My son walked into the kitchen a few afternoons ago and asked if I’d like to go kayaking at the cove. Are ya kidding? Let’s go! …. I think if your grown children enjoy spending time with you now and again, you’ve done something right in life, just sayin.
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Booting the Reboot
Decency and respect matters. It Matters.
Sea Dogs
Berries and Gardens
It felt so good to get all that in the ground, I separated some perennials that could afford the thinning ( well I could sure afford some thinning) in the remaining shrub pots and brought them down to Stella by the Sea this morning and planted those too, before the raindrops began to fall.
Some gems hand painted in water color by Susan Branch…
I’ll just never be a toenail painting chick, and I suppose this blog is as close to a diary as I’ll ever get, but the rest of it sound perfectly wonderful to me.
Thanks for stopping by –
This one requires a cup of coffee ..
The rug that was in that floor space all by itself is now in the kitchen work area…
My $100. “Edith” chair now in the “living room” area instead of squished in a corner of the bedroom where it got no use. (the table and chairs used to be in that back corner to the left of the Mr. ) We do have to relocate the little chandelier now that there’s no table under it.
The new recliner and couch with a sturdy whitewashed bench type table for putting feet up or resting drinks, etc. on.
On Being Religious, Or Not
It’s absolutely true that religion brings peace of mind and comfort to those who find respite and joy in their faith, in their shared beliefs with fellow worshippers. It gives many a sense of community, a belonging. There is comfort and safety in a belief that there is something greater than us that created and loves us, that is watching over us and will guide us now and when we leave this world one day, as we all do, and hopefully – join another, free of pain and suffering if we earned it. Religion has often given order and moral code where there wasn’t any and for some it gives meaning or attempts to make sense of what is sometimes a senseless world.
If I’m being completely honest, when my daughter was in a coma years ago, despite my non-religious status, I visited the hospital chapel daily – knelt before the altar and prayed.. and prayed.. and prayed, that my child up in that ICU hospital bed be saved, be healed, recover. I also complained – why do this to such a good, young, caring soul? Why? I was mad, I was scared, I was begging just in case there is indeed someone listening. What eventually happened was – my daughter recovered. Was it an answering of my prayers? Or good medical care and her own young body’s healing ability? Maybe both? We just can’t know.
Religion has it’s dark side too, of course. There are those who abuse their power because they are a representative of the deity and are adored and obeyed by trusting followers. There are those who justify hideous actions in the name of their God. There are those who use their followers adoration and devotion for profit. Look at the mega churches and the mega mansions they live in. What comes to mind when I see those particulars is… think of all the good that money could have done, instead of these massive shrines and mega mansion lifestyles. Not. very. charitable. A bit hypocritical! Sleezy even. We all know how terr*rists use their religion as an excuse or justification to do some horrible things.
Here’s where the concept of religion bothers me. I was raised a Catholic, but I don’t practice that religion. I found it to be a bit hypocritical on several fronts and so I choose something different that I’ll describe below. I read a very popular blog, and what initially attracted me to it is the incredible journey of a young woman who was severely burned in a plane crash, a small plane her husband had been piloting. An instructor friend died in that crash. Her story of survival and how she has moved on to raise her (now 5) children is powerful. I mention this now because she is a very devout M*rmon and it’s a strong theme throughout her blog. In her writing, one can’t help but get the sense that the M*rmon faith is more of a cult than anything else. Much is demanded of it’s followers. Some very big changes have occurred in the family’s life in recent years and she repeatedly refers to decisions they’ve made as having been sent by God. I went for a walk and God told me selling this house and moving to the ranch was the right thing to do. They did… and eight months later they are moving again, because even their readers could see it was a big mistake from the beginning for so many reasons. When things like this occur, it’s described as a test God must have planned and they had to endure, they learned so much, it was part of the plan. I don’t know… how about… you made some poor choices, you learned from it, you’re moving on. Did God really speak to her and tell her to sell the beloved family home and move to an isolated ranch in literally the middle of nowhere where her kids wouldn’t see other humans for days on end, leaving all they knew and loved behind? Did he send a note or was his voice in the air or coming from behind a burning bush on that walk?
I know that sounds harsh – I’m not making fun of her, here – I believe what she wrote is what she believes happened, however she interpreted the “message”. But for a person like me, that’s not living in reality. Through her writing it’s also clear that M*rmons believe only through their way of worship can you live a good and proper life. Her husband once implied (in different words) in an article written for a local paper that a single mom and child was not a real family. The M*rmon church seems to have a lot of demands of their members, and are not warm to the outside. That attitude is probably true of many religions, to be fair.. and I have never practiced it, I don’t know all there is to know about being a M*rmon. But I don’t find it to be very charitable – and isn’t that what religion is supposed to be made of most of the time? One more example… M*rmon worshippers are segregated into wards. Districts, if I understand correctly. If you are a M*rmon you are assigned to a ward, and you are expected to go to that temple, even if there is one a heck of a lot closer to your home that you would prefer. If you weren’t assigned to that closer temple – you’re not supposed to go there. The members will let you know that you are not welcome if you start to make it a habit. Stay in your Ward. Again – not .. very.. charitable. So much of organized religion is about control.
There are those who say our current President brought God back into the White House. Well.. if the reason behind that thinking is because he now claims to be pro-life, anti-abortion – Let it be known that until he decided to run on the Republican ticket, he was pro-choice for 69 years. The flip was just another tool, another lie he used to get to where he is. He knew what his base wanted to hear. If all his lies since election day, if his three marriages and many affairs and pussy grabbing lingo and mega-ego aren’t enough of an indication that God did not send D.Tr*mp to the White House, well I’m stumped as to how that conclusion was drawn. Enough said on that subject.
Then there is my friend, Vicky – who endures living with Stage 4 Breast Cancer. Her faith is unwavering, and she finds much courage and strength in her beliefs. I find her references to her beliefs uplifting, encouraging. It gets her through some very hard things, some very difficult days and nights – there’s no denying the power of prayer and a strong faith that brings much to her life, and many others. She’s still here, longer than was expected.. and I do believe her faith has something to do with that. I hope with all my heart she eventually resides in the Heaven she so deserves and we all hope for.
So where does that leave me? I call myself a spiritual person, and even that description has different interpretations. For me it means I live and feel connected to and am responsible for the care and keeping of myself, my people and the natural world. I feel connected to all people of this world and I try to leave things better than I found them. I exercise kindness to others and charity where I can afford to give it. I don’t always get it right, but I right the wrongs and move forward. If there is a God, hopefully he is not as impressed with weekly pew sitters, some of whom live hypocritically once they leave the church on Sunday, as he is with those out there doing what they can where they can for the betterment of this world. Hopefully there is a heaven where I may some day be reunited with all those I’ve loved, family, friends and animals. And if there is not, I’m doing the best I can where I am now, here among the living.
I know this is a difficult and sometimes offensive subject because there are so many beliefs and they are often strongly held. I welcome your views, similar or differing, if you would like to join in the conversation. Respectful conversation and an open mind, especially when opinions differ, are how we learn and grow, so I will always encourage the practice. The above is just my opinion and how I choose to live and share my life. By no means do I think I have all the answers.
Thank you for stopping by –
Spring on the farm and a Happy Mother’s Day to all –
What would Regis Do?
I was in the gym two days ago bitching to myself about how I had slacked off on my better health goals this winter, how I had not lost the extra weight yet, how I could be in better shape than this if I had more will power when it comes to food, blah blah blah…. and then in that very same moment of bitching and self anger I heard some news from a good friend that spun me around real quick . Someone I worked with years ago at Unilever, a woman who had known real hardship but was a friend to everyone, regardless, who was always upbeat and had a wicked laugh that would make you instantly laugh along with her despite any struggles she had – died suddenly, too young. How I will miss her straight forward, no nonsense political banter and hearty zest for friendships and life. I am so mad I didn’t visit with her last time she was in town, or the time before that.
Sometimes in those hard places in life, besides the pain of the loss, we are reminded of what really matters. As I sat on the weight bench beating myself up over yet another thing – I thought of Regis’s outlook on life and I knew what our departed friend would say – LIFE IS SHORT. Every minute of every day is a new opportunity to get it right. Let go of the baggage and any negativity. Embrace the gift of life and don’t waste any more time on anything or anyone that will bring you down. Rise up and live your best life, in all the little and big ways that have the most meaning to you. And, finally- those you love? Tell them. Tell them today.
The Elephant Trunk Flea Market
My only treasure for the day was a sphere of flourite from this vendor –
I hope I convinced this fellow below to join our Artisan Market at Parmelee Farm in September. More on that in a future post.
I’ve asked this fellow to join us as well…
These weathered chippy old sage green doors would be a beautiful backdrop for something – portraits, even!
Here’s Lara’s film crew working through the rain.
On the way home, we had lunch at Maggie McFly’s – a great chain restaurant here in Connecticut that has an extensive American fare menu and prides itself on using local sources for produce, etc. to help support the communities around it. I love that concept. I think they’ve just branched out to New Jersey also – if you’re near one, I recommend the dining experience. On the menu it will tell you where the honey in your dish came from (Three Sisters Farm, Essex, CT), and there are many other examples such as that.
Seaside Gardening
May the force be with him.
And the refrigerator is stocked with water, gatorade, coke, dove ice cream bars, hotdogs, hamburgers, cheddar, condiments and beer, just the bare necessities to get the season started. We also have enough toilet paper and paper towels for the next generation of inhabitants. Notice a globe missing from the light in the ceiling. Yep, sometimes, you think you’re doing a good thing, and then you drop the globe in the sink just to add some excitement. Fingers crossed they still make replacement globes for what I call the spider light.
Ingredients
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- 1 cup chopped watermelon
- ½ cup chopped peeled cucumber
- 6 ice cubes
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- Squeeze of lime juice
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon mint leaves for garnish
Directions
- 1Combine watermelon, cucumber, ice cubes, lime juice and agave (if using) in a blender. Puree until smooth. Garnish with mint, if desired.