Author: admin

Till the Cows Come Home…

  We’ve been back and forth to Stella many times this week – things are really shaping up down by the water.  I should be just about done with the furniture placement and decor by Friday and will give you a tour then.  Today we will go buy a  used vacuum cleaner at the Oreck dealer because currently, her floors are covered in grit. 
    Last weekend we met with one of the owners of the entire seaside community where Stella sits and he gave us a tour of his cattle farm.   His family has farmed this property since the 1600’s if you can believe it – amazing story.  The fact that it is all on the water (300 plus acres) is even more amazing.  People like my family are truly blessed to have a little spot to call our own on their property- the fact that through the generations they have decided to preserve the farm as much as possible instead of cashing in on the huge property value is a miracle in itself. 
   So – I am a bit of hypocrite when it comes to my love of animals.  While I am horrified at the practice of slaughtering them,  I am not a vegan.  Honestly I don’t feel great if I try to eat NO MEAT –  and I have tried.  I do believe in and try to practice buying meats from sources that hopefully raise their meat birds and cattle and pigs humanely.    This farm is one of those….. 
   As we drove around the fields on the farmers gator, what I noticed  first is that the cows love this man.  They don’t fear him, they know he is kind to them and he is their source of  food.  He emits a certain call and they come running – 
  In the photo below, you can see their proximity to the cove…  Stella is just around the bend. 
 These cows are born here, and are raised in a beautiful, clean, healthy environment with shelter if they chose it.. for two years.  I have mixed feelings about all that… looking into their soft warm friendly eyes, I hate the fact that they will be in a freezer by the time they turn three.  They couldn’t ask for a better way of life for those two-three years, though.  I wish this were true for all “food” animals but sadly, it’s not. 
 Here’s a picture of the same cows in summer pasture… 
 It’s a beautiful thing. 
 Meanwhile.. back at the ranch here….   I’ve been begging the Mr. to let me adopt two “veal calfs” for years now.  Those poor babies are taken from their mother at a day old, never to know life as a cow – they are slaughtered immediately for their tender flesh.  UGH.  I don’t eat veal, I do draw the line at supporting that practice.   Two of my friends have gone to the local auction house and adopted two calfs that were slated for slaughter… 
Meet Stanley Livingston…
 He has no idea how lucky he is… 
And so far… the Mr.  is not moooooooooooved by my begging. 
*sigh.   Nevertheless….. 

Cups in the Cupboard * Taking your ball home


     Since there is not heat at the cottage other than a propane stove I don’t know how to use yet,  I spent yesterday inches from hypothermia as I wiped down cupboard interiors, draws, furniture, etc and unpacked the boxes I brought with me.  Lysol wipes and Pledge wipes work wonders when there is also no running water. The real cleaning of things like the bathroom and the kitchen sink and mopping of the floors will happen around April 15th when the water is turned on for the season.  I also wore slip on loafers with no socks, dumb.   T’is true we have indeed entered SPRING according to the calendar… however Spring has not entered our actual atmosphere yet.  I did just open the mudroom door to let the dogs out and I smell a hint of it in the air… 

    So we got a lot done at the cottage this week and today we go furniture shopping for a few more pieces to make it all work.  We’ve got dishes in the cupboard, pots in the cabinet, cleaning supplies in the cleaning supply closet, hangers in the one clothes closet only we still need a poll to hang then on.  Somehow we forgot that little detail.  The other detail we somehow missed is … those awesome stools I got at the Trove?.. the Western Union Operator stools from many moons ago?… they’re too short for the bar area my Mr. built.  Actually, MOST bar stools will be too short for the breakfast bar area the Mr. built.  There’s that.  

   Regardless, I am giddy.  She is perfect.  Just the right little space with much of her old charm retained for my family and I to enjoy hopefully for generations to come.   I’ll give you a sneak peek… with a full tour once she is complete. 





  Meanwhile, in other news… 

     I believe the Affordable Care Act is flawed and needs revision. My family is one of those whose premiums went up $400 per month at the beginning and went up again last year. The ACA .. or Obamacare- was not intended to punish. It was intended to give all Americans healthcare- we are the only major country left who does not have this. It wasn’t a perfect plan, it needs fixing. 
     Republicans had seven years to come up with an alternative plan. Even DT said some parts of the ACA were necessary and he wanted them kept in. Even DT said our rates were going to go down. Sadly, Republicans couldn’t get their sh*t together to get their new bill passed because it was more flawed than the current ACA – those who would have paid more or lost coverage completely were anyone 50 and older and the middle class, the sick and poor. 
     What’s tragic is that DT pointed fingers once again where the blame did not lie. This was not a Democratic failure, it was a Republican failure. Even Paul Ryan admitted that in his speech. They didn’t need Dem votes to get their bill passed- it was their own party that couldn’t agree. So what does a President do in this situation? Logic would tell you he’d vow to work on the current issues regardless, because many of his people are suffering through those issues….. instead of saying- Good, let it explode, I’m taking my ball home.
      That’s not what a leader does. A Leader digs in and looks for solutions that will work. That’s the Art of the Presidential Deal.




Treasures…

   I’m getting fed up with being fed up, I’m anxious over all the anxiety,  I’m mad as hell about all the madness that has descended in this ill wind that currently blows through the white house and our government at large.  The damned fibromyalgia is flaring and I’m getting tired of seeing my own hot air spewed all over my social media pages. 
   So today.. even thought there are at least five new obnoxious revelations by the Orange Scream and his cohorts that I could highlight here… aren’t there daily??… Today…  I will be the light.

A local pub is collecting sneakers, bras, socks, duffel bags for the homeless of New Haven. I decided to send a shout out to my friends on FB to start a collection to help her and I am so happy to see the outpouring of caring people who are donating those items.  Already within half a day’s posting, I’ve got socks, shoes, duffle bags, reading glasses and hair brushes here at the farm waiting to be disbursed.  A good friend is sending 18 pairs of socks through Amazon to my house along with two duffle bags – I haven’t seen her since HS!  Amazing.  WE the People are what makes America great. I needed to see it again and here it is, being dropped off at my side door. 

Here’s a funny for you – the computer guy is here right now putting in a new router. Apparently ours was a dinosaur and the new one will give us internet at warp speed.  The key though.. was to remember the old password.   *sigh.   And come up with a new one.  *sigh again.  Why must passwords be such a pain in the ass. 
Ah, but we’re not complaining today, are we… 
   My 52nd birthday was spent in my favorite way – among my family,  the kids and their partners and the moms, enjoying each others company. We went to a noisy italian restaurant that serves huge portions of delish, you always go home with a meal for tomorrow when you visit the Log Cabin.   I was even able to keep up with most of the conversation despite my defective hearing.  The sangria was the bomb!  While I’m not much of a drinker, put a glass of a good red wine Sangria, a Mojito, a Margarita with salt or my mom’s version of a gin and tonic with a splash of lime in front of me and I’m good to go. Just one glass is all the resfreshment I need and the alcoholic version only happens a few times a month.   Cheap date, I am.

  While I don’t need gifts and prefer to be the giver, a few of my blog buddies who have been reading here for years surprised me with a few treasures.  I sure wish they hadn’t, but I am so grateful for their thoughtfulness and the friendships we have forged through this little blog.  You know who you are.. thank you dear friends. 
  This shall be placed prominently on one of Stella’s walls… 

.. and these are part of a line I have not been familiar with until now… 
I am so looking forward to trying these two culinary delights out…and from what I understand, the maker has a fantastic show on pbs – you may have already heard of her – Vivian Howard – 

http://www.vivianhoward.com/

 Ever since I read The Prince of Tides many moons ago I have thought a part of me was meant to live down south somewhere…  but time and experience and a few summer visits have taught me that the heat and humidity aren’t my best friend.  However, Vivian Howard’s South is just lovely. Check her out.

   This book arrived in the mail this afternoon – thank you H!  Tonight’s new read!

 As for Stella – oooh, we’re getting close to move in time!  The floors are finished and just a little tacky to the touch. So we’ll wait until Friday and then.. AND THEN.. friends… we get to move  “stuff”.. in.  You know I’ll share it with you as we go.  I’m nearly giddy.

 I found a couch yesterday that was within our comfortable price range.. it’s actually a love seat.  While I had a whole ‘nother look in mind,  the look and the price didn’t match the budget.   The love seat size is better suited to Stella’s small size and the color is a slate blue/grey – should go OK with the rest of the place.  Not taking the pillows – have never been a geometric design fan.  The couch was found at the same place we got a few other pieces for Stella – Consign & Design in Branford.  In the couch picture you can see a real gem in the background – unfortunately not for sale.

 When the owner of the consignment shop rented this space – the desk you see way in the background there was in a back room covered by a tarp.  The previous owner said – Oh, you can have that, we have no use for it.

  “IT”… is an original sign-in desk from Ellis Island.  THE Ellis Island.  Can you imagine all the hands that rested and signed upon that desk…. amazing… perhaps even some of my or your relatives. Hard to tell in this picture, but the desk is huge. the books on the desk are about chest high, to give you an idea.

                      What I would pay for this desk… however, some things are simply – not for sale.

New Chick Hut and holy twitter storm, Batman

 Today I ran around like-a-chicken-without-it’s-head  looking for a new box to house the chicks in on our summer porch.  They’re growing like weeds!…  First I  stopped in the local hardware store – nothing big enough but they let me look through the dumpster anyway.  Much appreciated.   Then I headed over to Stop and Shop and asked the grocery store clerk if they might have a box from old deliveries I could buy or take off their hands.  Turns out they recycle all boxes  at 7 a.m. every morning, where they are all crushed in a compactor.  So, If I want to get there at 6:30-ish a.m. tomorrow I could get a big box from them.   I appreciated the tip,  put that feather under my cap and moved on. Next was Ocean State Job Lot.  Now.. have you ever been to one of those?  Everywhere you look, and I mean everywhere you LOOK!!!… are a hundred boxes of varying sizes, mostly filled with “stuff” they are trying to sell, and some others that are randomly scattered and waiting for a purpose .. or something.  I thought – cinch! I can get one here for sure, right?  
So I tap on the shoulder of one salesperson and ask politely if I could have one of their many thousands of boxes for  chick rearing purposes.  
She said “oh nooo, we don’t sell our boxes, we recycle them.”  
 Me-   Oh, that’s great!  and my purpose would be a recycling of sorts, no?  Plus, I am more than happy to PAY you for a big box, I don’t care how beat up it is.  Can I do that?  PAY you for one of the ones I see sitting around?”   
 “No”… she says… “We really don’t give them to anyone, ever.”  
“What about that one over there, it’s really beat up and looks like you’ll be throwing it out soon, I can tape it back together and use it, would that one be OK?”.  
 “No. We use them all”.   
Can I talk to your manager?  Maybe He or she would be OK with me buying just one.. for my chicks. 
Manager is called – but doesn’t come to see me. The message is relayed.. “We recycle our boxes, we don’t give them away or sell them.. to anyone for any reason.”
Now it might appear right here that I think I’m something special and for ME they should make the exception.  I’m really not thinking along those lines, honestly.   No.. as I’m standing in that Job Lot looking at about 1,000 boxes, some full, some half empty, a whole f*ing stack of them in the middle isle EMPTY – I’m thinking it’s overkill to stick to your guns and not  let a person buy a F-ING USED UP BOX for her baby chicks. 
But.. sometimes you just gotta let it go.. so I went. 
Next stop was our trusty Appliance salesman who only had top and bottomless boxes last time I stopped in.  This time he had one that was indeed bottomless, BUT..  at this point I am more than willing to improvise. 
And Improvise I did…

 My old Egg Plant sign has withered away, so I put a new one up yesterday… just some stuff I found on sale at Michaels.  (love that store).  Now I may be crafty, but patient I am not.  So this will need to be touched up a bit.. letters crooked, splattered paint around the edges.  A job for another day…
    That about covers my egg-sellent  adventures for the day… 
 Meanwhile.. back in The House…  Agent Orange is twittering so fast as the FBI discusses lack of wire tap findings and possible R*ssia connections I’m surprised his fingers haven’t fallen off yet. 
Can we all agree it’s really childish and very un-world leader like to tweet horrific accusations with no evidence to back them because you saw it on Fox News? 
Can we all agree Russia wants: our relationship with our allies compromised…check
NATO undermined…check
Our world wide respect shaken…check …..
I will say it again- I love my country. I want to respect our leader. I think respect is earned and I think respect for the powerful office he holds is his responsibility first and foremost. I honestly believe not one single person on my friend list would conduct themselves the way 45 does if placed in that position, not one. Forget the news, forget policy, what does your conscience tell you. .. what does the decency you were raised with tell you.

*sigh

Bring Coffee

 Come, sit.. and let’s talk about a few things. Yes, this is a political post, …oh, there you go.. did you run away?  I don’t blame you. Boy what a sh*tstorm it is, huh? 
    If you dared to stay – tell me what you’re feeling now that we’re in to this new administration a few months.  I’m not asking you to agree with me,  I’m curious.  Some of you visit here but you don’t feel comfortable voicing your opinion. Maybe you are afraid of the backlash. (Nasty comments will be deleted)  Maybe you avoid confrontation and we all know politics leans toward the confrontational.. daily.  Someone close to me said recently – why do you put yourself out there, people are rude, and what difference does it make anyway, it’s just your opinion.  Here’s how I see it – I doubt voicing my opinion here or on FB or anywhere else is going to have a significant impact.  BUT.. sitting silently and saying nothing when I see some real ills will absolutely have ZERO impact. Perhaps by voicing my concerns someone will take another look and it just might spur some positive action. 
     I still have friends and family who are cheering on Agent Orange.  That’s a really hard pill to swallow for those of us who are offended by the lying, the spin, the arrogance, the conflicts of interest.  For a man who said he wanted to unite the country – he’s done nothing to reach out to the half of us who didn’t vote him in.  He tweets lies, his mouthpieces reiterate and spin his lies (Obama wiretapping?) and half of us are eating it up, cheering him on. I don’t get it.  If this had been any other politician EVERYONE would be screaming.  Why does this guy get a free pass?   If you’re a *T* supporter, I’m not scolding you although I realize my tone would suggest it. I actually want to know what it is about this guy that makes someone want to applaud him. What redeeming qualities do you see that say he’s worth the storm he’s created?  If you’re sole answer is F*ck the government – well he did just that, I’ll give it to you. But he F*cks us all by making the highest office in our land, the most powerful position in the universe as far as we know.. a fool’s circus.  One of mocking and lies and false accusations with no evidence other than twittering rants in the dead of the night..  and there’s the  GREED. Because so far, he is enpowering corporate America – not -those who have been forgotten- one of his favorite lines.

      His new budget is not a humane budget, the new health bill does the same.. further punishes the old, the poor, women, the sick, people who are not white and wealthy. All who feel good about denying seniors Meals on Wheels service( govt funded but run by volunteers, and fees indeed paid by the elderly recipients who can afford the $3 cost), denying lower income women affordable women’s health screening and BC ( not free and not abortions) – allowing more pollution and lifting clean water laws, and killing wild animals inhumanely, selling off national park lands, trashing arts funding, raise your hand………

     I guess  the answer to these questions lies in what kind of a society we want to be. Until now I always believed we were at our very heart a good and decent and caring nation, evolved, enlightened. The removal of our decency should not be the price paid for stronger military might. Until now at the very least we have managed both.
    
     Sad day. I wanted change in this next election because the issues before us are real. Throwing out the baby with the bath water was not the answer. I don’t know how anyone can honestly feel good about that.  And please..Please don’t say we’ve put God back in the WH. Kinda hypocritical, wouldn’t you say?

Blizzard Stella and other Random Ramblings

I woke up early this morning, grabbed a cup’a coffee and headed out into the Tundra-that-was-not, Blizzard Stella as they are calling it ( Same name I gave our cottage – how funny is that!)  to feed the horses, rabbits and chickens.  T’is true the predicted winter blizzard has just begun, and maybe I’m pushing it a little, but I don’t see this as becoming a major storm.  Already the snow fall prediction has dropped.  Just hoping the wind doesn’t pick up dramatically. 
 The horses are in for the day with clean bedding, hay and water and their breakfast grain. 
Same goes for the chickens out in the coop – and the chicks on my porch are waiting for their morning treat of  hardboiled egg mashed for their convenience.  No, this is not cannibalism. Egg Yolk is the nourishment a chick feeds from while developing in the eggshell. 
Notice the new feathers, which have sprouted practically overnight – 
 Saw this kitchen on FB – love everything about it. 
 I’m not going to spoil my day by bringing up the Orange Scream and those who continue to lie and twist and contort facts versus fiction. No… instead I will share with you a delicious lemon loaf recipe I made the other day. Apparently Starbucks has an enviable Lemon Loaf recipe.  I don’t go there because I’m probably one of the few on the planet who doesn’t like Starbucks coffee – too bitter.. or something.   Anyway…this recipe is delicious if you love lemon – give it a try! 
Better Than Starbucks Lemon Loaf

Print
If you like Starbucks Lemon Loaf, then you’ll love this moist, delicious Lemon cake! This easy to make recipe is loaded with delicious lemon flavor, and topped with an amazing lemon frosting.
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1½ c. flour
  • 1 (3.4 oz.) package, instant Lemon pudding mix
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tsp. lemon extract
  • ⅓ c. fresh lemon juice
  • ½ c. oil
  • ¾ c. plain Greek yogurt
  • zest of one lemon
  • Frosting:
  • 3 Tbsp. Butter, soft but not melted
  • 1½ c. powdered sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. lemon extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 5 x 9″ loaf pan with a piece of waxed paper. (With a pencil, trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of waxed paper and cut out with scissors.) Spray the pan, and waxed paper with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a stand or hand mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, oil and yogurt. Mix until evenly combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon zest, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes, or until center is fully set, and a toothpick inserted comes out crumb free.
  3. After baking, let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan, invert and remove from the pan, removing the waxed paper from the bottom. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
  4. For the frosting: Combine the butter, lemon juice and lemon extract with hand or stand mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth and creamy. Evenly spread the frosting over the top of the loaf. Refrigerate to let frosting set completely before slicing. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.

Bare wood and the Egg Plant

   Stella’s floors are sanded and awaiting a final coat of stain/satin finish – and then… and THEN!  when the water is turned back on in April on the island (not really an island as it’s attached by land but it’s called that for some reason) … I get to furnish with all those finds I’ve been sharing with you here and decorate!  I’m also looking forward to working out in the little garden areas surrounding the cottage. 
      After all that joyous springlike weather, today we’ve got snow, with really cold temps on the horizon and more snow, up to a foot in the coming week.  Bleh. The dogs and I mope around the house on days like this –  I’ll be on the computer most of the day working on two editing projects for our town.

  The horses are reblanketed, K and I brought more hay down from the back barn before the snow.

 The chickens who live out in the coop have their heat lamp on once again.  As for the littles, they’re doing well – all have survived the first week of chickdom and that’s a good thing. 

 Speaking of the outdoor chicken coop… for the past few days the guys have been renovating it to accommodate the new girls once they’re old enough to join the others.  I call this the Egg Plant.  The sign I made for it originally rotted with rain, I’ll have to make new one. 
Pepper, Ethel, Rose, Ruby and Star, among others,  stood around my feet when I first let them out into the newly wired section clucking away, saying.. OMGsomethingNEWwhatisTHISawesomenessBUTisitSafewheresthetreats,Cheeriosmaybe? 
I’m pretty sure by the cluster of clucks. 

Chairs and Chicks and Checks and Balances

  I must confess I did not have a personal caning experience with the Western Union Operator stools we picked up recently.  Nope. I chickened out.  When we took a closer look, it was possible I could really screw up the wood when trying to get the old embedded caning out of the seat .  We found a furniture doctor in a nearby town that does caning and he did a great job.  I just need to use some sort of treatment oil to keep the caning supple – tung oil is recommended or a furniture polish with high oil content.

  Have you ever marveled at how birds develop so quickly from egg to flyaway?  The typical wild bird takes about 21 days from the time the egg is laid in the nest till they are feathered enough to fly away from the nest. That time period does vary  among species, but it’s an insane growth rate, don’t you think?

 That’s K discussing Domestic Policy with Emmeline.

 As for chickens –  they are considered mature between the ages of 16 and 20 weeks.   If you’ve experienced raising chicks, you know that their growth rate is amazing.  The changes are witnessed daily.  When they were day old chicks they had no wing feathers – if you look closely, just five days later, look at their wings –

  I’m happy to report that Nora, Florence, Emmeline, Elizabeth, Rosa and Coco are doing well.  I give them one mashed egg yolk daily with a little grit mixed in, plus they get medicated chick feed and plenty of clean water.  A Heat lamp is necessary at this stage but as they mature the heat source is slowly raised and then removed before they move out to the coop.

   I’m safely guessing that whether you are a supporter of the current administration or as offended as I am by them, you’re as disgusted with all the turmoil in the news regardless.  When Washington is in total chaos, we all look like fools and I really, really hate that.  We as a nation are collectively so much more than that circus.  It does not represent We The People and yet we all will be held accountable.

   Here’s a thought – All this Russia-gate crap, the denials, the accusations, all of it from both sides of the proverbial isle…..  I don’t know if it holds any water. But…. why  initially omit or lie about meetings, why deny Russian interference in our election process which was proven and even Agent Orange admits occurred now…  Why not just release your damned tax returns so that all those who are using that as a reason they don’t trust you  and believe you have Russian ties can be set to rights by your proven innocence?  Isn’t that what Obama did for the Orange Scream when he accused him of not being born in America?   When you are accused, you provide proof of innocence.  When you refuse… who wouldn’t draw the conclusion you’re hiding something?..only natural, and so easy to set the record straight.

   As for accusing the previous POTUS for illegally wiretapping your private residence before your election ON YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT, and without providing any evidence, well.. that kind of behavior is dangerous, reckless.  This man is everyone’s President – at the very least he owes the larger half that did not vote for him behavior and actions that will give us some sort of  ability to be able to trust him. So far, he’s done nothing, has not provided a thread we can swing from in an effort to weave a fabric we can all respect regardless of policy views.  Any man in the Presidential position owes that to all the people of this country.  Ain’t happen’n from what I can see.

   I have friends who voted for Agent Orange and for varying reasons.  I still respect them, regardless because I understand and commiserate with their gripes about our government.  The ones I don’t respect are those who will defend absolutely every single action of this new administration, no matter how intolerable it would be if it were anyone else.  First, lets kill all the hypocrisy.

Chick Day!

   Currently I have 13 chickens in my coop.  I’m guessing about six of them no longer lay eggs due to age.  Some folks would get rid of them at this point, send them off to auction in a crate or give them to a neighbor who uses them for chicken broth.  (gah!).   My girls are retired here on the farm and will live out their golden years in peace.   There will never be a chicken in every pot on my watch! 
  Now, that coop is full.  It’s a ten chicken coop and I have 13 living in there – they’re happy enough, but space is very limited.  The Mr. has been itching to do something, as if Stellas resurrection weren’t enough, right?  But that’s OK, because my chicken coop is getting an overhaul to accomodate more chicks.  He feels the farm needs to function more like a farm, therefore more young chickens need to replace the older girls in the workforce around here.  He did mention a fella who wanted my aging hens for his chicken broth – but then he tucked that crazy back in and all I had to do was lift a brow. 
  Anyway… the boys will be here this weekend ripping out some of the coop to expand it enough to house my new crew. 
  So you know when I heard that plan today, what I immediately went out and accomplished  after barn and coop cleanup chores and before 11 a.m, right?  Because lets not leave any room for someone to change their mind on this thing. 

 Meet Rosa,  Elizabeth, Emmeline, Mary, Nora and Coco.  If one of you guesses the origin of all of those names correct, I’ve got a prize for you.  And if no one guesses the origin of those names, but gave it a good try and got SOME,  you’re the winner – of not a chicken dinner.

Shelly

  So we’ve got a little “driveway” at Stella’s roadside.  It was just a dirt patch before, then became a mud hole with all the workman traffic.  We debated what to do with that little area and my choice was crushed shells – I have always loved that  look when I have seen it at other seaside residences.  Cottages aren’t supposed to be formal in my opinion. The shells for me represent a simpler more natural look than pavement or even processed stone.  Because we rarely do something without debate in this house (jeez, it’s not just the politics!) … I was under the impression I had lost out on my bid for a crushed shell driveway.   Despite  my pleas to keep the natural element vibe and not bring in more foreign material that would look too “processed”…. it seemed as if processed stone were going to be delivered to Stella any day, regardless.

   On friday we pulled up to the cottage…. lo and behold!… my son and our friend Steve were intsalling CRUSHED SHELL! in the parking spot.  THIS…  is an indication that sometimes… some  times….. when I stand tall and proud and loud in my attempt to do what I know is right in a situation… I am heard.

Nevertheless… she persisted.