't look fake.  I know it's easier, but I like to represent myself for myself.  

I will share how the event went next week.  I am praying I can stay safe and enjoy the day.  30 years - I can't believe it!  My community honored me with a sign outside the town hall.  I am so blessed to have so many others helping me make this little dream of mine a reality.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Simple Sloppy Joes

 

Over the years, I've tried to make a good Sloppy Jo from scratch.  The $1 can of Manwich was just too convenient.  

I was craving - actually we call these BBQ's in Wisconsin - so I came up with this recipe.  I think it was the BEST BBQ I've ever had.  I'm doing this blog post so I don't forget it.  

1 lb of ground beef

1 small onion diced small

1 small pepper diced small (I did red)

1/2 - 1 jalapeno or other hot pepper diced small

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

1 t ground mustard (I did off brand of Dijon)

3/4 C ketchup

1 T brown sugar

1 t Worcestershire sauce

salt & pepper 

Fry hamburger, drain if necessary.  Add onion and peppers, cook till veggies a little soft.  Add rest of ingredients.  Stir all together, turn on low and let simmer 10-? minutes.  Butter up a bun and toast it.  

Enjoy.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.

Farmhouse Friday - Week 39 - What a Week!

 

Our apples.  No sprays, no chemicals - just apple.  This is a Cortland.  The others aren't quite ready yet.  

End of 2026 garden.  Still some veggies in the raised beds.  I believe we had the BEST tomato harvest EVER.  We didn't keep track, but probably over 300 pounds of tomatoes.  My husband pureed some, froze some whole and pureed, some in freeze dryer and we ate a bunch.  I really enjoyed them!  We also have over 75 squash.  

He mowed the lawn the day before and as I was driving my scooter out to the wild flowers, I noticed this dandelion weed puff ball.  How did it survive the mowing?  

I wonder how many wishes are in that?  I just let it be.  I know there might be a lesson in this.  Even if everything around you is cut down or destroyed, stand firm.  Maybe you were rolled on by the wheels, but girl, stand back up you have too many wishes left.  Hold on to those wishes and dreams before the wind blows them away.   

 

I made a few things to sell.  These are cool old real postcards.  I noticed something about this next one.  Do you see it?  

Do you see it?  Look at her hand.  I had to keep this one.  

We had beautiful weather Monday and Tuesday.  So, we started pulling out EVERYTHING from 2 trailers.  I didn't even remember what was in them.  I went through each box or tub.  I have a pile now to mark for Ringle Harvest Day and to sell on my online estate sale group.  Bonus, I know what is left in the trailer! 

Before:

During....

Loads to the shop/studio area:

Working on marking in the shop....

We have an empty one now to fill with the marked items for the flea market.

I just kept working and will be doing this for next several days.  I am just going to get done what I can.  I don't plan to have a huge pile outside our tent anymore.  I can't do it by myself and I already rely on so many others to help me now.  I will probably do sales here at the farm for big things.  I guess it does come full circle.  

  

I'm off this morning to take it 1 step at a time.  

What are your plans for the weekend?  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farm House Friday - Week 38 Cleaning out Garden

 

We had a stretch of some beautiful days.  I should be getting ready for my big flea market event Ringle Harvest Day because I am so far behind.  The heart wanted to do something different.  I've noticed this lately, my heart is wanting to do .... different things.  Things I've been too busy for in recent years.  My heart was into this, this summer, every morning, out to the wildflower field.  My scooter made a path.  

I had an idea for next year, so Al took out the old lawnmower and started mowing down another path.  

Can't wait until next year's wild flower walk.

I wanted to cut back my flowers, I made it work with the scooter and a laundry basket.  My scooter pushed the basket along.  It wasn't the most efficient way, but I did it in a way I could still do it.  My heart is into finding new ways to do what I love. 

Sleeping bee on a snapdragon.  I only cleaned out the flowers that were done.  I always leave the flower heads for the birds for late fall early winter feedings.  I also like "volunteers" in the spring.  Free flowers.  

Al cut back all the peonies.  They are so big now, that next year I'm going to have to get someone to help Al move my cement pig and holstein calf.  I have an idea for the other side of this, the side that faces the garden.  

As I was cutting things back, I thought some of these things need to be used.  So, I made a found and gathered fall arrangement.  I grabbed a galvanized pail and filled it.  I found a cute bird's nest to add too.  

This is wild, natural and free.  I LOVE it.  It reminded me of when my girls were in car seats and I would drive along all these rural roads and gather all kinds of dried weeds for my craft shows.  I made all kinds of things like this in antique containers over the years.  However, I haven't for many years.  My heart was definitely into this.  I may not be able to do it all, but boy I sure can do it small.  

Two Tuesdays a month, we have ladies Bible study at a coffee shop in Hatley, where my store or office is located.  Al has been dropping me off and I have been using my scooter to go to work after.  My friend, Lisa, took a picture of my driving on the road.  She gave me this idea, to post it, "with the gas prices."  

 It wasn't all play and no work.  We went out in the big pole building and started pulling stuff out.  Truthfully, I made good decisions on tossing, recycling and burning.  I had a picture of the burn stuff, but thought if I post that, someone will say "I'll take it."  I would "take it" too, but I need room.  We saved drawer pulls, drawers and such, so not a total loss.   While digging, sorting, there was an old wallet.  It looked empty, but experience has taught me to look anyway.  Well, folded up in a little pocket of this men's wallet was this $2.  I can not tell you how much money over the years I've found in estate buyouts.  Please, when your loved one dies....don't toss it all with out looking.   

Planning on doing more sorting, digging today.  Al will pull over the items I want to sell at the flea to my studio/old shop area.  I will be washing and making all weekend and into next week.  

What are your plans for the weekend?  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Motivational Monday - Compare & Compete Disorder

 

I will share a vulnerable side of myself.  I am choosing to share this with you to explain the victory I have had with it.  

I've sought out counseling several times in my life.  Someone to talk to who can help me work through a sad or hectic time.  It was at one of these sessions, I was told that I had a "compare and compete disorder."  I let her explain to me why she felt this about me.  When I countered with a question to her, she got up and walked out of the room.  I wasn't mean, all I did was ask her a question in a scenario that I thought she was referring to.  I reflected it back on her as a mother and woman.  She came back in the room and I just said, "well, I can't be the only mother or woman who feels this way.  You're making me feel like I am."  I didn't go back.  However, that "disorder" claim stuck with me.  I have thought about it a lot over the years.  I can see times when I can be like that and even a little jealous.  

Now, it's not over "who has the biggest house" or "how much money in the bank" type of things.  For me, these feelings are deeper than that.  I'm happy for people that have nice things, a great job, or extra money, I really am.  Here is an example of "deeper than that."  When I was little, I loved my older sisters so much, that I would get jealous of their friends.  I thought they loved them more than me.  So, it's more relational than material.  An example of compare and compete would be this little story.  I was never popular but always tried.  I always had long hair and tried to come up with new ways of doing it.  My bus picked up kids from a "better" neighborhood along with the rest of us (hahaha).  An older classmate, from that neighborhood, who was a cheerleader, very popular and very pretty, one day, complimented me on a new hair style I came up with.  She asked me how I did it, so I told her.   I was just happy she was talking to me.  The next day, she wore her hair the same way...everyone said "oh, I love your hair" and it became "her signature thing."  I know, I was in middle/highschool, but I came up with that!  No one, but her noticed me when I wore it that way.  This, this type of thing has been my path in life.  No one notices, until someone else does it.  I know it's not true in every thing, but some and I've come to live with it.  These experiences shape us, how we react and move forward.  

I've always known I wanted to be a wife, mom and farmer.  I have it on a project I did in 2nd grade, "what do you want to be when you grow up?"  My family, have always been the "make do" type.  Always repurposing, reselling, crafting, bake sales, breeding puppies and such to make extra money.  I even tried to convince my dad to let me "have" the old garage (like a small rustic shed) for a little shop.  I was like 15.  We lived in town on a busy road and I had my own business plans.  The "what" that I do, runs deep into my heart and soul.  It is more than a hobby or job for me!  It's part of me.  We bought this farm when I was 27 years old.  It was on Town Hall Road and so Town Hall Trinkets began in a little shed on our property.  Now, 33 years, lots of ideas, antiques, folk art, monthly markets, Ringle Harvest Day, pop up events of all kinds later, I'm still here.  Now, there wasn't social media to document all this, but it all happened.  Speaking of a compare and compete disorder.....that, social media, is awful and I'm sure causing this disorder in some.  

When I held monthly markets on the farm, I set up at an event.  Every business had their flyers on the entry table.  I put mine out too.  The event promoter came to my booth and gave them back to me.  I was told, "you can't promote an event that is within 30 miles or 30 days of mine."  O.k. ??!!  I came home and thought about that.  I showed respect, was gracious, and did not gossip about it.  I'm only telling it today, to show a different way.  To the promoter, I was a young buck running up the hill.  I wasn't going to fight the old stag at the top, I just wanted to run up the hill.  I think, because I was like 30 something this older person felt ..... maybe jealous, or even feelings of compare and compete.  I told myself at that time, when it's my time to be the old stag, I won't act like that.  

I say this now as the old stag, where did the time go.  The top picture of the candles all burning at different stages, I love.  It is the perfect image of what I feel like I'm trying to explain and live.  Jesus has really been working on me, He has me always in His hands.  However, this "sifting" Him "sorting out the "chaff" letting what is not needed in me blow away in the wind.  Oh, He is too good to even put into words.  I've been so blessed to see "this" for what it is.  Just because my candle is a lower flame, doesn't mean I don't burn.  It just means I've been burning longer.  Just because you see another's flame brighter, doesn't diminish the fact your flame still glows.  The melted wax is evidence.  No one can take that away from you.  

I don't want to be like the old stag, rather, I want to be like this candle - lit and helping others get their flame.  The darkness doesn't compare or compete.  The flame of the candle isn't jealous.  The candle shines and shows the way, leads by example and shares it's flame with others.  

You know, this just tickles my heart.  My friend reminded me just yesterday, "let your light shine, even if it is in the corner."  Oh, little did she know that statement and our Sunday message at church would yield all this .... this beautiful, bountiful harvest of healing.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.   

  

Farmhouse Friday - Week 37 - Celebrations

 

What a good week for me!  Really, I feel like I'm getting into or back into some kind of rhythm.  Some feels familiar and some different and new.  I'm putting in the hard work, physically, spiritually and mentally needed to move ahead.  

Al took down 4 raised beds we had and planted grass.  He made our tilled garden even smaller this year.  I couldn't quite reach the middle of the lower old raised beds from my scooter, so he created this taller one for me.  We just used what we had around here.  He came over and said "these boards may rot in the future."  I said "who cares, we probably won't be here to see it."  We both laughed.  Is this 60's plus humor now?  So, I celebrate a new raised bed, I will plant some garlic in soon.  

One of my 4H grandmas, helped me clean out this cabinet.  We threw out (recycled) so much outdated information, forms, paperwork from 20 years and maybe more.  I feel, my part of the stewardship of "all things Popplewood 4H" has new life now.  I celebrate the old club's history and look forward to Lord willing another year of leading.  

We were asked to help with Lauren one day this week.  She brought her school work over and we had a fun time studying the constellations.  It was nice to be back sharing in her homeschooling activities.  I miss my Wednesdays with her.   I celebrate the fun we had and fun we will have in the future.

My first friend, Kathy, opened a new shop in Marathon, Wisconsin.  We have been friends since we were 4.  She lived across the side street from me.  I remember playing on her swing set and sand box.  I didn't have one.  I had an old tire swing.  She had bright new things...ahaha.  Her store is called The Red Rooster.  I celebrate her and her new store.  

First, that is pepper on the tomatoes.  I like pepper - alot.  We had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year.  Al is freezing and freeze drying laundry baskets full.  Yes...like 250 pounds of tomatoes.  I celebrate this fresh BLT and the many sauces, soups we will enjoy this winter. 

Our little town of Ringle, Wisconsin, celebrated it's 125th year today.  So many things going on at the townhall.  I am thankful for Krystle, Kathe, Jordyn and Marathon County 4H for helping me with the games and promotion.  I celebrate the rich history of Ringle.  Al's family being here for almost as long and still going strong.  I celebrate all the community service events I have done for 4H and look forward to doing more with a little help from my friends.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.