Farmhouse Friday - Trick or Treat

 Like much of 2020, Halloween, Trick or Treating has been either cancelled or altered.  I've seen so many creative mamas and grandmas come up with alternate ways to celebrate in 2020 and I'm sure Halloween will be no different.  Oh, I remember the good ol' days when I would run between houses in our neighborhood and beyond, for hours with my friends.  The paper grocery bag heaping with candy, spilling it out on the floor and my dad picking all the things he loved.  "You don't like these, right?"  He was almost as excited as I was to see the loot of candy.  

My week has been full of tricks and treats.  Tricks:  doctor, dentist appointments, family doing Covid testing, "up" from days of unbridled eating, working outside and it's too cold, fingers and toes froze.  Treats:  great response to my LIVE sale, custmers pick up items, had time to work on old book work (monkey on my back), met with 2 clients, picked up some cool items, consigned some cool items, processed near 400 apples (treat in winter).  

In spring, I cut back some old messy vines of bittersweet.  They hadn't produced berries for years (trick).  However, I found these today (treat). 

What have been the tricks and treats of your week?  

A major treat for us, was our apple trees this year, wow - thank you honey bees and trees.   I try to do a 5 gal pail or 2 a day.   We've dehydrated, cut up rolled in spices for pies, cut up with peelings still on for sauce (no sugar, just apples) and put in gallon size bags in the freezer.  I've shared pails as well.   Nothing goes to waste here at the farm, the peelings and cores are shared with the rabbits, chickens and pigs when we have them.  I love that kind of thing, from seed to compost.  Probably why we homestead and I love my farm life.  Nothing compares to delight (well, come on now....wink, wink) me...than this processs.  

It's really simple to do and you'll enjoy it in the middle of winter.

When my chickens see me walking with a pail, they come running.  They know I have treats.  

The dehydrator was working for days....

Isn't that pretty!  I love using these antique jars for my pantry items.  It makes me want to cook, just to look at them.  That represents about 100 apples.  

Today, on Farmhouse Friday, I will be doing more apples while listening to a podcast.  I've been listening to: 

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homemaker-chic/id1499566932

These two are a hoot.  I also follow their youtube channels:  Angela lives in Door County and I actually took a cooking class she taught.  

https://www.youtube.com/c/ParisienneFarmgirl/videos 

Shaye lives in Washington State

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgUsMN5zOxCIU1L6MFNnh6w

If you are looking for some homesteading, gardening, wine tasting, farm girl chic inspiration, these two have it.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Tips on Tuesday - Recharge

How do you recharge?  I mean, really recharge?  When our phones run low, we plug them in.   Do you take time to plug yourself in?  I know, for women, this is hard to do.  We tend to multitask everything.  At my age, I look back and think, how did I do some of "all that?"  Even thinking on how I recharge, some of that is multitasking and shame on me.  We deserve a few moments to recharge, unplug to plug ourseves in.

So, I was thinking of some of my tips on how to do this and thought I would share.

1.  Turn off your phone, get away from your laptop, t.v., podcasts - (no multitasking).  I purposefully will leave my phone in the house away from me, so I can have even 5 minutes to not think about anything or have any interruptions.  

2.  Go for a brisk walk, do some stretching, any kind of movement.  Along with movement, breath - deep, lung filling breaths.  Breath in to count of 5, exhale to the same, I actually count it out (I am OCD with counting).  Do this for just 5 minutes, it is a boost to your body.  I didn't know how beneficial this would be until my journey with Noom.  

3.  Find 5 things to be thankful for.  They may end up being the same 5 for many days in a row, but tell them to yourself anyway.  I like to start my day with thankfulness.  Look at yourself in the mirror, from time to time too, also a tip from Noom.  "Well, I do have meaty thighs, but thank you for carrying me though my day."  It sounded silly to me at first, but for me it works!

4.  Organize your thoughts.  I try not to do this while doing 2, but it sometimes happens.  For me, it helps to make lists of my day.  I need to at this stage of my life, I can't remember all the things.   I use my phone too.  I try not to go any further than 1 day at a time.  My calendar has a month at a glance, my daily routine is, at times, hour to hour.  

5.  Do something, at least 1 little thing that makes you happy.  For me lately, it's holding my new pet bunny.  Some days, it's needle felting or another craft.  I try to wind down my day reading, including daily devotionals.  I just read a book, it was a young reader's book, a classic.  I wasn't a good reader, nor were books or reading pushed in my home.  I missed out on some of these classics as a child.  I tried to catch up with some when my girls were little, but I enjoy these now too.  Little House, Anne of Green Galbes types.   

6. (an extra one today)  Learn something new.  Best when you can do that with the ones you love.  Here we are at a pasta making class.  Doing something new is a great way to recharge yourself out of the every day same old, same old.  

I hope you can "pencil" yourslelf into your day.  A moment or two to recharge, we all need it.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

 

Farmhouse Friday - Work & Play

Good Farmhouse Friday.  This past week, Al was on vacation.  We worked really, really hard...we did...we had to beat the snow.  As is, I still have junk under some snow and I am hoping the sun melts it soon so I can get rid of it.   

I've spent all summer working on destashing my stash.  Over the past 2 years, every estate buy out found a home in the barn.  At the end of last year it was all condenced into the recently vacated horse stalls.  Our daughters were ready and able to take their horses to their farm/ranch.  Over these past few months of my PROGRESSION (202o word of year) to a healthier me, my hoarding issues have taken front and center.  I have come to realize that I tend to fill empty spaces, ones vacated by my children and their pets, (empty nest and barn) with junk.  As if that could replace....but, I surely tried to (ahaha).  So, not only to make Al happy (wink, wink) but myself, I had a goal of vacating Town Hall Trinkets, LLC from our barn before the snow.  I had the luxury of selling under the barn lean all summer and using that area to stage a "last stop" for selling these items.  If something made it to that area, it could not go back into shuffle.  I did make a few altered exceptions.  No one bought the desks, so I kept the drawers and added the shells to the burn pile.  No one bought a few cool antique tables, so I took off top or bottoms to repurpose and added that to the burn pile.  So, some altered pieces of the stash made it back to be made into something else.  

With all that work done, we took off to one of my favorite places in Wisconsin, Door County.  I am on a tribal role, Forest County Potawatomi and Door County was home to generations of Potawatomi long before it was "discovered and settled."  I won't get into all of that, other than to say, when I sat on this log, looking up at this cedar tree, I couldn't help but think of my "roots" to this place.  

Cedar trees produce 2 types of shoots; long shoot is for the framework of the branches and the short shoot are covered with leaves.   I may not have been the long shoot or had a role in the framwork of my ancestrial tree; however, I would say that I do have a role for "season" of being the leaf.  

This is highway 42, at the "tip o' the thumb," between Gills Rock and the ferry dock to Washington Island at Northport.  It is one of the most photographed roads in the midwest.  I've been on this road in the fall, when people are actually, laying in the middle of the road.  Cars are backed up bumper to bumper - but, not this day!  We basically were the only ones.  I want to go back and get a winter shot of this as well.  

I would be missing an opportunity to once again bring my word of the year, PROGRESSION in a life lesson here.  I was thinking, one never knows all the curves and twists that was part of their jouney, until they look back and see from where they came.  What you don't see here is that along the side of this road are worn spots where cars have pulled over to stop, enjoy the view and maybe take a photo.  Our road to where we are today, has those too.   

I may have pulled off and took a look at what I've been through.  I even stopped, rested and filled that spot with stuff that caused a twist or curve, but I didn't stay there, I pulled up my big girl panties and got on with my PROGRESSION.  I also, took time to reflect on the journey and I'm moving on.  

So on this Farmhouse Friday, I am thankful for the twists and curves - lessons in my life.  I have faith in the ONE that constructs my road - He can see my path from beginning to end.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Tips on Tuesday - Real McCoy

 Remember the saying "real McCoy?"  I just looked up the origin and it comes from a prize fighter named "Kid McCoy."  The story goes like this, he was in a bar and another patron challenged if he was really who he said he was.  A fight ensued and as the accuser fell to the ground, when he stood up, he said that's "the Real McCoy!"  I didn't know that and I love it!

How to spot a "real McCoy" and I'm not just referring to the pottery.  However, these tips can be used in doing that too.  Have you ever wondered if something you had was valuable or real?  Not too many years back, this was so much harder to do than it is today, thanks to the internet.  

Here are my 5 quick tips:

1.  Look over your item, pick it up, does it feel "right."  If you think it's made of silver, is it heavy?  Whatever your item is, examine it to see if it fits what you are thinking it might be.  If you are wondering if your stand of pearls are real; are they cool to the touch, is there a knot between each pearl (this is done so if the sting broke, you'd only lose 1 pearl not all), is the clasp or fastener made to last or is is cheap.  Do a quick search on "how to tell if my ..... is real."

2.  Look for identifying marks.  Check the bottom, inside, back, along the rim - get out your magnifying glass, some are so tiny you can't see them.  Look for K for gold or Sterling, kind of marks as well.  Maker's marks will also give you a time frame to how old your item is.  Do a quick search of that mark, look under images and see if you can find the one you are looking for.

3.  Use ebay, etsy, collector groups as a reference too.  Even if you don't see any marks on something, you can still probably find it on bay.  I've looked up as broad a description as "pink vase" and have found things I was looking for.  The seller usually will have the name of maker and then you can search it.  Even if you are not sure if it is the same as yours, search it anyway.  I did this, and found out my pink vase was Lenox, it was way more valuable than I thought.  

4.  You could always ask an antique dealer.  Take your item to the antique shop or show, look for a booth with your type of item in it, ask that vendor.  Often times, they are willing to help.  I'm not saying they will give you a value, as they might charge for that.  

5.  You could always look for a "Red Wing Collector Society" club or a facebook group "For the Love of Pyrex" kind of thing.  Check out their website, posts and comments.  Is there any information or post about what it is you are looking for.  Message them and ask.

It's like a scavenger hunt with a bit of research.  One can't possibly know "everything" about "everything" however, the internet does....I hope these tips help.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Motivational Monday - Help

Good Motivational Monday Morning.  

I don't have a problem with thinking up ideas, dreaming, planning, scheming.  It's the finished product, clean house, laundry put away, where I seem to fall short.  

I just can't stay motivated when I don't like something, or get bored with what it is, I "have" to do.  I know, I would be happier, waste less time thinking, even worrying about it, if I would just finish the project.  Oh, I've planned for the finished product, dremt where it would go, how to decorate with it, kind of thing.  That I'm good at that.  

When I do, finally "make" myself do it, I am so happy.  I just need a kick in the keister along the way.  Now don't try to do this to me...I will punch you in the face...ya, I'm that too.  I hate to have people TELL me what to do!  So, I'm stuck...I need ideas or "mid project motivation."

So, today, I wanted to ask you, how do you stay motivated?  Please let me know, give me some tips, but not the "know it all kind"...I hate those!  Ahahaha

I love this quote from Bob Nueske!  World famous, Nueske's - applewood bacon!  Wittenberg is just a bit east of me.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Types of Hobbies

 What is a hobby?  Webster says:  "An activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure."  

I did a quick Google search and came up with ideas for categories for hobbies, some are considered outside and others inside activities - but, is not limited to either.

1.  Arts & Crafts, Creative Arts

2.  Cooking, Baking, Preserving & Canning

3.  Collecting, Antiques

4.  Games, Puzzles, "Toys"

5.  Writing

6.  Reading

7.  Music

8.  Exercise, Fitness, Dance

9.  Meditation, Yoga

10.  Gardening

11.  Enrichment, Volunteering, Club Activities

12.  Outdoor Adventures, Hiking, Biking, Birding

13.  Sports

14.  Travel

15.  Photography 

These are just a few of the ones I came up with.  When I started the  The Hobby Farm page, I was thinking it be more for the arts and craft kind of hobby.  I do share mine on there, along with the classes I teach.  The premis for the page was "learn a new hobby at the farm."  However, I've been thinking about hobbies overall.  With more of us "at home" this year, what is something you've been spending your time on?  

Sharon from My New Uneventful Life is an amazing photographer, scrapbooker, artist and blogger.  She lives in Michigan, but follows along.  I'd love to connect with more hobbyists! 

What are your hobbies?   Please click on the The Hobby Farm link above (in blue) and LIKE, FOLLOW the page and we can share about the things we are interesed in.  I have it a private page, as I don't want some spammy, nasty, things to pop up on there....I can only imagine those hobbies...ahahaha...no wait, I don't want to.  

Lately, as I am cleaning out my old business inventory, my hobby seems to be shuffling, sorting, stacking, packing, selling...I would love for my space to look like this

instead of this

oops...speaking of weird hobbies....mine is not to collect naked manequins...I didn't even know they were in this picture!

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Farmhouse Friday - Colder Weather

 What is happening at my farmhouse:

Well, colder weather has come to visit us here in Wisconsin, I think it may stay now until spring.  One of the many things I love about living here, all 4 seasons - good and bad.  

I started this week, with something I have NOT had for, I was going to say years, but it may be decades - an open calendar.  With the exception of family things, I have "free" days.  It's thanks to Covid 19 and a bit of my own design.  I am self employed, after all, so I work everyday here, but not having a booth space, events or shows to get ready for, actually is really nice! 

If you've been following along long, you know that I've been selling virtually for years.  I started an on line estate sale group that as part of my business page almost 3 years ago.  When I did that, I had no idea what a blessing and useful platform it would become for my business.  Granted, I do sell for clients, 1 item or whole house, that is on commission.  However, I started doing a LIVE video to "destash" some of my own "stash."  I will keep up with that, until I run out of interesting things to sell.  I don't see that happening any time soon...ahaha.  Here is a sample of what I offer in my LIVEs here:  Town Hall Trinkes On Line Estate Sales - every other Tuesday at 6 pm.  I've even shipped to WA and CO - I can do that.

Also, if you are a regular to the blog, you know that I have been writing fictional "selling stories," staging vignettes and selling under virtual events.  I've enjoyed that the most, so I plan to keep pursuing my writing and moving forward in that platform of selling.  

I'm also participating in virtual "Maker's Markets" hosted by my friend Tracy of The Rejunktified Gypzy   This past Sunday was "Halloween Boo-Teek!"  I had 7 posts of my folk art.  I will say, that after this event, I sold more than during the event.  The next one, "Merry Market," will be open for a week, so that will help with sales.  Here is a sample of my folk art offerings:

We have 1/2 beef coming soon, so I have been cleaning out the freezers.  I made some delicious beef barley soup.  Al, really never compliments me (I know your reading this...you really don't) and I appreciate it so much when he does, because I know he really means it!  While eating this soup, he says "You know, I don't say this often, but you're a really good cook.  I don't know too many people who could make this like you did!"  (hearts!)

He said this, because he saw the 2 days it took to make it.  Hey, like I said, I have an open calendar (wink, wink).  I took out what is usually left at the bottom of the freezer (no, not the liver, however that is there too) soup bones.  I roasted a pan of seasoned bones.  

Next, I put them in my pressure cooker with all kinds of veggies.  I cooked it all down to a super, dark, umami broth.  I strained and put it in the refrigerator over night.  I do this so that the fat will come to the top, harden and I can peel it off.  I know fat is flavor, but I don't need that much fat.  I also picked the bones and saved the meat for the soup.

I try to cook less, but I still ended up with a huge kettle of vegetable beef barley soup.  I even divided it in half and shared and I still had enough for 2 suppers and soup for lunch every day this week.  YUM!

What's going on at your house?  I hope you find time to enjoy the things that make you happy.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Gnocchi Idea How to Make These? It's Easy!

 I've been waiting to use that line..."gnocchi idea" since I made these.  It's the little things that make me happy!  

I had some left over mashed potatoes and squash.  I have always challenged myself to come up with a "repurposed" meal from leftovers.  For some reason, I just get so tickled with myself when it works.  Like I said, it's the little things....

Gnocchi are really easy to make!  I know it may seem difficult due to the fact that many recipes are unclear as to measurements.  That is because of water content in the ingredient you are using to make them.  Don't let that stop you!  All you need know is that you need to take your "ingredient" (potato, squash, ?) into a dough.  You do this by adding an egg, a pinch of salt and flour to bind it together.  It should be like play dough consistency.  So add flour until it is workable but dry.  Divide in quartes and roll into a long rope.  Cut into bite size pieces.  Roll the pieces across a fork or you could pinch them between your index and thumb.  

Bring a kettle of water to boil.  Boil the gnocchi in small batches.  They are done when they float to the top, takes only minutes.  

At this point, I put them in a container and tossed them with oil so they wouldn't stick together.  You can use these in so many different ways.  

I like brown butter, crispy onion and garlic and parmesan cheese.  So simple and so good!  Buttery pillows!!!   

I also made some for my little grand love.  I wish I could show you her face, but foster care has rules.  Some day, I hope to be able to share her cute face with you all!  Anyway, I made some for lunch for her.  She loves pizza, so I tossed some in a pan with pizza sauce.  She actually ate more gnocchi than I did.  She loved them!  

I hope the next time you have left overs you think of a way to repurpose them into another tasty meal or 2.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Tips on Tuesday - Harvest

 I mentioned yesterday, that the weather over the weekend was beautiful here.  We (mostly Al) worked on cleaning out the garden and small pasture near the barn, making ready for Spring.  

This is our garden, the chickens love scratching in the dirt.

This is the small pasture near the barn.  I wanted to plant sunflowers, but Al doesn't think that is a good idea so close to the barn.  The mice will love it too much and want to make the barn their winter home....(wink, wink).

Some are huge!

Tips on Tuesday - Harvest:

This year we didn't put up a fence around our whole garden, you can see it's rather big and the deer get into it anyway.  Too much work.  We studied things the deer don't like to eat.  That was potatoes, so about 1/2 of this was that.  Our soil is mostly clay, so some rows faired better than others.  Wait for plant to "die off" you have several weeks after that to still dig them up.  We did it in stages as we had so many rows.  Pull up the stalk of the plant, that will usually turn over a few and then you will know where to dig.  Start digging several inches from the plant first so that you don't damage any of the potatoes.  Let them "harden" and then pack them away for winter.  Do NOT wash these.  You can use a box, make sure to punch some holes in it, alternate layer of straw, hay or shredded paper with potatoes.  Store in a cool, dark, dry place.  Can be used for months.  I would suggest saving some "seed potatoes" for next year.   

This process I just described for storage, can also be used for other vegetables and fruit.  We do the same for our apples.  

I make the easiest unsweetened applesauce.  I wash, our apples are not sprayed, core, chunk and cook down, peelings and all.  I do add a small amount of water so apples don't stick.  Cook down till soft and use an immersion blender until smooth.  So good and good for you.  I do this in small batches.  If I have alot of apples, I will wash, core, chop and freeze them and then make fresh sauce.  

The BEST tip is this:  Clean out your garden in the fall.  Take all the dried, dead plants, weeds and such out.  Turn over the soil so it can rest till spring.  When we've NOT done this in the fall, motivation for spring planting is overcome by the "ughh I have to clean out the garden first."  Now, you can dream about planting, plan your varities, start your seeds and it all be ready to plant.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Motivational Monday - Hopeful

 We've had beautiful weather the past several days.  Al had a vacation day on Friday, he was able to get so much accomplished here at the farm before the snow...comes.  I was set up at a sale Friday and Saturday.  Sunday, we worked on cleaning out our garden.  We both decided we are getting too old to have such a big garden.  I may give it a go again next year, I'm hopeful.  So that is the inspiration for this blog post to motivate us to be hopeful. 

Friends, the whole world has been rocked by events in 2020.   We here in the states, have had a rough time on multiple levels.  I never do political posts, but you would have to be living under a rock not to know what I'm talking about.  After all this, how can one be hopeful?  

I can only go to my core, the Bible.  I Thessalonians 1:3 "We remember before our God and Father your works produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."  My hope is in Jesus, not a government, politician, celebrity, pastor, group, organization...these things fail us.  Hope in Jesus is eteranal.

I conducted my last face-to-face (new word for 2020) event and now I look forward to moving in a different direction.  I will continue virtually, probably till spring 2021.  Wisconsin has become a new "hot spot" for Covid 19 - especially our area.  I don't live in fear of getting the virus, I try not to have faith and not live in any fear - like I said, my hope is in Jesus.  I am apprehensive about the election and the fall out from either side.  I am still hopeful in His plan for it all.  

If I break down hopeful in light of the scripture above, it is exactly how I feel today.  I do have faith in the works, God allowed me to complete with talents He has given me.  I did labor in love, I do enjoy what I do.  My endurance is inspired by my hope in Him and His will for my life.  I can rest in peace with that.  This motivates me to be hopeful for the "next" thing, event, idea, garden, chore, role...whatever...He has planned.

I am also hopeful that you my reader, can find some peace in these crazy days, in whatever it is that you hold to your core.  Cling to it.  Rely on it.  Be hopeful.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Tips on Tuesday - Pets

 Welcome to Tips on Tuesday - Pets.  You know we live on a farm.  Over the past 25 years we've had all kinds of critters here for fun and purpose.   Our daughters had all kinds of pets.  Yes, I enjoyed every one, but some weren't "my" pets.  I did do my fair share of taking care of them...LOL.

So, our little "grand love" was going to go pick out a bunny.  Justine asked if we wanted to come along.  In the back of my mind, I was thinking, it would be nice to have a bunny for me.  However, Al is liking the "freedom" of NOT having so many critters.  So, I was really unprepared for this....we have 2 bunnies now.  

The guy selling filled a table top with all kinds of bunnies for L to pick from.  She was so cute!  Laughing at all them.  Justine is partial to Mini Rex breed as that is what she bred growing up in 4H.  L picked out a little white black broken pattern female, "Tilly" and Justine picked out another Mini Rex "Charlie."  Well, I was busy looking at all the other tiny baby rabbits....when I came back to the table, Al was holding a little chocolate Polish.  I could tell by looking at this face..."hey, did you want a rabbit?"  I asked.  "We can't just have one,".....(teehee).  So, I picked up a little Netherland Dwarf, the guy says "she has alot of personality."  Anna had a Netherland Dwarf and it was that way too.  Anyway, I took her.  So now, Al has "Halle" and I have "Nellie" (for Nellie Oleson - sassy).  We left with 4 bunnies.  

My Tips on Tuesday:

1.  Be open to an addition to your "family."

2.  All the emotional health benefits of a relationship with a pet.

3.  Teaches responsiblity with the care and chores.

4.  Lessons in:  life, relationships, love and even loss.

5.  A "friend" that loves you anyway.

When we returned to my house, we took the bunnies out and played with them.   Justine said that "Tilly" and "Charlie" were going to be added to the herd at the "ranch" for children (clients) to hold and pet when they are sad.  Well, guess what, "Nellie" and "Halle" are doing the same for Al and I.  Not that we are sad, but just holding and petting them make you happy.   

Justine, is a (I had to copy and paste from her webite as I can't remember the right title).  Justine is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner, is trained and in the process of certification with Natural Lifemanship™ Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Therapy (TF-EAP), and has training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). She is also certified as an Adoption Competent Therapist through the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC).  Her webiste link: 

 http://www.wholeheartedherdcounseling.com/

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.

Motivational Monday - R&R

 Good Monday morning.  Last Monday afternoon, I finally took care of something I should have done, months ago.  Thanks to the "hand I was dealt" as in, these are my cards:  bullheaded, I hate the doctor, Covid 19, "it's nothing" and thinking I'm super woman....I lost!  I want new cards and I'm working on that!  I won't go into detail, but I did have some skin cancer removed.  I don't know what I was expecting, but it's not what I got.  

So, that forced me to take some R&R.  I have been running around here for months, trying to clean out at least 1 shed or building before the snow.  I thought I would just jump right up on Tuesday morning and get to it.  Nope, that was not happening, nor did it happen all week.  

So today for this motivational pep talk, I want to remind us that sometimes we need some R&R (military terms: rest and recuperation).  Oh, don't get me wrong, I take naps, spend useless hours Netflixing, surfing the net, watching YouTube and I am guilty of that kind of "rest."   However, for me, my mind is always thinking about what I "should" be doing.  I am quick to jump up and get things going, no matter how I feel.  Well, guess what?!  Sometimes we forget about recuperation.  

I could "preach this" (you know I come from a long line of ministers, it's in the genes).  I could go so many ways with this message, just on recuperation.  Maybe for a future Bible study. Webster defines it as, "to get back, regain" and "to bring back in use, revive."  Welp, yes welp...if that don't beat all!  This is how my whole 2020 has been going.  I'm trying to "regain" space and "revive" my PROGRESSION to a better me.  

Now, today, instead of looking at last week as unproductive, I can now look at it like a recuperation to regain and revive.  I am a hopeless optimist you know.  It's the little things that I get excited and motivated about - even the definition of a word.  

Shannon, my part-time "employee" (I hate saying that, it sounds pretentious, however I do pay her for helping me), said to me "we've never been this 'far' back in your building" and "look you had a table with tags all set up out here."  Yes, I did.  She said "guess what year is on these tags?"  I said, "probably 2014"  She said "you're right, how'd you know?"  "Well Shannon, that is the year both of my daughter's married and left home.  I guess 'I lost my way' for a few years, but I'm back."  

You know, I said that like 2 weeks ago, but I understand it better today, thanks to R&R.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.