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Spot

Some people hate ’em – RODENTS! They say. The Mr. finds them annoying and has even contemplated taking a BB gun to them because they’ve been eating our peaches, plums, apples, cherries up in the orchard. Some people don’t pay much attention to them, and yet others find them endearing. That would be me, ever since Spot showed up at This Old House.

Spot is a squirrel and he’s been here for a few years now… showing up at the feeder regularly. Sometimes I see him up by the horses or over by the coop, but most often I find his chubby little butt parked on the bird feeder, having his fill. It is because of Spot that we will not take a BB to the squirrels here – they could be family! They could be SPOT, Heaven forbid.

A few things you might not have known about Squirrels…

Squirrels pick a territory – that can range up to about 7 acres, and they prefer to keep the same nest. That explains why we’ve seen him here for so long now. This is his “home”!

Squirrels can smell food buried a foot under snow. Also.. they bury their food all over the place, and sometimes it’s stolen by other squirrels and even birds. Sometimes they’ve been observed faking a bury, meaning they dig a whole and then cover it up without depositing anything in it. It’s believed they do it to throw off others who potentially steal their cache.

That zigzag you see them do when running away from something is their defense mechanism for escaping predators like hawks, coyotes, snakes etc. It works well in the wild, but not so great with cars – so slow down when you see them doing that crazy zigzag.. they’re trying to get out of harm’s way.

The story of why US parks are full of squirrels can be found here, worth reading! I had no idea….

Most squirrels don’t live past their first year. The ones that do… tend to live to be around 6 at most. Their actual span ability various among the species, but some have the potential to live to the ripe old age of 24!.

We had a sprinkling of snow overnight before the coming storms this weekend. I’ve been prepping the coop and barn for cold temps and will fill the bird feeder again this afternoon. Spot has already made his appearance this morning, getting his fill of the cracked corn I put out there a few days ago. This feeder is right outside my kitchen sink window, so I get to see the visitors to the feeder quite easily.

Spot says Good Morning! Now go get your milk, bread and toilet paper and perhaps some peanuts for me, please!

About that Window

It’s been 9 years since we put This Old House back together – and the most admired item by blog readers and visitors in this whole project has been the big window at the back of the house in the family room. There isn’t a day I walk into that room that I don’t admire that window myself – even though the cold does seep in on those chilling New England nights and we have had to board it up with plywood during hurricane and tropical storm events, hoping it wouldn’t come crashing in.

If you look real close you’ll see Sally’s nose smudges on the bottom panes… and the sun setting over the hill.

The big window often reflects glorious sunsets as the fireball itself melts over and behind the hill….

Our sunsets lately, when the rain clouds lifted on the rare occasion…

have been glorious.

This one below was taken last week by a professional photographer

in our cove where Stella resides…

with the Thimble islands off in the distance.

He captures some remarkable scenes and wildlife.

We finally have seasonal temps, sometimes in the teens at night. Oddly, no real snow falls, and while I love the beauty of it, I don’t like the work it makes for my guys and even myself as I make paths up to the barn and coop and make a bathroom path for the dogs out in their yard.

The whole family came for dinner the other night, the moms and the kids and their significant others. Mom was wearing a necklace that caught my eye immediately… take a look…

I asked her what it was, exactly…. it’s a pendant that represents the Glass Ceiling – sold at Uncommon Goods.. in support of women’s achievements everywhere – I just love it.

Meanwhile. up at the barn, I’m missing my Opie, he’s left a hole. The other horses still look for him… and just a few days ago at feed time a sound on the wind made Max think it was Opie calling… (may have been a neighbor horse, but I can’t hear so don’t ask me) …. he looked up and started pacing his paddock fence, and began calling all over again for his missing buddy. Broke my heart, tears were flowing aplenty. Ugh.

Some happy news at the BIG barn one town over – K and Miss Leah are getting along fabulously – gearing up for another show season this Spring. Leah is from Texas, and she’s let us know this cold is for the birds! She’s double blanketed when not being ridden.

We often have the ring to ourselves in the early evening. K works during the day, so this is the time we can set aside for practice. I go with her when no one will be around – smart horsemanship – never ride alone. It’s chilly and quiet but time spent in the company of a good horse is never a waste and good for the soul.

I hope all is well in your neck o’the woods – I peek at the news now and again, wondering how many shoes have to drop before 45 is held accountable. This piece below? I’ll share it again and again and again.

Christmas has left the building

For those who celebrate… when does Christmas arrive in your home ? As for we of This Old House, the day after Thanksgiving and all through that weekend, the tree and all the stuff settles in. I absolutely love this holiday – for the joy those little lights and the old fashioned bulbs and the Christmas baking bring to the atmosphere, the fond memories rekindled of those big Italian Christmas gatherings at my Aunt’s house with all the cousins and aunts and uncles, and memories of the beautiful decor in my grandmother’s warm home (there were even red bows on the picture frames!) I have a few ornaments from my mom’s tree, a cherished addition on our tree year after year. I also love gifting people. That held true back in the day when I didn’t have a pot to you-know-what in… and today as I find ways to be creative in the gift giving. The beauty of that is, creative gift giving doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – and sometimes it’s even free, the gift of your efforts and time. It is truly the thought that counts.

So about that timing thing. My neighbor across the road doesn’t put her tree and decorations up till Christmas Eve. Heck, we’re almost done by then. Her tree twinkles in the living room window until far into February, while ours is cleared out at the first of the year. For me, once Christmas is over, it’s over. As the new year comes in, I want a fresh clean approach, including inside the house.

This year I noticed the decor after operation Christmas clean-up felt a little stale, so I decided to take down some window treatments, move some wall hangings, clear some of the decor clutter, change up the mantels on the fireplaces, and try real hard, and believe me the struggle is real, to not drag out and display MORE decor clutter in the process. It just feels good to simplify.

With the first of the year came the never ending and never quite accomplished resolution to eat healthier, lose the extra weight and add more exercise. So, I’ve kick started that goal yet again, broken-record message or not. It’s never too late to get going, keep going… Onward. After some research I decided to stick with what will probably work in the long haul, using the WW points system via phone app to monitor carb intake. Diets like KETO just aren’t sustainable for a person like me, anyway. That one in particular involves too much meat consumption, and while I know it gets results, I doubt it’s great long-term for anyone’s arteries.

Wishing you all good things in the new year – thank you for stopping by.

The Christmas House

If you’ve been visiting my blog for a while, you know about Stella – our little cottage on the cove. We learned about that vintage coastal community through a dear friend who lives just down the road from us here at This Old House. She and her husband raised their kids during summer months in their cottage near Stella – It maintains the same rustic 1930’s seasonal cottage charm as ours, partly because of her loving touches just about everywhere, and her husband’s beautiful artwork to compliment it. So, we are neighbors both here and down at the shore.

I need to tell you just a little about “Mrs. F” without giving away her personal information. She is a real dynamo! Having already lived most of her 90th decade, she continues to maintain two households with a little help from her children and grands, still volunteers for several organizations, still creates, gardens and bakes for family, friends, and the causes she supports. I have several perennial plants in my cottage gardens now that come from her garden, they will always remind me of her, and my gratitude to her for having helped us find a cottage of our own.

I stopped in a few days ago to see the bird carvings her son had created, and was just blown away by the Christmas decor she had absolutely everywhere in her charming home. An observation I’ve made regarding “Mrs. F” and a few other people I’ve been lucky to know who have lived well into their 90’s… despite heartbreaking events like illness or the passing of a spouse, they all share something vital – and that is to live fully with purpose, intention, keeping up with family and friends, nurturing their creativity and being active in causes they believe in throughout all of their days.

Browsing all the decorations and artwork and treasures around her home, the warmth of the place and the person and the people she holds dear surrounds you. I told “Mrs. F” her home reminded me of a Christmas House… and she said that is exactly what her grandchildren call it.

The ornaments on her tree are vintage, some she made out of copper, some given to her by students during her teaching career.

The sitting room above has beautiful furniture pieces

made by members of her family.

This bathroom has so much spunk… “Mr. and Mrs. F.” papered it with old

New Yorker Magazine Covers… I absolutely love it.

Below is the only work in acrylics her husband

ever produced – He preferred to work in oils.

Of his many beautiful works, this is one of my favorites, and hers.

A blacksmith’s shop.. with the forge’s glow spilling out into the evening snow

A collection of Steiff toys from her husband’s childhood live in her office/study…

The story of how steiff toys came to be is a worthy read –

you’ll find it HERE.

So many treasures of the heart in this old farm house down the lane… Thank you, my dear friend “Mrs. F” , for sharing it with us here on my blog.

There’s one more thing I’d like to share – Mrs. F’s recipe for Swedish cookies. I was gifted with a lovely box full of cookies she made for the holidays, and these particular cookies are absolutely divine buttery sugary perfection.

Grandma Mabel’s Swedish Cookies

1 lb. Butter

1 cup sugar

4 cups flour

1 egg yolk

dash of salt

1 shot of Brandy

Combine ingredients – Work with hands until a paste dough is formed. Chill for 20 minutes, Roll out dough on floured surface, nice and thin. Cut shapes, brush with egg wash so that decorations like colored sugar, etc. stick to the cookie. Bake at 350 Degrees, 12 min or until just golden.

Coop Revival

Thank you for all the kind words regarding the loss of my dear horse, Opie. His absence is keenly felt by both myself and the four other horses that live with us up on the hill. Even the farrier had tears in his eyes when we told him Opie was no longer on the roster for shoes. They truly become family, and I know many of you understand the pain of the loss through your own experiences.

When we moved into This Old House after the renovation, (my name for her has always been Saving Grace, or just Grace) I decided I wanted Chickens. Our previous three homes had the same theme, small horse farms, but it stopped at horses, dogs and cats. I wanted to add to the menagerie and the husband liked the idea of actually producing something on our “farm”. There’s something very satisfying about growing some of your own food. We’ve lived here for eight years now and we hay our fields and have a decent two plot vegetable garden, and bringing in fresh eggs from chickens that are fed wholesome quality feeds is just a good feeling. Plus I love animals of all kinds, more for me to love, right?

My current flock of 14 chickens consists of a few very old ones – two from the original batch, and a handful of middle aged hens from newer batches I brought in throughout those eight years. Chickens only lay eggs for about three years, their first two being the most productive – and some a little longer, but they can live to be ten or so. Many farmers either eat their laying chickens after their prime (which will not result in a plump oven roaster, as laying hens are built and fed differently than meat birds) or send them to auction so they can bring in a fresh batch of laying chickens, where some other sucker might buy them thinking they have laying hens. About half my hens no longer lay eggs, but I just can’t dump them.

Oatmeal with cream and blueberries in a graham pie crust for breakfast

They’ll stay here and live comfortably till they pass on. My current coop only holds the 14 chickens I have, so… to bring in more chickens means I need a bigger coop. The Mr. rolls his eyes at this, but my truth is my truth – I can’t dump or kill and eat something that has lived here on the farm. This is why we don’t have cows. He’d love a few, but only if in two years they can be sent to the “beauty parlor”. I can’t serve up Henry from the freezer after I’ve fed and cared for him for two years. We have a friend who actually labels his beef in the freezer – Betsy, Ivy, Franny… and so on. I want to save two veal calves and raise them, but we are at an impasse on the terms and conditions, so we remain… cowless.

I did convince him we need a bigger coop. One would think since I’m married to a home builder, building a new coop would be no problem at all. Ah, but taking time out of the work crew’s schedule to build a frivolous coop just isn’t prudent. So we looked online at pre-mades, like the one we ordered from the Amish nine years ago. They’ve gone up in price, of course! There are so many options out there too, from the simple to the ornate…

Can you imagine?

My current coop below… The EggPlant. We added on a little here and there, so it now looks like a bunch of afterthoughts.. which it is. I’d like to streamline it – and I have some ideas on how we can move the whole operation up to where the horses live, instead of down by the garage and house. In bad weather or deep snow it can be a chore to get over to the chicken coop to do those chores and then trek up to the barn – with some of the same supplies kept in two different places. After much discussion and a little bitching (!) , I think we’re going to go with my idea… stay tuned!

Below are the new chick breeds (three of each) I’ve ordered from Cackle Hatchery , one of the big operations you can mail order your chicks from. Sometimes I have bought from local grain stores, but those are always the standard breeds and this time I want to fortify a rainbow of egg colors. The big hatcheries have a better breed selection. They’ll arrive at the beginning of March, so we need to get cracking on the new coop build! (fingers crossed)

Lavender Ameraucana (blue egg)

French Black Copper Maran (dark brown egg)

Olive egger ( green egg)

Faverolle (sp? light brown egg)

Speckled Sussex (light brown egg)

Austra White (white/ivory egg)

The chicks will arrive as days old babies – and will need to be raised until full size in what will be the new coop, away from the mature hens in the current coop. This is for their protection, otherwise they would most likely be bullied and killed. Chickens can be horrible to each other. Think of the sayings – hen pecked, pecking order – and you’ll understand the origin. Once they are full size, I’ll introduce them all together in the new coop. They should be able to live together in the new larger coop and coop yard happily.

Opie

A few days before Christmas I lost my dear horse, Opie. He’s been my equine buddy for many years, been my therapy horse when times were scary or difficult or sad – we’ve seen enough of that over the years. He was in his early twenties and I always believed I’d keep him healthy and enjoying life on the farm until we were both old as dirt. Sadly, in the blink of an eye, it all went sideways and the most humane decision was to get him comfortable and let him go peacefully. (for my horse friends, some how he twisted his gut overnight and by the time I found him at feed time in the early morning, he was in too much pain and poor vital stats to force him through the trailer and surgery to try to correct it. How we didn’t hear him struggling up on the hill in his stall overnight just kills me). I am heartbroken, he was family.

Here’s another thing I want to say – because I gotta be me. His barn mates miss him, they’re still looking for him. Our Max, also an older boy who is generally more attached to Kristen than I, saw me crying yesterday as I looked over to where Opie is buried, and walked over and put his head in my chest and just stood there as I wept. Animals may not have our vocabulary or our understanding of all things, but they know pain, they know loss, they care about each other and for us. If you have animals in your care, they are not a machine, they are not a toy or a trophy or a tool to be ignored when we aren’t feeling like dealing with them or aren’t thrilled with their performance. If you’ve decided to have a pet – dog, horse, cat, farm animals, whatever…. Treat them as you would a family member, with kindness and compassion and the respect they deserve and especially those we ask so much of. When you think of what we ask of the horse, it’s astounding they obey.

Good Bye, dear Opie – you were my once in a life time horse. I will miss you for the rest of my life.

Friendships – the very best kind of gift

Many years ago I bought a young miniature horse from a lovely woman who became a dear friend. We spent years together driving our horses in carts through the woods in Old Lyme near her farm, and visiting nursing homes and rehab facilities from time to time with our mini’s. It was very uplifting to be in the presence of “C”, she was and is at 90 still a force to be reckoned with, a real spitfire, a hardy New Englander, and as honest and compassionate as they come.

When the time came for C and her beloved husband to retire from their horse farm, she gifted me with her beautiful black and white paint driving mare, Lacey. It was a heartbreaking thing, letting go of that part of the life she loved, and as usual she did it with stoic grace. Lacey has been with me (and her side kick Coady) ever since. C’s journey continued to the sunshine state, and then back here to be near family, where she and her husband moved into an assisted living community to get the care he needed. He passed recently, and the loss has been particularly hard on her. C is an example of nine decades of a life full of adventure and love and hard work and compassion and caring for people, animals and for the environment. One of those people you know you’re lucky to call “friend”.

Last weekend two other people I am lucky to call friends took time out of their busy schedule to haul my mini horses, and help me reunite C with her beloved horse, Lacey, for a visit. It was chilly outside but our hearts were warmed by the big smiles and happy tears to witness the reunion.

Thank you to my two dear friends for your big hearts, your generosity of time and effort and caring – a Christmas Wish granted. And Thank you, C, for teaching valuable life lessons without ever intending it, leading the way in all our “mini” adventures, and showing us all what a life well lived looks like.

Peace be with us all…

As I came in from feeding horses and chickens I saw all this beauty in the misty drizzly damp evening light. I wish I could instill the peace found in those moments in the hearts of every human being. All the ugly division and the energy it saps is so unnecessary.

Don’t let those who don’t know your name or your story and have never truly given a thought to your well being rob the relationships you have built over the years through shared experiences and camaraderie with those who have. Look around the here and now and appreciate what you bring to each other’s table in the big and small ways, the kind gestures over the years, even the small gestures. It is not in the party affiliations, it’s not in the politicians or those who fan the flames of division and hate. America’s greatness is in each of us, in how we rally together, overcome adversity, how we treat and respect each other and work together.

Peace be with us all –

ThanksChristmas!

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend, and we certainly did. There were just a few stumbles – aren’t there always? First…. my lemon meringue pies turned into lemon soup. If you’ve never made them, here’s what I didn’t know. I thought I’d add a little more lemon juice than the recipes requires… to give it just a little more lemon zing. Well… too much lemon zing kills the corn starch -stick-togetherness…. hence.. soup. Stick to the recipe on that one.

Then… Dear old Dad came in wearing his MAGA red baseball hat. I ignored it, because he’s entitled to wear whatever he wants to wear and think whatever he wants to think, and I wasn’t taking the bait. Until he took to yelling and pointed fingering his opinion at several of my other guests and didn’t stop yelling when I asked. And that’s when I intervened with some yelling of my own. Not one of our finer moments, and very typical of our relationship, sadly.

My apple pies, that thankfully came out delicious, not soup-like.

I used honeycrisp apples, cortlands, empires, mcintosh.

It was a great mix – honeycrisp my absolute favorite.

Other than that miserable moment, we had an enjoyable dinner and time spent with family.

The weekend after Thanksgiving is when Christmas comes out of the closets, the basement, and the shed at this old house. As of today, the halls are decked, and although the picture doesn’t reflect it, the pumpkins have been removed from the front stoop.

My Christmas cactus are in full bloom and the cottage geranium

is still pretty in pink.

My Aunt Virginia made this tree in ceramics class many moons ago – It’s my favorite decoration. Several of my friends have them as well, very popular back in the 70’s-80’s. I bet a few of you have one, too..

This morning while I fed horses, the prettiest pink hues spread across the

landscape… only to fade to New England grey shortly after.

Currently drizzling outside, more rain in the forecast – and I’m feeling at peace as I sit at my desk writing out christmas cards, and a touch of sad- because a few on my list are no longer with us. I write little notes in some of the cards, especially to those who have had a difficult year. I think it’s a sad thing – that letter writing and christmas card sending is becoming a dying tradition, so I’m keeping it up on my end, regardless.

Till soon –

Snow Day

Under normal circumstances they don’t like each other- they argue over who’s the boss, they don’t always perceive the same things as dangerous or even agree on who’s a friend and who’s a foe. They don’t share well with each other, but somehow the storms change things. Butt to Butt- they weather those storms and find common ground, they find comfort in each other. We could learn a few things from dogs…..

Something I took for granted for all these years- Democracy. I never realized how truly fragile it is, and at any point in history, what we depend on can come crumbling down. Maybe a dividing, lying, egotistical blowhard like Tr*mp had to happen in order to flush out all the corruption, the hypocricies, the bigotry, racism and blind allegiances that clearly still course through the veins of our republic. Maybe all the shortsightedness on both sides of the aisle and the less than stellar motives of some of the extremists, both left and right, needed to be exposed in order to eventually heal what is clearly very broken.

I’m encouraged by the good things that are coming of this collosal mess, people are voting, for one thing. Women are coming forth and getting elected at record rate – Republicans and Democrats are questioning some of the failings of their own parties and striving for something better. In many places We the People are being heard. Amen… and Amen again.

Last night we had our first real snow fall –

This morning it’s all pretty wet, with rain in the forecast.

The green thing in the upper right hand corner is the umbrella I was using to shield me from the wind and drizzle as I fed horses and chickens. That’s the thing about these adorable farm animals. Doesn’t matter the weather, they need their feed. My morning commute …..

Opie, not particularly fond of selfies, waits impatiently for grain.

Fiona says Good Morning! (actually, she’s clucking ” It’s cold – where’s my F-ing oatmeal” . Yep, she swears – I’m a bad influence, I know it. )

I’ve started the holiday decorating inside – not too christmas-y yet because we’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner here. Nothing says disrespect for the Thankful holiday like Christmas up in your face before you’ve even carved the bird.

Miss Sally’s favorite perch …..

Usually I have a coffee cake or brownies or cookies in the glass cake stand on the kitchen island. We’re all trying to watch our calorie intake ( we’re watching it, alright… as it goes in our mouths….) and for some reason I believe we’ll eat less crap if it comes in small wrapped packages… ha ha ha… ha.

Anyway… a few chuckles for you on this dreary grey New England day….

I hope all is well in your neck o’the woods –

Till soon….