Category: Goats

This and that and out and about

Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any more bizarre……

I need to make this clear before I go any further… I don’t wish harm or illness on anyone, ever.  That being said… it’s no surprise that the POTUS contracted Covid, is it?   As well as almost half his staff and a family member or two.  Not to mention the myriads we don’t know about who attended his maskless rallies in recent months and the myriads of dead (over 200,000 now and counting)  because he chose to treat the whole thing as a  “Democratic Hoax” in the initial, crucial first months.  He has no one to blame but his own arrogance, ignorance, greed.  It’s mind boggling.  A day ago I thought to myself….. perhaps… this experience will humble him some and he will come out of it with more empathy and smarts for the rest of us moving forward.    No… yesterday’s photo-op in a sealed car where he is again putting his secret servicemen at risk proved otherwise.  When he was initially diagnosed he also attended an event knowing he tested positive.. without notifying anyone until he was back at the WH.     He is so unfit for the position he holds.. on so many levels.   There are no excuses worthy of keeping him there.  I implore anyone reading this.. PLEASE.. vote him out in November.  Please.

The debate?  What a sh*t show.  What a shame.  And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

My son’s house just over the hill is almost complete – move-in day is just two weeks away and I am so excited for them.  As with my daughter’s home next door, the upstairs will remain unfinished for now, an effort to keep the mortgage down, expenses manageable.  When either start a family of their own,  the second floors will be finished.  When we bought This Old House and renovated her beginning in 2009, this was exactly what we had envisioned for the property – Being in the home building business, my husband has a good eye for property potential and I have been in love with this old house (“Saving Grace ” or Gracie as I call her) since my teen years.   We are so very lucky to have been able to acquire her and bring her back to life, and turn this farm into a family compound.  That both of my children are as enthusiastic about this farm as we are is more than just icing on the cake.

M  & M… at the granite/marble warehouse picking out counter granite…

Installed last week, and it is beautiful…  She is also an “M”… when she saw the kitchen almost finished she said… I am not worthy of this kitchen!… but she absolutely is, in spades.  Not only has she worked hard to pursue a career in the optics field, she is already a good cook as well.  I couldn’t be happier for my son, who has chosen a great partner to share life with.  More announcements on that front in the near future.

Meanwhile… I continue to find respite on this farm, my Saving Grace.  The GoatGirlz, Star and Bella are thriving here.  We are all enamored with these two silly girls and their calls to us whenever they spot us nearby.

Leah has become very comfortable with being a “home” horse instead of a show horse…  and we’re thinking we aren’t going to return to the show world in the near future.  The Sh*t Show is still out there.

On the health front, I have lost a solid 10 pounds in the last month, the next ten will be harder.  My relationship with food is complicated.  I love it, I love to make it for myself and especially for others, it is my anxiety and boredom reliever and has been for my entire life.  Bad habits are hard to break!   But.. with less sugar and carbs in my diet, I am feeling better overall – the fibromyalgia pain is less.    Onward…

We have not gotten as much use out of our little seaside cottage this year, too much going on around the farm and work, and of course not having the bigger gatherings there  due to Covid concerns.  Stella continues to be a refuge regardless and next year we’ll spend more time there for sure.

I’ve been trying to instill this next thought in my husband’s mind for 32 years now.  All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy.  It actually makes him a very grumpy, overworked overtired boy.  Last weekend I did manage to get him to take a day trip to one of his favorite destinations, Vermont… and he actually smiled for a while and took a few deep breaths.  We came home with apples, cider and a pie from the Scotts Farms Orchard in Dummerston and cheese from the Grafton Cheese Factory – it was a very good day.  The colors are not quite peak here in New England, and after the recent tropical storm, here near the shoreline there are a lot of BROWN trees from the sea salt-stained winds.

Wishing you all good health and the happiness to be found in the places we call home, the family we love and the time we make for ourselves – it’s so important.

Till soon –

 

 

 

Dear September…

….you’d  better come in here acting like  you’ve got some sense. 

Boy, could the headlines be any more of a sh*t show? Actually I shouldn’t even tempt it.   This post was originally (like 20 minutes ago) a political post.  But I’m so tired of my own damned outrage at the insanity I deleted the whole thing.   So here you go… a little lightness I need as much as anyone.

The goatgirlz!!  Oh, the joy they bring.  Star and Bella are like two toddlers we’ve adopted – they talk to us whenever we’re outside, even if we’re off in the distance.  If we’re sitting among them they climb all over us, and they love to chase my son around the paddock.   Goats love stuff to climb on – so our girlies got a picnic table we had up at the firepit that was getting a little dodgy, and they love their new perch.

 

Have you picked up any new hobbies or nurtured old ones during the pandemic?  I’ve picked up painting again and have found it to be very therapeutic .  I’m not a schooled artist and my paintings are a bit primitive, but I have learned a few tricks as I go along and while practice will never make me perfect, it has helped me get a better result when I paint.  These two I am very happy with – they were so much fun.  The first is a fall scene in Woodstock, Vermont – Sleepy Hollow Farm.  I added my son’s cat to it after this picture was taken, as this is a gift for his new home, soon to be completed… and I call it Lily in the leaves.   I really should go upstairs and snap a new picture but I’m lazy today, so you get the leaves without lily.

I just completed this one  below- using a photo I took of a wave on South Beach , Martha’s Vineyard.  Oh, how I have missed my favorite island this summer.  Hopefully by next year  travel will be a safe option again.

My vegetable garden is pretty much spent …. and for the 10th year in a row, our apple orchard produced zero apples – we’ve definitely done something wrong up there on the hill with the planting of those trees… but the raspberry and blueberry bushes provided bags and bags of frozen berries in my freezer for all kinds of baking and smoothies and cereal, etc. as the year rolls on.  I also have sauce in the freezer from the tomatoes we harvested.  It was just a -meh  type garden year.

Down at the shore cottage things are looking a little brown after a freak storm battered the community, flipping boats on their moorings, tumbling trees, battering foliage and turning it a scorched brown.  I’ve done some kayaking, mom has spent a few lovely weeks there and we all have frequented it for meals on occasion, but we did not get as much use out of it as previous years, mainly because of high heat and humidity and poor weather in general.

Here’s an awesome recipe I’ll share late in the season, but it is one of my favorites and because nowadays you can get just about anything any time of the year, you can probably make this all year long.   Whoever thought of throwing blueberries and corn into a salad together and then that honey lime dressing?  I thank them profusely for the gift of it.

My son’s house is coming along,  tentative move in date is October 15th –  his soon to be fiance’s birthday!   (yes, that’s happening soon! shhhh…. )

I am so happy for my son, for our whole family… because this lovely young woman has become a much loved member of our family in the six years they have dated.  Seeing them build the future together is such a joy.   They guide each other through thick and thin, have aided each other in building their careers, and they are strength to each other’s weaknesses,  bringing out the best in each other.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Mom with her favorite grandson, on his side porch

As for me, I have started a new diet plan – day five and I’m down four pounds.  I’m finding it totally do-able. I’m not hungry, I’m eating healthy, and the weight is slowly coming off.  The weight loss will slow, for that was probably mostly water weight – but I am finding this plan is excellent – doable, healthy eating.  I shop for the groceries and cook the meals, the meal plan and grocery listed are provided by the founder of the program. He’s traveled nationwide with his program and his clients span the globe, but he happens to live right here in town and has helped many of my neighbors, how cool is that!?  Here’s my before picture – 27 pounds to lose at day 1, down 4 already.  Believe me, this picture does not really show -all the fat -.   I’ll keep you posted on this, but if you’re looking for a program yourself and others have failed you (like me!) …. this..is working.

myslimnation.com – Robert Nevins

BEFORE……….

Stay tuned for the progress…..

And here are a few funnies for this strange, strange year….

Ah… that’s much better than the miserable political post I had intended.  Stay safe and sane, all –

Till soon –     

 

This and that on a rainy Sunday

 

Not very creative with the blog post title, ay?   But it is raining on this Sunday afternoon and I can justify sitting here to blog for a bit.

How have you all been, what’s it like in your neck o’the woods regarding pandemic living?  Here in New England, many are abiding the mask wearing in public tight quarters spaces.  Our town Hall is still only open by appointment and working via e-mail, phone, etc. for the most part.  Businesses are open with the restrictions many of you are familiar with.   Strange times.  I don’t yet feel comfortable sitting indoors in a restaurant, but we have dined at a few with outside patios.

I feel sorry for the teachers who are dealing with a mess of kids wearing masks (talk about awkward and frustrating) … and the fear some of them are feeling being so exposed if they’ve been very vigilant in their own social distancing.  And I feel sorry for the youth who have been so restricted in their socialization and education experience.  Parents are trying to assuage their fears, balance work and home and childcare needs, a nightmare, really.   Healthcare workers are now seeing the second wave, according to my friends in that field.  Every sniffle, every achy muscle day (for me that’s always, damned fibromyalgia) every scratchy sore throat brings a little thread of dread – is it the virus?  The bad kind, the mild kind or the no symptom kind? .. should I quarantine?   Should my husband and I be sleeping in separate beds?  (hey, sometimes that’s actually appealing anyway) Jeez I wore my mask, washed my hands,…. the anxiety of it all rolls on and on….      I no longer wipe down every single surface of every item I bring home from the grocery store though, as I did initially. That got old and tedious and felt like overkill. Washing the produce and washing my hands after handling feels like it’s enough.

We’ve been getting stuff done around the farm, my daughter and her significant other love their home nextdoor and it’s a joy to see them mowing lawn, weeding garden,  seeing the back door light go on at night while they let the dogs go potty.  And having my daughter nearby to share the barn chores again is a huge blessing.  My son is building his home on a lot at the back of our farm.   I may have mentioned it’s what we do for a living, home building, so this is one area where we -get stuff done- in rapid succession and at a more reasonable price than the typical homeowner.

A glimpse of my son’s home to be –  the red “barn” is his garage… the interior of the home being done slowly as materials, labor and bartering come along, the upstairs will remain unfinished until they become a young family.  The goal is to have as minimal a mortgage as possible (young couple and all that goes with it).

The joy these two goat girls give us are immeasurable. They are so friendly, talking to us all the time, from a distance and right up close.  Truly they are like two toddlers looking for our companionship and attention whenever we are outside.

The upcoming election – oh, man.  ( here’s where you skip the next two paragraphs if you still remain a 45 supporter, I’m not looking to insult anyone) – It has taken a toll on me, watching what I believe is the slow unraveling of America as we (I? I shouldn’t speak for you)  believed it to be.   I’m sad for us all.  I’m not a huge fan of B*den but I also recognize he’s not the slow sleezy do-nothing some would have you believe.  His running mate choice was his best option in my opinion. I look forward to watching K*mala debate the deadwood P*nce.  I am encouraged by some of my republican friends who are now saying there is no way in hell they would vote for Tr*mp again. One dyed in the wool republican neighbor said 45 is a trainwreck he’s ashamed he voted for and he will vote B*den come November.   I’m hoping there are many many more out there like him.  And yet…. there’s the uncertainty of what  will happen should he lose.  I doubt he’ll accept the results, no matter what they are, unless he is the winner.  And there are so many nuts threatening civil war, it’s frightening.  We are at a crossroads, this country… and I hope and pray and beg and plead for our collective soul to rise and rid itself of all the corruption, hate and fueled divide – especially the politicians, including the current P*TUS, who feed it relentlessly.   We the people deserve better.

Yesterday it was reported the P*TUS lost his younger brother, of which he was close.  I would imagine that is a very tough loss for him, and even more so now.  While I despise what he’s doing to our Country, I find I have empathy regardless.  Although the reason for his brother’s passing has not been revealed, I suspect he may have contracted COVID-19.  When he was first reported as ill was precisely the same time the P*TUS started wearing a mask occasionally in public.  I don’t know if we’ll ever know the truth of it.  After having dismissed initial warnings about the virus and playing it down repeatedly for a length of time, well.. the irony and indeed the tragedy of it is what comes to mind.  Of course, I’m speculating only.

Stella by the sea remains a respite for all of us.  We each use it together and separately when free time comes up.  It does my heart good to see the kids enjoy the kayaks, the  grilling of burgers and hotdogs and roasting of marshmallows in the firepit with their friends  (small safe gatherings are possible outdoors). I am loving my new kayak – the one that is discontinued and  I bought for a bargain price.  She glides through the water easily and while a little more tippy than my old steady Ruby, she’s fairly stable regardless and is more agile, lighter to carry.   I have yet to come up with a name for her that feels right- but every vessel must have a proper name…… suggestions welcome.  She’s red orange and yellow.

A photo I took while kayaking  – some of the Thimble Islands out in the distance..

We finally laid my father to rest thanks to the kindness of dear friends who have a lovely old  1976  Egg Harbor boat.   It was a small gathering, just my sister and I, my husband, my niece, and the lovely couple who took us up the Connecticut River  to the mouth of the river into LI Sound –  just beyond the lighthouse at Saybrook Point.   Since it’s not technically legal to dump ashes there , that’s not technically what we were doing .   There was the traditional burial Psalm 23 reading, we tossed white roses out into the waves along with what wasn’t really my father’s ashes in a biodegradable urn,   and  read the following   below as well…     my tears were for several reasons, but the most important one was the overwhelming knowledge in my heart that it was exactly as my father would want it – exactly where he wanted to be in the end.  I felt a sincere closure for him and for me, and that is such a blessing.

Wishing us all good health and peace of mind during these trying times –

 

Let Go Or Be Dragged

Good morning! Star and I compared grays this morning – thankfully ( and surprisingly!) she still has more.
I had an interesting conversation with an old friend last night who was struggling with the pain of a relationship that wasn’t what she believed it to be. I am no expert on relationships, but as we were talking I couldn’t help but notice the same theme being repeated as she spilled out her hurt. No matter how she reached out or what she had done for and with the other person in that particular equation, she always felt it was mostly a one way street. She had a habit of thinking and acting on the idea that she needed to prove herself and her worth, she needed to be what the other person seemed to want… and yet all those efforts didn’t change that particular relationship one bit and most often left her feeling bad about herself.
I don’t know how many of you might have felt the same in any particular relationships throughout your life, but boy could I relate. And it occurred to me as I was trying to sort out reasonable advice or comfort to give…. that the reality probably lies somewhere in the knowledge that maybe we have some work to do, and just as importantly and maybe even more so in many instances, those relationships and their issues are not always worth the tending, whether we’re talking about a family member, a casual friend, a spouse, a coworker, fill in the blank. I’m willing to bet a professional would tell us in many instances the healthiest option is to “let go or be dragged”…. put in the simplest terms. Those who don’t value your presence in their life, past, present or future, don’t deserve your anguish over what isn’t. Tend the relationships that tend you. Love those who love you regardless of whatever your differences or your perceived flaws. If you know your heart is in the right place, don’t ever apologize for who you are, I think it’s so important to be your authentic self in order to be comfortable in your own skin, no matter how uncomfortable that might make someone else. That in itself will attract the right people into your life. I’m realizing I need to practice some of what I just preached, and it’s indeed a new day.
Lastly, forgive  yourself and others when it’s possible, we’re all human, God Help Us.

The Saving Grace

Do I even touch on the shit storm out there in the greater world?  I think not. So much to cover, so little desire to plunge into that muck today.   I’ve started painting again and while I’m no professional artist, not by a long shot, I like the title one of my mother’s friends gave my art – Outsider art…

(fresh off the easel – “Cousins” … my daughter age 8, son 3 and nephew 2… many moons ago on MV) 

Outsider Art  basically  means one who creates stuff without any formal training. That would be me.

Between creating and spending time with my animals here on the farm and down by the sea, I am finding some calm in the storm and I hope you have discovered  little pieces of yourself again by indulging in  those small but important things you enjoy but don’t normally give yourself enough time to do.

So… while the most intelligent life forms on earth continue to pollute it with their selfishness and greed and willful ignorance, the animals and nature and the creativity they inspire remind me there is still much beauty in this world and it’s forever worth fighting for ❤️✨

I’ll leave you with a few scenes from the spaces  and creatures I am so fortunate to tend and love…. and some simple words of wisdom…  Have a safe holiday weekend, all… I’m off to  fold some clothes and mow some lawn. Focusing on the simple things I have control over  has truly been a saving grace in these troubling times.

 

And you’ll know you’re on your path

when you really don’t care what anyone thinks of it –

 

Sanctuary

Thank you for all the kind words of comfort for the loss of my father, I have some truly wonderful readers/friends here in this little space of mine.  ❤

We could talk here today about all the turmoil we are witness to out in the greater world… but I think instead I’ll share with you my walk about this morning on our farm, my sanctuary.  I find the routine of caring for the animals and the plants and the home is soothing and restorative.  Even cleaning the house and disinfecting the bathroom feels refreshing, who woulda thought?  My home has always been my sanctuary, and now even more so.

When we decided to add goats to the mix I wondered if I had lost a few marbles, looking for more chores.  But in truth, we have found much joy with our two little goat girls, Bella and Star.  They are so very friendly. When my husband comes home from work he gets out of his truck and the goats immediately call to him. It sounds as if they are saying… Daaaaaa    daaaaaaaaa.    He get’s a kick out of it, and I get a kick out of him, the big guy…..enjoying them.

 

Having our show horse, Leah, home has been a blessing too – away from the stress of horse shows, she is contented  with getting to graze more and with a larger turnout, less work.   The horse show world has opened up again, they’ve been hurting just like any other industry, but we’re not ready to wade back in to crowds,  we’re going to take our time with that.

It was 48 degrees here this morning.. in June.  Hence her blanket. Brrr…

Our mini’s Coady and Lacey like having the goat girls nextdoor, they often hang out together at the fence line.

These chores ground me while the world beyond  is so restless and *fraught*.  I am so thankful for every day spent living here enjoying and working the land and the gardens and our home,  tending the critters we take into our family.

Current situation here in my office – as you can see, my coworkers are slackers.   PS – I’ve gotten many compliments on this rug – you can find it at Rugs Direct if interested.  It’s more bold than my usually choices but I absolutely love it here in my office, as well as that faux hair footrest courtesy Homegoods.

Meanwhile, down at Stella by the Sea, the little seaside gardens are also growing, and I splurged on a new Kayak, as my Ruby is showing a lot of wear after 15 years of dependable service.  My new perception tribute  is a leftover they don’t make anymore, and I saw it sitting on the rack at a local marine shop for over a year.  Last week my masked-face self went into the store and boldly (for me) asked if they’d consider selling it to me at a discount since it had been sitting there for quite a while.   They  said yes! .. and I got it for hundreds less.  I’ll share that with you later in the week.   If you’ve never tried kayaking before but feel comfortable on the water, it’s a great way to get a full body workout and you don’t even feel like your doing any sort of tedious exercise.  Lakes, large ponds, rivers, coves, oceans  if you’re brave and comfortable and experienced…with so many options and price ranges,  there’s a boat for you if you’re so inclined.  I highly recommend it, and it doesn’t cost more than the initial boat purchase.

 

 

Love in the Time of COVID-19

In recent years the political and ideological  divide we’ve all been a witness to here in our Country and around the world  has been tremendously disconcerting.  It bubbles over as our governments and our peoples struggle to sort out and best react to the tremendous challenges of fighting a worldwide pandemic. Both economic and health concerns put an additional strain on an already beleaguered civil unrest and it can be hard to find a balance, to look for the good when it feels like the whole world has been shaken like a snow globe and the dust has yet to settle.  Some of us have lost our jobs, our source of income – or it’s been put on hold temporarily.  Others are on the front lines either in hospitals or food service stores, pharmacies, etc trying to protect their own health as well as that of their patients/customers.  Many are isolated from their loved ones, most are not living the life they had just three months ago.  The worst off are dying without family nearby to comfort them and say farewell.

When something as awful as this pandemic grabs us by the proverbial throat, something else happens along with it.  Remember the response we all had to the 9/11  terrorist attacks?   As horrifying as that event was, and I hope we never witness something like it again,  it also brought us together. There were flags everywhere!  People waved, honked, and thanked first responders, healthcare workers, police and firemen – those whose careers and COURAGE! put them on the front lines every day.  We were nicer to our neighbors, didn’t matter what their political affiliation or nationality,  they were us and we were them. We were proud of our flag and it stood for what it should – our pride and love for our Country.  We were Americans, all.   This virus spans the globe, not just our Country.  We’re really and truly all in this together.  Perhaps some good will come of it, a coming together of sorts as we figure out how to wade back into some sort of normal. Those flags are now rainbows drawn on sidewalks,  hearts in windows and on mailboxes,  red ribbons tied around trees. They say – THANK YOU,  WE’RE WITH YOU,  WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.  And indeed, we are, once again.  Let the good things that come out of this pandemic ripple out and the togetherness remain.

In the meantime… I’ve picked up my paint brushes again to see what I can create…..finished this  last night … Little Cinnamon Beach, Peter Bay, St. John…

Made this a few days ago and oh, man.. easy to make, delicious too – give it a go if you like to cook, and maybe even if you don’t!  It’s sooo good…

And… I’ve been playing with goats! Our new little Star and Bella have been a wonderful distraction from the troubles of the world.   Goats are so friendly when raised with kindness. They call out to us when they see us walking up to their little pasture and come running to rub up against us.  If we’re sitting with them, they’ll lie next to us or try to climb up on our shoulders, no kidding! No pun in tended!

      As the world begins to lift the stay at home orders and businesses begin to re-open,  stay safe and be kind. Those with significant health issues will need to be as vigilant as ever.  Anxiety will still be present, the concerns are real and the virus has not gone away. As my friend Sean says at the end of every post… WashYourDamnHands.

Till soon, friends…

 

Spring Cottage Gardens and Wild Woods Blooms

Having come off a mild Winter, I had assumed incorrectly we’d have a mild Spring.  It’s been a cold wet one here in New England and today only underscores the statement with more rain in the forecast.   In between the raindrops I’ve been visiting the cottage for things like tiny garden cleanup and beginning the restock of the refrigerator and cupboard.   The  140 “island” cottages have many little gardens, not so much groomed as a bit random.  Depending on water from little wells on a rocky outcropping of land jutting out into the salt water of Long Island Sound into the Atlantic, a peninsula not-really-an-island,  water must be conserved so as not to use it up.  Hence, big gardens are discouraged.  Most of these cottages are seasonal and aren’t  inhabited by their owners or renters until the summer season has arrived.  For that reason I have been pleasantly surprised by all the spring blooming tulips, daffodils and forsythia planted across the community.  On a grey day it’s a cheery sight…

In our Stella’s little waterfront garden, the Parsley from last summer is still growing in abundance.  I have literally been pulling parsley from it all winter long , see it in the right hand bottom corner?- who woulda believed it.

The little cottages each have their own personality, no two are the same.  I have had the opportunity to see the insides of at least 10 of them now and each has it’s own unique charm,  I love seeing what people do with their spaces.   Below are a few photos from a neighbor…  Love the fireplace and the checked floor!

Yesterday I took the dogs for a walk down the trail behind the farm, and found wild spring blooms in abundance….

Swamp Marigold…

Trout Lily…

and wild violet? Pansy?…..

The goat girls, Bella and Star – have captured all of our hearts, even the Mr. They are so very friendly, call to us as we approach their pen and cry for us when we leave it.  They lay in our laps, enjoy head scratches and are discovering the mini horses Coady and Lacey are their  neighbor buddies.

We’ve loved having our show horse, Leah, home…. and she’s loved being a real horse again without all the constraints of show horse life.  The show season has been postponed yet another month or two, which I think is very wise – and I am so glad we brought her home.  Not just for the financial reasons, but for all of our well being.

I’ve started another painting, a tiny oil on canvas depiction of  Cruz Bay in St. John – lots more to fill in…I’ll share  it again when it’s done…   I am finding much more joy in painting as an older person than I did when I was young.  The reason is simple –  I am … a simple artist.  I will never have the patience to draw out and execute a spectacular painting, like those you see from the truly gifted, truly patient, truly educated greats –  That used to disappoint me, but it no longer does.  I paint for enjoyment, for stress relief.  My simple method pleases me in the ways it needs to, and if someone else likes looking at it too, icing on the cake!  but not the main goal.  If you’re so inclined to create art in whatever form, don’t ever be discouraged by what you might believe is – not good enough –  There’s no such thing with an expression of art.  Just do it, and enjoy the process.    There are some benefits to aging – and that’s been one of them for me.

During these strange social distancing times, have you picked up something you put down long ago? I’ve been  painting, cleaning, cooking, baking, eating, cursing all the eating, wash, rinse, repeat.   We are all well and I still have a job, thankfully – and have been working in my home office, thankful for that too.  I hope you are all finding ways to enjoy this down time, also hoping you are staying well and have not come across too much financial hardship, sadly that’s the case for many workers and businesses.

Closing this post with a little COVID-19 humor, because we have to find ways to laugh, amIRight?

Till soon, friends…

Two Goats and a Wedding

Bella and Star have arrived!  And oh, we are so in love.  💗

Star, now about three months old… see the little Star on her forehead….  She is the baby who was rejected by her mama at birth, kicked with a resulting broken leg.  She lived in a cast for a while and was nursed along by the dairy goat farmer, who let us adopt her once she was healed. She does have a limp but she can run along with her playmate and I think once the atrophy from cast living has had time to build up strength again, she’ll get even better, although as long as she’s happy we’re fine with a gimpy goat.  She is super friendly, having lived her first few months in the house of the farmer, hanging out on the couch watching TV on his lap at night.

 

This is Bella… the silver dots on her head are still visible, where she was humanely dehorned before coming here.  She is 7 weeks old, her mama just weaned her naturally  ( they start kicking them away when they try to nurse) and so she came with Star and they are already best buddies.

It’s been raw and rainy for their first few days here so they’ve been wearing dog  sweaters /coats to keep the chill off, now that they aren’t with their herd of babies and moms.

About that Wedding!  My Aunt P was widowed a few years ago after her dear husband of many years passed on, and she moved back to our state to be near family and friends. Slowly she began the hard work of building her new life, missing my Uncle terribly still…. and  reconnecting with old friends, volunteering at a Therapeutic riding facility too.  A few years into life as a widow, she met a lovely man, also a widower,  who is a kind, gentle soul.  They found they were kindred spirits, sharing a love of family, long walks, meals together, and they both longed for  a shared life with someone they cared about.  After a  happy courtship, they decided to wed.  Plans were made,  and then COVID-19 appeared.  Plans sadly cancelled, as their children and grands are spread around the country and not only was a large gathering unsafe, the travel even more so.

After a little time passed and some thought was put into the dilemna, a plan was hatched.  A very small ceremony was held yesterday at Parmelee Farm here in Town.  My mom is a Justice of the Peace and she officiated.  I was the photographer,  Aunt P’s son and daughter-in-law were the witnesses.  It was a true Family Affair.  We all live in separate houses ( the pictured couples live together) so we observed safe social distancing protocol.

 

💗 Love Wins 💗   🥂

 

 

How Y’all doing out there

 

 

Dear Georgia – Shout out to the brave ones as  your Governor has opened your doors again, with the high praise of Tr*mp and P*nce.  Let us know how y’all make out, we’ll be paying attention.   Of course.. you won’t be seeing Tr*mp & P*nce out there among you, because they do still care about their own asses, just not yours so much as the all mighty dollar as it pertains to their re election prospects.  Of course, with all the MAGA stupidity going on, those rallies to be set free again with our own POTUS calling for civil unrest – set yourself free!!….   and  don’t leave out the can’t-make-me-wear-a-mask bullshit…  sad but true – there might be fewer MAGA voters come November.

Mask wearing no longer feels weird in a grocery store,  hell, everyone’s doing it.  If I could only master the damned arrows in the aisles!… sheesh, such a simple thing and yet so many of us are getting it wrong.  (hand raised high here).   I don’t wear gloves except at the gas pump, where they are thrown out as soon as the handle is back in it’s holder.  Hand washing is so frequent my hands are sandpaper, but MOM to the rescue – have you tried Cetaphil ultra healing with ceramides?     It’s not cheap but it’s magic on rough try hands.  Thanks, Mom – it works!

I’m eating more than I should because I’m cooking and baking more than usual because I’m home and there’s the damned refrigerator every time I turn around and you know I have to open it and take something out and shove it in my mouth.   Right now I’ve got a blueberry buckle baking in the oven, and Maple BBQ Ribs  and green beans are on tonight’s dinner menu.  Tomorrow night I’ll make the New York Times recipe  Caramelized Shallot Pasta.  All are delish recipes, easy to put together if you have the ingredients.

Farm news! – the baby goats, Star and Bella will be moving in this weekend.  YAY!!… It’s been 40 years since I’ve had a goat – that’s an actual fact.. and I am so excited to welcome them home.  My first goat was one I had adopted at the Staten Island Zoo while I worked there at the pony ride track.  The baby goat had eye ulcers and they were going to put her down. I begged them to let me take her, and got her to the vet immediately.  We healed her ulcers and she lived on our little plot on Staten Island until she became much bigger and a neighbor’s daughter who had a farm took her to live a bigger farm life.  Her name was Casey – She was a black goat with a white star on her forehead just like our  Star.    We’ve got the goat house ready and their goat yard properly fenced in for their safety, now to create a little bit of a playscape for them.  Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, Stella is open and ready for the season… we just need some warm weather…. Some scenes from “down island” after yesterday’s rainstorm…

I hope you’re well and staying sane. We’re all good here, working from home and out on job sites with caution of course.  Our business has definitely been affected, as several tenants have notified us they will be abandoning their lease (hair dresses among them). Time will tell how it all pans out.

Closing out this post with a little quarantine humor…