Category: family

Cape Wonder

I am in love with the house nextdoor! ❤  It just so happens to be the home my husband is building for our daughter and her guy.

When we first bought This Old House and the land around it, we knew there was potential for a few building lots, if the kids decided when they were grown that they’d like to settle in this area.   We are very fortunate to be in the business of building houses, so we can help them do this.  We’re also lucky they don’t mind living near mom and dad.  We’ve made the promise  that we’ll respect privacy so no one feels like the ‘rents are breathing down their neck.   A stand of trees planted in the field between us helps too.

We found a home plan on the internet that’s style is in keeping with the other 200 year old homes in this area, including Grace (our restored home).   The size is perfect, too –  we did some tweaking to the plan and the finished home will have a nice big kitchen and  open family room layout with master bedroom and bath on first floor, an office room which they both need for their jobs, a second half bath mud/laundry room and attached rear garage.  Upstairs, which for now will remain unfinished to keep mortgage and taxes down, has the potential and is rough framed for two bedrooms and two baths, should children come along or they want the additional space down the road.  There is also potential for a bonus room over the garage,  rough framed for now.  It’s a fantastic layout for a retired/empty nester person or couple as well.

Some light fixtures we’ve ordered ….

Their condo is sold and the closing is in a week, so they’ll be moving into Stella by the Sea for the remaining four weeks it will take to complete their home.

 

Do I even comment on the hundreds of atrocities in the news?  How about I just post this…

 

 

Fresh Salt

My gardens this year have been a bit of a mystery.

For one thing, the combination of some really intense rainstorms and some really humid days throughout the summer have produced an abundance of flowers and growth on all the perennials.  I’ve also noticed  the wild flowers/blooming weeds all along the roadsides seem to have multiplied tremendously,  Queen Ann’s Lace and  what I call black eyed susans in particular.

As for the vegetable gardens… well, despite my fortification attempts in the two large raised beds here on the farm…. all my tender care and raising from seedlings the tomato, eggplant,  yellow squash, onion and yellow beans….they were a miserable lot.  Having produced only a pathetic yield,  I cannot tell you why.   The only plants that were marginally happy in my farm garden this year were parsley and basil, zinnia and new-to-me Dahlia.

The SEASIDE cottage garden, however…. Stella’s little 1′  x 5 ‘ raised garden bed crammed up against the side of the house?  The one we did almost NOTHING to coax? … has triple the yield, go figure.    I’m thinking it must be the fresh salt air, the moisture off the water, and the fact that for hundreds of years, before the “island” became a  140 summer cottage retreat, it was a New England seaside cow farm.  Lots and lots of old fertilizer makes really rich soil.

Despite that wicked heat and thunder storms, we’ve had some beautiful weather this summer.  The family has been enjoying our little Stella by the Sea in between work and volunteer and farm obligations, and that brings me great joy.

As does a really good pound cake -Like this one found on the internet I’ll share  below.  I hope you’re having a good summer!  I’m trying to look away from  the ugly and look for more of the good.  It is out there, we need to underline it, highlight it… celebrate what is beautiful, choose kindness and spread that shit like fairy dust wherever we can.

Old School Butter Pound Cake

 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c cake flour
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3 stick butter, unsalted (softened at room temp)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
3 1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp salt
6 large eggs

Directions

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until mixture comes together.

2. Add sugar and extracts; beat until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, alternating with flours 1/2 cup at a time until all eggs and flours are used.
4. Transfer to a buttered, oiled and floured, 10-cup shaped pan such as bundt pan.
5. Place in cold oven. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until an inserted tester comes out clean about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Remove cake from pan. Let cool on wire rack.

Ambrosia

I may do a lot of communicating my views on social media, but I don’t often get too personal regarding whatever my life struggles. Believe it or not, I usually view that as a weakness and I’m not a cryer. This morning I woke with a song in my head and then tears in my eyes, and neither is a normal occurrence. With my hearing loss I lost music as well as language identification.  The the biggest tragedy for me with this handicap? – no music. But the song is an oldie and because of my love for music and my participation in bands in my younger years I remember every inflection, every cymbal, every trill, every beat, every note of most of the songs we all loved in our youth. So this song this morning – Ambrosia – You’re the Only Woman. I wondered why it’s making me tear up now, what heart string is it strumming so deeply that it’s bringing me to tears … and then I realize what this release is and how those words apply …and now I can’t stop the flood.

I am so horrified and heartbroken at all this hate I’m seeing on the news, on social media, even from some of the people I know well – our country is in real turmoil and it’s coming from all angles and all walks of life. I might some day go for that operation that could restore some hearing and perhaps some music in my life… ..and I hope and pray every single day this world finds it’s way back together in some form of peace we can all live with.  As with that operation , the fix might be painful and there are some risks, results not guaranteed, might have to step out of our comfort zone, but isn’t it worth it? Aren’t we worth it? How comfortable is what we have right now for any of us??

This is a beautiful world we live in and I  see it more acutely now that I can no longer hear it. I want to take every one of you in my arms and heal these wounds for all. I’ll pray that we all wake up and smell the coffee, see the value in loving and respecting each other and truly hear the music, inside ourselves and outside in the world … despite our differences. We are so lucky to live here, we should all love this place with all it’s flaws, and fix them. I just want us all to realize that, and to find the path that leads us to loving and respecting each other for whatever time we each have here on this earth..

When the pain of love surrounds you 
And the world may be unkind
I’ll put my lovin’ arms around you 
Take you far from this place and time

Because you and I been in love too long 
To worry ’bout tomorrow 
Here’s a place where we both belong….……………………..

Heavy and Light

New England just experienced an awful heatwave, just like much of the country.  We spent part of it at a week-long  horse show. When the temps hit 100 we opted to give ourselves and more importantly our horse a much needed reprieve from the heat.

I must confess I am conflicted about our involvement in horse showing.  In any sport that involves animals, there is some cruelty in the mix. If you’re an animal lover as I and my daughter are, there is no denying it.  My experience is in the quarter horse industry, but the abuses are present in all disciplines.  I cringe when I see folks celebrating a Kentucky Derby race – if you’re truly aware of what is involved in the horse racing industry, I don’t know how the conscience allows the support of it.  What I can say, and what let’s me support my daughter’s involvement in showing, is we are surrounded by people who genuinely give a damn about their horse. Our show barn family are a decent, caring lot, for the horses in their care, and toward each other.

I’m pretty certain if there is a God, when the time comes, he or she will swing the gates wide open for horse show moms, no questions asked. …..Practice, patience, practice, patience, dirt, heat, cold, rain, laughs, tears, cheers, Dirt, more dirt, and  a few curse words sprinkled in….

Speaking of K – the home we are building next door is coming along beautifully. Because this is what we do for a living, it’s truly a family affair – my husband and son are building it, a labor of love for our daughter and her guy.  That makes it extra special for K, who  has been saving her money responsibly since she was a waitress at a retirement community in HS, and the past ten years as a secretary at a Bank.  She is now seeing the rewards of hard work and thrilled to see it unfold.   And so are we – truly feeling so blessed to be able to help her achieve this monumental goal of her own home with her partner in life.

 

We’ve been enjoying a little relaxation time at the cottage, where the gardens including the tomatoes are insanely happy, despite our doing not one thing to encourage it. Go figure.  I’m thinking it must be the sea air…

It’s not often I get him to sit and relax for 15 minutes.  I think on this day it may have been 20.

Here on the farm, my vegetable garden is anemic despite my efforts in the fertilization and watering department. I have no idea why.  We’re getting small amounts of produce, but nothing like past years yield.  The flowers, however, are prolific.

Regarding our country and it’s current “climate” – Whether we like it or not, the mobs chanting : send her back, send her back, send her back, are our fellow Americans.  The current P0TUS is nothing more than a ringleader of hate. I never thought I’d see anything like this in America.

And if you’re still condoning this level of hatred, I have no use for what’s in your heart. I am so done with any defense of that assh0le. It’s an American Tragedy on several levels, some of it has nothing to do with politics. Hate and division destroys nations. Wake. the Fuck. Up.

– heartbroken

 

 

Happy Birthday, America!

Happy Birthday, America! I’m going to take the liberty of wishing on your birthday candles – My wish is that all Americans will recognize how lucky we are to live in this country, that despite the flaws, we should all have pride for all that we are privileged to enjoy because of the courage and many sacrifices made by those who came before us and those who stand up for us today. It is not any one person who holds office or their slants that represent what this country is made of, we are the thread. Let us weave a stronger fabric, let us learn from past mistakes and find a way to come together to fix the ills of our society, revel in our successes, lift each other and those who need lifting, TOGETHER. 🎂🎊🇺🇸

Please Pass the Torch

Bernie Sanders needs to get off the stage- I don’t know how some democrats are missing the clear message that swinging too far left isn’t realistic and the middle class is fed up with the huge burden of overtaxation and will certainly not vote for an increase.

I liked him, then … but now is too late, Biden needs to pass the torch. Better yet, we need to light a new torch in politics all together. All across the board. Too bad no one in the Republican Party will challenge Trump.

Right now the field is wide open with plenty of players – Kamala Harris, Pete Buttejieg, – there’s common sense truthful politics and the kind of life experience brought to the table that can benefit us all, devoid of the prejudices of the past, which will sadly weigh down others like Warren.

     That’s my two cents.

On the homefront… K & D’s house begins to take shape… framing has begun!  Last night the Mr. and I walked the foundation and imagined the rooms, enjoyed the warm setting sun over the hill and how the light will play on their homestead.

And Speaking of K… she has recently joined our family business full time in the office and we’re so proud of her accomplishments and hard work.  Long time readers of my blog might remember her story – she is a car accident/brain injury survivor who has done the really hard work of getting her life back through years of determination through rehabilitative work, mostly of her own power and resilience.

You see that little pink unicorn on the desktop?   It used to sit on my desk – but I felt K needed a little mascot in her new position.  After all, I now have three dragons in the space that little pink guy used to occupy.  We could all use a little magic, a little whimsy, don’t you think?

You Go, Girl ❤

Newport

We had two glorious weekend days, perfect weather for doing anything outside. We decided to hop in the truck with two of our four kiddos and head over to Newport, Rhode Island.  What comes to mind for most people when they hear that destination are the famous mansions on Bellevue Avenue, also know as  Mansion Row.  Over the years we’ve taken a tour of many of them, including the Breakers, Rosecliff, Marble House and the estate of the eccentric Doris Duke.  They are something to behold if you’re ever in the area.

On this trip, we went for the food, the shopping, and in search of a possible mantle for the kids future home.  We didn’t find one that was reasonably priced or in great condition, but we had plenty of fun on the hunt.  See the alligator statue in the pool?

The kids loved this table – it’s bigger than it looks in this photo.  Each of those teak chairs were $450., so… you can imagine what the table goes for.

 

These benches were so comfortable and unique, I’d love to have one on the farm perhaps in the back yard near the garden, or down at Stella by the sea. The price tag put a squash on that idea – around $3,500.

We pulled out of that parking lot with a truck bed devoid of new furnishings, and headed downtown for a delicious meal and drinks at The Red Parrot.

It’s a beautiful thing when your kids bring into the fold another person who becomes a loved family member.  The  chocolate monkey  drink is another beautiful thing on a warm summer day.

After a savory lunch of Sexy Steak Salad (that’s what they call it!)  we walked out into the crowds and browsed the shops.   Those fun buggies can be rented to cruise the area, but the traffic is so heavy I’d be nervous in such a small craft.

After the little bit of shopping  ( we came away with a few bars of soap, how’s that for constraint) we appeased the menfolk with a tour of the car museum located near the Tennis Hall of Fame.

They don’t make them like they used to, the detail on these early autos is just stunning.

We stopped by the water just briefly so I could stick my feet in the water and soak up a little  Vitamin Sea, and then we drove  home in the expected summer traffic down I-95.    It was a very good day indeed 🍹⚓🌞

A quick easy fun recipe to share with you, from a friends fb page… I made them yesterday, delish! Perfect summer dessert.  I used a red Cabernet and red seedless grapes.

 

I hope all is well in your world, thank you for stopping by –

 

Scategories

So much to cover here!  But first, an observation.  I love having my own blog, meaning I truly own it, and it can’t disappear someday when Google decides to get rid of blogger.  The downside is, it appears many friends who used to stop in regularly either haven’t found the space or are no longer interested in reading it.  While it’s never been my goal to accumulate a large number of readers, more a journal for me to keep, I have truly enjoyed getting to know the folks who stop in here.  It sort of feels like some good neighbors have moved away and didn’t keep in touch.

So, we’ve been busy around here!  And… I haven’t paid much attention to the goings on in Washington, it’s been blissful!  Although oddly, it also feels irresponsible, which of course it isn’t.

My daughter K and I were at a horse show for a few days, and she and Miss Leah had a great show!  She grabbed her first Blue Ribbon in Western Pleasure with Leah and two 2nd’s.   At the risk of embarassing her here,  I’m so proud of K for her courage and determination. She shows me every day what it means to tackle and overcome some of the hard things life can throw at you, and these pictures are the proof.

I think they should bring back the Tired Grooms class, just sayin.   That morning I was truly running on Dunkin.

The farm this show was held on is beautiful – looks like it goes on for miles.

We spent Sunday and Monday at the cottage,  had a cookout with family and the weather was glorious! I got my first paddle in around the cove, even brought my co-pilot.

This little “island” community of approximately 140 cottages sits on a 360-ish acre shorefront farm owned by the same family since the 1600’s.  They still farm a portion of that property, and often we are greeted by the cows as we drive down the narrow lane to the waterfront.  These cows also have lush fields not visible in the picture, but they often wander down into the marsh to cool off.

Lilacs here on the farm and on island are just about done, Iris are in full bloom and the poppies are gorgeous –  I need to plant more of those, they are so cheery, uplifting , a real splash of bold color.  My vegetable gardens are planted, too – a tiny one at Stella and two raised beds of a good size in the backyard.  My seedlings looked anemic this year, I’m hoping now that they’re in the ground they’ll flourish. The Phlox are gorgeous!

My Spring Chicks are almost as big as the grown girls – notice the mesh that separates them from the adults – soon they’ll be big enough to incorporate into the flock and I can take down this make-shift nursery, which they are indeed outgrowing rapidly.

 

I mentioned my blog neighbors above, well the best news of all is we’re getting new neighbors right next door.  When we bought this old house and farm and resurrected her,  we also had the idea in our heads that if the children chose to live in this area once they graduated and started their adult lives, they could have a lot on the farm and build a house for themselves if it worked for them.  I’m very very happy to report that both have decided to do just that, and have been saving their hard earned money while living in apartments with their significant others (who we also love.) Yesterday we poured the footings for K’s house foundation – So… once again here on this blog you can follow along on a house build.  She’s chosen a charming cape style house that will blend with the old homes in this neighborhood as if it’s been here for 200 years, just like our “Grace”.  The upstairs will remain unfinished to keep the mortgage down, until they have a need for the two bedrooms and bath that will eventually go upstairs.  The master will be on the first floor.   Stay tuned!

 

Last night we took Mom out for a Birthday celebration Lobster dinner, the food was divine and the laughter around the table priceless.  Happy Birthday, Mom – we all love you very much. May we celebrate many more birthdays together, and may the laughter and love  continue to flow around the table as easily as it did last night.

 

Till soon, friends – thank you for stopping by –

When there’s no sun, find some light

New England is still wearing her dingy grey cloak, refusing to take it off in order to properly herald Spring. So what’s a Yankee to do? … head to the garden center to purchase some cheer!  Mom joined the Mr. and I  on a jaunt across the  CT river , where we bought some bright red geraniums which I’ll plant in the big pots down at Stella-by-the-Sea in the coming days.

On the way we stopped for lunch across from the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam…

So many charming centuries old homes in this part of town…   tulips and flowering trees everywhere!

On to Balleks,  a family owned farm/garden center/greenhouse that’s been in the Ballek family since the 1660’s – how’s that for history. Some of the Ballek family in their 90’s still roam the isles helping customers, it’s a lovely thing to see.

They have SO many unique plants inside the large greenhouse and two big old silos that have some tales to tell, I’m sure.

 

The “pods” below are large – you could put your reading glasses in there.

Meanwhile.. back on the farm – I’ve moved the chicks to the big coop, creating a temporary nursery out there inside the covered enclosed chicken yard, complete with their heat lamp.  They got too big for the chick condo on the porch and it was beginning to look like a pig pen out there with shavings and hay and chick food and chick dander littering every surface from ground to ceiling.  Bleh.   I did scrub the porch once everything was out – we’ll actually be able to sit out there again once it dries.

The new girls in their temporary coop nursery

Which is basically a sectioned off area in the big covered coop “yard” separated with bird mesh and a tarp, wrapped on the outside with a plastic drop cloth to keep the wind off them.

The big girls on the other side of the tarp.

So much work to integrate five little chicks into the fold!  But the reward of fresh eggs and a flock of chickens in the yard is well worth the effort.

 

More rain for tomorrow – I’ll most likely be at my desk catching up on the editorial stuff that earns me a paycheck.  I suppose the upside to all the rain and a steady string of grey days is all the inside work I get done when the sun isn’t calling to me.

I hope all is well in your world – may we all have many sunny days ahead.

 

 

 

Birds of a Feather

Allow me to  introduce you to  purple finch mama and papa bird, and their three little eggs – all sitting about five feet from me on the lantern right outside my office window as I type this post.    If I have the species wrong, feel free to correct me.  They come back every year, a sure sign that Spring has arrived, regardless of whether the weather concurs.

 

Meanwhile.. out on the back porch – the chicks look more like chickens now… and will soon be moved out to a sectioned off part of the coop I’ve arranged for them until they are full grown and can be turned out with the rest of the flock.   They are quickly growing out of their two-box condo.

This past weekend we also put our first Horse show of the season in the books – It was a cold and mostly wet windy rainy weekend but K and Miss Leah did very well with their trail patterns which are no easy feat to memorize, let alone complete,  and although they didn’t place in their other classes, they completed them without major errors and Leah was so well behaved, I just love this good minded mare.  Proud of K for learning a new discipline so quickly and enjoying the process  and her horse regardless of the placing.  That’s what it’s all about.

One of the four days we saw the sun and with it, smiles everywhere…

 

Yesterday I brought the dogs down to Stella to plant some Zinnia in the tiny cottage garden and put the trash out for pick-up.  Grass cutting didn’t happen, too wet.   After chores  we went for a long walk exploring the “island”.   Although the skies were grey, there was plenty of Spring color…

Frasier is always the first of the season to go for a swim.

Meanwhile – back at Winterfell (if you’re a GOT fan but haven’t seen it yet, turn away)…. Holy cow – Season 8 Episode 3 – Winter finally arrived! And what a murky, epic battle – what we could see of it anyway.  All my favorites are still standing (Sigh of relief!) and  still so many questions – and more to come.   All I want to say about that.. is this…

 

More grey skies for the coming week – not sure we’ve ever seen so many rainy days strung together in a row.   The following picture is of our senior boys, Max 1 and Max 2, out grazing in the pasture this morning.  Time to go bring them back in.

 

I hope all is well in your world – and thank you for stopping in …