got pie? ~

Cherry Almond Mousse 

Coconut Pecan Caramel Drizzle

Creme de Menthe Grasshopper 

S'mores 

Tin Roof Sundae 

Peanut Butter Oreo 

Blueberry topped Cheese Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheese Cake

I forgot to take a picture of the Pumpkin Parfait Pie

Just thought I'd post some pics of my pies again this year.  I'm using my blog as my platform for bragging rights ~ I have to show my sisters how it's done... lol  Next year Cheryl and Darla ... I'm putting you two in charge of pies!

The suicide awareness fisheree sponsored by the JPD Warrior Project was another HUGE success! THANK YOU to everyone who helped out and showed their support!!!  AND- thank you to those who bid and won on my pies ... enjoy!

Until next time...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

Ai Yi Yi Yi ~

It must be pet peeve day for me ~ 

I'm in the kitchen ... 

I have pancakes on the griddle.

Mr. Man comes over and say's,

"What 'cha making?"   

I say, "Isn't it obvious?  Hamburgers."  

Hello. 

Open your eyes.  

You can see what I'm doing.

 ~~*~~

I go to the grocery store looking for ground cumin.  

What do I find on the shelf ~

Dang!!  

I didn't bring my Spanish dictionary to the grocery store ... 

this is America ... 

our language is English ... 

if I wanted to go shopping in an ethnic store fine ... 

but not my local grocery chain.  

I was looking for ground cumin ... 

not comino molido!

~~*~~

I go in the bathroom ... 

what do I see?  

Another pet peeve!!

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

rightfully ours ~

We're on our way Vince to bring your trophy back to Lambeau Field where it belongs!

Wow! What a ride!! 

Isn't that quote by Vince Lombardi the best ever!! 

Everyone should apply that to their lives no matter what their situation ~ be it a football game, organizing a fund raiser or cooking a Sunday dinner. 

~~~

I'm so happy for the Green Bay Packers!  We're going to the Super Bowl!! (sorry Thom and Moni) 

PLUS... guess where Dear Hubby and I are going to be Super Bowl weekend ~ in TEXAS!!! Oh Yeah ... this should be fun!

~~~

The weather in Wisconsin is finally looking up ~ today is the first day since New Year's Eve that it's above ZERO!! Whoopwhoop!!! By this coming weekend when we host our fisheree it's suppose to be up to 28 degrees ~ now that's a tropical heat wave!!  Bikini weather ... not quite ... but it's getting there.  We're looking forward to it.

Until next time...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

don't quit ~

This is the day the Lord has made ~ let us rejoice ~ and be glad in it!


Not much going on around here, with the exception of getting ready for the upcoming fisheree that the JPD Warrior Project puts on every year.  I need to sit down and get a grocery list in order, meat and buns need to be ordered, coffee, hot chocolate, cups, napkins, condiments taken care of, etc...  We serve a ton of food that day ... literally! ... chili, hot dogs, hamburgers, bratwurst, baked beans, chips, cookies and bars to name a few AND I need to make pies for the auction. It's too soon to start cooking and baking ~ that all happens the day before and the day of ... but having the shopping part behind us helps. 

~ our new trailer ~

This Friday we'll be having another committee meeting at my house for the Kid's Carnival that we added to the program this year.  We have some really fun things planned for the little ones this year.  Like a Fish Toss, the Ice Bowl, Walleye Sucker Tree and Ice Golf ~ to name a few ... and LOTS of PRIZES!!  

2010 fisheree
top left - Slim's brother Duke and his daughter Niki
bottom left - our friend Glen, our daughter Staci, Slim's cousin Danny
bottom right - my hubby Slim with his furry fisher hat on

pie poster

I made this poster to hang on the picture board this year.  It's some of the pies that I made last year for the auction.  It's always a fun event.

some of the fish registered in 2010

Yes... we have some busy days ahead ... getting ready for the 6th Annual Justin Donner Memorial Fisheree ~ but they are all for a good cause, bringing awareness to the seriousness of a terrible illness associated with depression  ... suicidal thoughts.  Yes, suicidal thoughts are an illness.  That illness is depression and there is help.  Don't be ashamed to talk to someone or seek medical attention.   EVERY STATE has a suicidal hot line and there are trained professionals ready to assist you.

Call 911 or call 1-800-SUICIDE

~~ * ~~

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

when the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low, and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with it’s twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out:

So don’t give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far.

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,

It’s when things seem  worse

That you must not quit.

~~ * ~~

If we can help by getting this message out there and it helps save the life of just one person ... mission accomplished!

jpdwarrior.com ~ suicide prevention awareness 

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

my maxine moment~

 

Seriously,

All you guys and gals out there in cyberspace

who have come to know me through my blog ~

(if you hadn't known me before then) 

THANK YOU

I was blown away on all the Happy Birthday wishes

I received.

You truly made my day!

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

b'day~

It's Jack's  birthday too!! 

What a hoot ~ we share a birthday ... 

only he's a LOT older than me. lol 

(and better lookin')  Love ya Jack!

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

packer wave~

My sister Cher had this going on facebook asking to keep spreading the wave ~


PACKERS WAVE!!:„ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤KEEP THE WAVE GOING¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤øºLET'S GO PACK! ¤¤º°¨¨°º¤øº¤ø„¸ ¸ø¤º°¨„ø¤º °¨¨°ºPACK GO ! „ø¤º°¨¨°º¤LET'S GO PACK!¸„ø¤º °¨¨°º¤øºL-E-T-S GO!¤¤º°¨......¨°¤øº¤ø„¸¸ø¤º°¨PACK WAVE:„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤KEEP THE WAVE GOING¸ „ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤øº...."PLAYOFFS"!!!└╥┘GO└╥┘ GREEN └╥┘BAY └╥┘PACKERS└╥┘




What a great game!!!!


Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

patiently waiting~

Let it snow ...
         Let it snow ...
                  Let it snow ...

Like the little chickadee ...
                Sitting on the limb ...
                        Patiently waiting it's turn ...

And the chimmenia ...
            Warding off rust and ready to burn ...

The bird house ...

The bird bath ...

      The flower beds too ....

Are patiently waiting ... for Spring time & BLOOMS!

I'm feeling a little snowed in today ... can you tell? Yes-sir-ee ... we got another dusting of snow ... and it's still coming down.  Yesterday afternoon I wiped all the snow off the top of the feeder ~ see how much snow we got since then.

Let it snow ...

     Let it snow ...

       Let it snow ...

I love the distinct four seasons that we have here in northern Wisconsin; but sometimes the winter just seems so long.

Until next time...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

bougainvillea revival~

Last summer I had a beautiful little bougainvillea plant sitting on a stump by the top of my flower bed. 

Due to some horrible neglect ~ this is how it looks today.  Pretty sad looking :( 

It's been sitting in my basement since I brought it in last fall so it wouldn't freeze.  Well, I not only saved it from freezing ... I also didn't water it ... and now it was dead.  At least ... that's what I thought.

After a little poking around on it and clipping off the dried up blossoms and some of the dried up stems ... I found that some of the stems still had a little green in them and they were still a little pliable.  Maybe there's still some life left in this poor neglected plant.

My other bougainvillea plant ~ a pink one ... is still thriving... and blossoming.

I have it sitting in a sunny window.

The pink plant was getting a little leggy  ...  so ...  I snipped off a few of the vines and poked them into the big pot with the purple plant ~ that got a BIG haircut.

Now it too is sitting in the sunshine.  I sure hope it doesn't hold it against me for letting it sit in the dark basement for several months totally neglected.  Grow baby GROW!!! I promise I'll water you.

~~
I'm pickling up some eggs today ...
 ... they look just like they belong in an Easter basket ...  all the different colors.  Please don't ask me what kind of chickens they are that laid them ~ all I know is they're from four different breeds.  I have white eggs, brown eggs, tan colored and blueish green eggs ~ cool. 

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

the bear ~

I just love this scene ~~ I know it's an old movie ~ but ...  it still amazes me how scenes like this can be made:



Just thought I'd share.  Have a great day!

Until next time...
so it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

chickadee~

Today is my Dad's birthday ...

  I called Mom this morning and made a comment about today would be Dad's birthday and she corrected me on my comment about it right away and said, "what do you mean 'would' be his birthday, it IS his birthday.  He's just spending it in a better place."  The big glorious birthday party in Heaven!  Don't you think there's a daily B'day party with cake and ice cream, balloons and gifts and angels doing back flips and acrobatic twirls?

I miss my Dad. 

When I was born, I was named Melody Jane.   I was given a nickname by my Dad right from the beginning.  It was a long one.  I was told that it started out as him calling me Janie Bug Melody My Little Chickadee Dee.  As time went on Dee Dee stuck with everyone that I could remember and that's what I was called ... except for Dad ... he still called me his Janie Bug Melody as a shortened version OR he would say My Little Chickadee Dee ... which then over time was shortened to Chickadee. 

I was Daddy's Chickadee and Dee Dee to the rest of the world ~ and it suited me fine ... I was never addressed as Melody.

Then I had to start school.

I remember the teacher calling my name, Melody.  I ignored her, until she was right in my face telling me that when my name was called I had to answer.  Honestly, I didn't know that was my name, I thought it was Dee Dee.  

 I was corrected ... in school my name WILL be Melody, as that was what was on my records. 

I was little; but I still remember crying and crying at home because the teacher kept calling me Melody and my name was Dee Dee.  That's when Mom started calling me Melody and dropped using my nickname and I also remember her telling my siblings, "call her Melody" so she learns her name.  I also remember crying to Daddy about the mean old teacher who calls me Melody and being comforted by him. He told me that everybody was right and I did need to know and use my real name now that I was in school; but I would always be his little girl, his little Chickadee.

YEARS later...
Daddy was in his eighties ... me my fifties ... and I have now become Mel to most, Melody to some...
to my Dad, I was still "little girl ~ even though I outweighed him in the end
or more fondly called by him,
"his little Chickadee". 

Yes, Dad... your little Chickadee misses you and wishes you the happiest birthday ever up there in Heaven!!

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

in wisconsin ~

~image from the internet~

IN WISCONSIN... 

It's winter in Wisconsin 

And the gentle breezes blow, 

70 miles per hour at 52º below. 

Oh, how I love Wisconsin 

When the snow's up to your butt, 

You take a breath of winter air - 

Your nose; it freezes shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful, 

I guess I'll hang around. 

I could never leave Wisconsin, 

'Cause I'm frozen to the ground!

                              ... author unknown


~~~~~~~~
It's really not as traumatic as the poem implies ~ we're at  -15 below this morning and the gentle breezes only make it feel like minus 30.

Until next time...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

brats & breakfast links ~

It was another busy day at our local zoo ... meaning my house!

Slim and I spent the majority of it making up some breakfast sausage links, polish sausage and bratwursts.  I hope we're done for awhile ... as I'm getting tired of grinding, seasoning, and cleaning up this stuff, especially that heavy Hobart grinder.  At least today's project didn't involve having to fire up the smoke house.  

I had to laugh when we did the links ... good thing this order was for our daughter because we didn't have the right size casings on hand.  Her breakfast links are about the size of hot dogs ~ I'm sure they'll still get eaten.

I love Polish Sausage ... we use our own recipe and all fresh ingredients.  I wish computers had smell-a-vision because this tub of meat with the pork, mustard seeds, rosemary, thyme, savory and a few other ingredients smells awesome ... even a full fledged vegetarian would have a hard time not eating this stuff!

Get a load of these fresh bratwurst too ... mmmmmmm...........

I know I go on sometimes about making sausage, and making my own jellies and jams, and all the canning I do ~ BUT ... that's who I am ... that's what I do.  We always try to eat the freshes fruits, veggies, and meats that we can.  There are few things that we purchase that are pre-made when it comes to the groceries.

Everything that we make ~ it seems to be done in BIG batches.  I really have a hard time just cooking for two! lol   Like the jars of jam I did yesterday ... NO that's not all ours.  I make it for a couple resorts, they use it for little gifts for their customers.  I make jams and jellies all year ~ totaling around 300 jars a year.

Same thing with all the meat we process.  We make a wide variety of sausages for ourselves, family and friends ... about 2 tons worth a year.  We make pork breakfast sausage patties and links, home cured side pork or salt pork, bacon, bratwurst, venison and beef summer sausage, jerky, landjaegers, hot dogs, just to name a few of them.

I keep telling Slim ... we need to quit our day jobs and go into this full time ... not just as a hobby.  He says, nope... wood working is our hobby.  Hmmmmmmmmm.... I didn't know that.  It's been a long time since we made anything with wood.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

jammin'~

Time to jam.  I put on the classic vinyl 70's rock and roll ... and washed up the jelly jars!

Remember all those berries Dear Hubby and I picked last summer ...

the blueberries as big as quarters ~

and the raspberries ... so sweet and fragrant ~


and those beautiful strawberries ~

and let's not forget ...

the apples from our tree ~ 

Yesterday was the day of transformation:

blueberries ~ in the big ol' kettle with some sugar and pectin ...

strawberries too ~ so pretty how they glisten ...

and the apples ~

and raspberries ...

After a few hours of listening to music and playing with the fruits ...

Wahlah!   52 jars of jam

Until next time ...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel

planning ~

We're starting to talk vacation plans!   We're thinking of making a big triangle ... Wisconsin to Texas to Tennessee and back up to Wisconsin.

When we vacation we don't like setting a time table of having to be at a specific place at a certain time ~ as we travel along if we see something that interest us and we feel like stopping for awhile ... we do.  Just as long as we keep it in the time frame of being able to get back home a day in advance of having to go back to work.

Of course, another big factor in vacation planning for us is the cost.  Last night, we went over the cost of our trip we made in Feb. 2010 ~ and what we figure the difference will be this year.  Gas, last year averaged 2.39 a gal ~ so we'll be a little higher this year with the average over 3.00 nationwide.  Right now we're paying 3.24.

I'm so glad that we finally got our hospital / medical bills paid down enough that I feel comfortable enough about making this kind of trip again.  In a few more payments we should be free of the medical debts we  had hanging over our heads for the last five years... now to keep it that way.

So....  anyone out there with some suggestions of must see things to do or see (that aren't going to cost us an arm or a leg) between Park Falls, WI to Ft. Worth, TX to Nashville, TN to Park Falls, WI ????

I remember one time we stopped in Kansas somewhere and took a tour of a cookie factory ~ and had a blast doing it ... yes... we're open for suggestions.  Places that give tours, little off the wall restaurants, museums, places that just haven't made it into the map brochures, waterfalls, mountains, animals, farms, gardens ...  yes .... we're open to suggestions.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

getting it done ~

I'm still working on my New Years resolution ~ simplify and de-clutter.  I won't bore you though with the details of my accomplishment.  Geesh... how did we accumulate so much stuff !

Then you come across something like this old picture of me and my younger brother at Halloween about 38 years ago and get side tracked ... yeah ... this project is going to take some time.

 ~~~~
I was standing at the sink doing dishes and I hear a pretty good thump on the deck door.  Oh no... another bird hitting the window. I look and see this woodpecker laying on the rug.  I figured I better go and get rid of it quick before the dogs finds it ~ because I know the dogs will eat it in one gulp.  I don't need that happening... the dogs eating a woodpecker, getting his or her gut full of feathers and  puncturing a lung or esophagus from it's beak as it's going down.

I go out to pick up the bird to take it to the garbage ~ and find that it's still alive.  Very much stunned, and I'm sure not feeling the best ~ but it was still alive.

I took it and set it on the grill out of the reach of the dogs ...

Poor little bugger ... it sat there, stunned as could be for 2 whole hours.  Truthfully, I thought it was a goner.  I even checked on it a few times thinking that it was dead or frozen in place ~  but then the last time I checked ... it flew away.

I watched it in a near by tree for about half an hour ...

then it came back to the bird feeder of suet as if nothing ever happened.

~ happy ending for the woodpecker ~

Until next time...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel