Scout of Discarded Heirlooms

 

When you are a "picker" - truthfully, I'm so over that word!  Too much "pickin' and picker" braggin' for me, and I'm a 7, we live for that stuff!

I would rather say I'm an archaeologist of odds and ends, the junkologist of all things hoarded, or the curator of many treasures.  As that....teehee....I found these from the last estate sale we did.  I am so tickled.  If you don't know, I'm Potawatomi and as of my last birthday a "tribal elder" and it comes with cool perks!   

I also have some "hillbilly genes" and it was those from which I was sure my addiction to finding things came.  However, this past June, my daughter Anna and I went on a Laura Ingalls Wilder tour of homestead sites.   On one of the museum tours, we were told of the harships pioneers faced with trying to "lug" their precious treasures and furniture across the plains.  Many times, they had to empty wagons and leave them behind.  I almost fell over and actually laughed out loud when I saw a pictue of the inside of a plains teepee.  In the corner was a very intricately carved what not shelf.  I was told this was very common for the tribes to pick up whatever treasures the pioneers left behind.  Now I can add, scout of discarded heirlooms to that list.  

My gene pool has a double whammy of it, truthfully, I'm swimming in it.  

Have a good week.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

That's My Story and I'm Stickin to It!

 Boy did I jinx myself with the title of my last post.  You can read it here:  What You Can Do  I was unable to do a thing this whole week.  I lost a week of my life!  

I have allergies, I'm around all the things that irritate them, but almost every August, I end up with sinusitis and sometimes laryngitis and sometimes bronchitis follows.  Well, that was looking like my path this year and I was doing so good not even sick since March of 2019 (which probably was Covid?).  Anyway, I did all my little tricks and it was still progressing.  So, I didn't want to, but I went to the urgent care/walk in center.  I left with some prescriptions for medicines, some I knew, but the antibiotic I didn't.  I also left with a follow up appointment on Thursday with my primary care.  Well, Thursday rolled around and I could hardly lift my head, I was so, so sick.  In fact, my husband had to take a 1/2 day so he could drive me.  Well, good thing he did, because we left that clinic and went the the ER.  Now, I bet your thinking I have Covid, EVERYONE as in professionals did.  I had 5 negative tests and 3 of those were way up the nose till my eyes watered.  Now this isn't an anti-Covid post.  Covid is real, unfortunately!  I know we need to be cautious, I just wanted to be better.  

This post is about my story.  And my story was, I trusted the professionals to care for me.  Well, ends up, that the urgent care antibiotic had extreme side effects that I just happen to be the lucky winner of being effected by all of them.  So, once I was hooked up to an IV, given fluids, had a chest CT scan, more Xrays, anti nausea IV drugs, heart monitor and an overnight stay, I'm home.  I'm still sick, but on a different antibiotic.  

I wish, I would have put the pieces of this together in light of my parent's heart issues.  It's like a connect the dots now.  I had a weight gain of over 5 pounds in less than 48 hours.  Trust me, it wasn't from eating.  I couldn't walk from car to office, from exam room to radiology, I was so winded and weak.  When they hooked me up to all the eqipment at the ER and my head and ears were ringing, my blood pressure was flashing red - it was the highest I've EVER seen for me.   It was, "say hello to the cardiac unit."  I knew I would end up here one day, but not today.  

So, if "that's my story and I'm stickin to it" - "what can you do?"  I love it when I can roll these little stories back to a full circle teehee.  What I CAN do is trust myself better, I should have said NO thank you to an antibiotic I didn't know.   I should have connected the dots and taken a more active roll in my health care.  Work towards steps in NOT taking another trip to the cardiac unit.  Oh, when I left there last night, the nurse was on from 7-7 and I saw very little of him all day, it was crazy.  He said to me, "thanks for being the most patient, patient today" that I CAN do too.  

I wasn't going to share all this, but I can't help it, I'm a 7.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

What You Can Do

August, thus far, has been pretty busy, even if I do say so myself.  People always tell me "you're so busy."  Just this week, a regular "picker" I buy from said to me "o.k. let's just meet next week then (wink, wink), you're the busiest person I know."  

I don't know why, but for some reason, when I hear this it makes me mad.  Maybe mad isn't right word, how about uncomfortable.  It makes me uncomfortable to hear that.  I mean, we all are busy, life is busy.  I think, because I blog, am self-employed and everything I do is online or visable, it makes me look like I'm busy.  I'm just trying to live my best life and I spent plenty of days doing "nothing" too.  

Truthfully, most days I have to motivate myself to even get going.  My friend, Renee, sent me a picture off her motivational calendar a while back.  I have repeated this to myself almost daily.  "Start with what you CAN do."  I would add, "doing what you CAN do, leads to motivation to what you feel you CAN'T."  

August has had my not being here at the farm much.  So, yesterday I woke to this:  my kitchen was a mess, my garden full of oversized, over ripe, counters full of veggies to process, raised beds in need of weeding, stove and sink full of hand wash kettles, I just wanted to go back to bed.  Then I said "Dicky Bird, start with what you can do!  

Now, truthfully, I thought I only had yesterday to do ALL of this.  But, with something uncontrollable (weather) to us, we won't be able to set up outside at a show we were looking forward to doing.  I do have a tent, but it's the only tent I have left and I can't risk thunderstorm winds.  It may not happen, but we also don't want our all our stuff getting wet.  We've been there done that before.   Anyway, now I have a "free" 2 days and I woke to a clean kitchen, weeded raised bed, bags of processed veggies in the freezer, from working on what I CAN do yesterday.  Now, even though I CAN'T sell at the show, I am going to work on what I CAN sell here. 

So, the next time you feel overwhelmed from being "too busy," maybe a bit anxious from your "to do list," think on this little saying:  "start with what you can do" and it really motivates you!

Here are a few photos of my August so far, since I can't do another post without a photo...teehee...

I will start with the pretty.   I LOVE the Zinnas this year!

   

I left a few greenhouse "experiments" to grow inside and I am really pleased at how this is going.  I want to try to figure a way to extend my growing season.  

Nothing sweeter - warm cherry tomatoes right out of garden.  

Our most recent estate we are selling - online for now.  

Our last estate sale, we did an in person live sale last weekend.  We had already sold alot online, but they were still using and living in the house until last Wednesday.  Did I mention, we only really had Thursday to set up?  (speaking of busy...ahahah).  But these are the before.....and now the after.....

Praise God, we got rid of it for our clients.  They wanted to have it disappear and we made that happen.  I had another dealer call me and ask "how are your sales?  I see you had to 'give' it all way, your sales must have been bad, wasn't anyone buying?"  Oh boy.....I said "nope, sales were awesome!  In fact, our clients were extremely happy with what we did for them, buy giving it away to those who could use it and their not having to get a dumpster."  Anyway...back to what I can do....move on from stupid comments....

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Cultural Arts - Department 18 Cultivate a Connection

It's fair time here in Marathon County, Wisconsin.  I am co superintendent in cultural arts, which is one of the largest in volumn of entries in a wide variety of categories.  We have everything from creative writing, monolouge, felt tip drawing, fired ceramics, nature craft, needle felting, textile painting, collections, holiday decorations truthfully we have hundreds of "lots."  I enjoy looking at EVERY one that comes in! 

This year the dynamics of UW Extension and the Fair Board have been blurred and truthfully, no one understands it.  We had very little communication from the 4H office as to their role, still haven't had that cleared up and as a co superintendent, there were things we probably should have known.  With all that said...I could say more...all the superintendents in our building worked together for the best showing opportunity for each exhibitor.  We ran a skeleton crew in comparison to previous years.  We were down to 2 judges on entry day and 1 judge on danish judging day.  

Our single judge yesterday, Ingrid, has been with our department before, so I was glad it was her.  She is one of the friendliest, fairest judges I've seen.  I hate to even say it, because I don't want to have the fair office not ask her back.  We want her back, for the youth.  She explains things, helps them improve and is truly interested in their work.  Anyway, in past years she and other judges have told our department that "we love coming to Marathon County, because your youth are so talented."  We truely do have some very talented 4Hrs.  In the past several years at least a dozen stand outs.  Some now, have gone on to graphic design, "x" School of Art, selling at studios, art therapist...truly, their 4H experience molded their career.

So, as Ingrid was judging yesterday, I happen to ask her this:  "In all your years of judging fairs (it is 40), in all the other counties you do, is there a project or projects that have really stuck out in your mind that you liked?"  I said, "I'll give you some time to think about it."  She said "I don't need time, it was here in Marathon County.  There was a young man, who had these amazing pencil drawings, mostly livestock, tractors..."  Both Judy and I had the same lightbulb moment and I said "Dathan Smerchek!"  I said "hang on let me pull up his facebook page:  Dathan Smerchek Portraits and I showed her his images.  She said "Yes, that is him.  You know he was so good every year, but I have to think of something to help him improve on so I would say, maybe next year try this or try that, it was hard because he was so good.  However, each year he listened and the next he came back with that improvement."  

So, "being a 7" (enneagram) and wanting to "cultivate (my word of the year) a connection" I messaged Dathan and told him what the judge said.  I didn't expect it, but he message back.   He said "Thank you Jacky and WOW what a huge compliment!  I can honestly credit taking 4H projects to the fair and trying to earn a merit award as a huge reason I developed my art skills as much as I did.  It was my biggest driver for years.  Please tell her I say thank you for such a nice compliment."  

When I read this to her, she was so tickled....she said "it was so nice to hear, that her efforts and time as a judge 'made a difference'."  I have to tell you, she said this to me as she left too, "Thank you Jacky, for doing that" and I said "that's what 7's do."

I don't say all of this to pat myself on the back or toot Dathan's horn...it's just that when you can "cultivate a connection" if that will be a positive experience, uplift all parties involved...do it!  I left feeling complete as well.  

Now, in reading all of this post, you may not know that UW Extension, 4H has had to make many changes and they come at state level.  Educational opportunities at county level have been drastically reduced and it's not just from Covid.  I surely hope, once the muddly waters of who is responsible for what settles, and we have a more clear vision of what 4H will look like.....I hope that the type of experience Dathan had will still be available for future youth.  Yes, 4H is not about the fair, it is an organization that helps educate and develop youth.  However, that experience Dathan had with this judge, that the fair provided, directly impacted the direction of his art.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Jacky Luetschwager, Popplewood 4H

Department 18 - Cultural Arts 

Marathon County Resident 

Blogger Problem

 Hello ....

I am having problems with Blogger.  I did Google this problem and other have had or are currently having this problem.  

Can you access your reading - list of blogs you follow and want to read?  

Have any of you had this problem and how do you fix it?  Maybe you can't see my posts either.  I hope someone sees this that knows how to fix it.  Thanks.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

P.S. off to the Wisconsin Valley Fair this week