Health and Wellness – This Old House 2

59

Well, shit.

This is the weekend of my 59th birthday, and while I certainly feel it, I’m also so grateful I’m still here with a body still willing to carry me on ahead for a great while longer… that is my ultimate hope, anyway. I have vowed to take better care of this vehicle, and while I haven’t abused her horribly, there’s room for tweaks and there to I shall go.

Yesterday my faithful dog, Kai and I took a 3 mile hike through some very pretty trails, an easy trek with no scrambles through Pine forest and supply pond with swans and turtles and even a skunk making an appearance. No photo of that particular encounter. The weather was gorgeous and there were others out there enjoying it too. I love those days when it’s obvious everyone is in a better mood, spirits are lifted, faces to the sun 🌞

Later in the day, the Mr. and I had a late lunch/dinner at a friend’s restaurant on the water, I chose a healthy meal of fish tacos and then threw it under the bus with a chocolate orange martini. It is what it is.

Tonight the family gathered around our dining room table for a celebratory dinner, and it is these moments I am always most grateful for.

And may I say… this grandmother chapter of my life… and I have had several friends concur regarding theirs too… is truly the best chapter in some ways, just truly such a joy💗 .

Saw this next image on Facebook and honestly… do I have to say anything at all here? Well maybe just… ugh, ugh ugh ugh ugh. I’ll continue to pray for us all.

Some spring inspiration for this St. Patricks Day….

Till soon –

Ahhh… Vitamin Sea!

After all chores and errands were done I put my walking buddy in the car and together we enjoyed a walk on the beach. There were quite a few others with the same idea, but this particular beach is miles long with plenty of open space, no houses to claim territory… open to the public. I was reminded of the tremendous gifts we are given when people who are philanthropic and environmentally conscientious leave a gem such as this for all to enjoy forever and ever, Amen. Such is the case here, and I feel so lucky to live nearby.

Although it’s still chilly and there’s snow dotting the landscape, Spring is definitely letting us know she’s on her way, it was that kind of day. You know others are feeling it too when you are greeted with smiles or a warm hello – even Kai was given a few “well hello, fella” greetings by passers by.

As Susan Branch would say…. a red letter day. 💗

Till soon –

For the Love Of

I love 💗LOVE💗, do you? And jeez, there just isn’t enough of it out there. In simplest terms, I want to hope as hard as I can, that love wins in the end. Good versus evil in all things. I’ll spare you my outrages because you’re all seeing the same damned things on your screens and in your ear.

Here are some things I love –

Grandchildren – these two are already best buddies and it brings me such joy to be a part of their lives.

I love to cook, to create something delicious my family will enjoy. I believe there is much important communication and bonding over a good meal shared together. I learned this from the women in my family – my Grandmother Elsie, my Aunt Virginia, my mom. I believe the effort is so important, to bring the family together to sit down for meals. I always insisted on it when we were raising our children, even when we had crazy schedules with work and school and sports, etc. I was surprised to find out many of my kids friends families did not do this, it was actually a rare occasion.

I also love trying new recipes and eating those yummy things, LOL. Hence some extra pounds. I love a good cookbook and have a plethora of them – here are a few recipes I’ve tried and loved recently from Trisha Yearwood’s second cookbook –

Trisha Yearwood’s Baked Bean Casserole – This can be a side or a meal, it’s hearty enough ( think chili) link to recipe HERE

Now, ham salad usually makes me gag. But, the Mr. loves it. LOVES it. So when I saw a recipe in Ms. Yearwood’s book and she raved about it, I said to myself – you know, you oughta just make the effort for the guy, Karen. See if it’s doable. Welp. It’s more than doable – I actually love it! and it’s so easy to throw together – so tasty. Who knew!?

Uncle Marshal’s Ham Salad *******************

3 cups ground or finely diced fully cooked ham (about 14 ounces)

1 teaspoon finely chopped sweet Vidalia onion

2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Combine ham, onion, relish, mayonnaise and mustard in bowl. Serve salad on crackers or in sandwich.

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I also love making healthy food choices to help this aging body. One of my favorite breakfasts is a simple smoothy, I just throw everything in a blender and drink it up – Spinach, Honey, blueberries, banana, a dash of yogurt, a few ice cubes. Delicious and it’s doing your body some good.

Who doesn’t love fresh produce out of a garden – I’m dreaming of the bounty we’ll enjoy out of our gardens this summer, and the kitchen herb garden we are planning to build off the kitchen slider/porch. Instead of walking up the hill to the big vegetable/berry garden near the barn, I can grab what I need right outside the kitchen porch as I’m cooking. Last year we used a galvanized tub, the kind used for livestock watering, and it was OK for that purpose, but in the ground is better. Perhaps a raised bed. More on that later.

My recovery from hysterectomy is going well, I love when that happens! I’m back to most of my regular chores and life activities with the exception of lifting very heavy things. A few more weeks of caution and I’m good to go.

I hope all is well in your world, and that you love on yourself as needed. That’s just as important as anything else and we tend to forget this, often.

Image by Jane Newland, an artist who’s work I love

Till soon –

Recovery

So. I don’t normally get this kind of personal up in here, but I feel like writing about it will be therapeutic.

At my last gyno check up it was discovered my uterus walls had “thickened” and polyps were present. One very painful biopsy experience later, it was determined the old girl needed to be removed to avoid future cancer possibility and they needed to be sure there wasn’t any lurking. While I hated the idea of major surgery, I’m all for cancer avoidance where ever possible.

Monday was surgery day – and I’m here to say all went well, pathology benign much to my relief, but man, it feels like I was punched in the gut for 10 hours straights. It surprises me that this is practically a drive-thru surgery – I mean, they’re removing an organ through four holes they make in your abdomen, and then some elsewhere. I’m no fan of hospitals, being home is probably safer in the germ category. But jeez, you’d think they’d want to make sure all your systems were GO again, after such a shock to the body. As soon as I was awake and able to stand, they had me clothed and escorted to the waiting car. I don’t even want to know what positions they put you in during surgery, my back is still screaming of it.

So I’m home, not lifting anything more than 10 pounds, resting, walking, drinking fluids, taking as minimal an amount of pain meds as possible because my stomach never likes them. God bless Peapod grocery delivery. My family is doing much of what I usually do, they’ve been great – and the frustration is obvious too, because they do have all their usual “stuff”. I think once I’m healed and back to normal activities they will have a little more appreciation for all I get done around here on the regular…. just sayin.

I have rewatched Virgin River, because I LOVE VR!!… and might rewatch the last season of Outlander because DITTO!!. Watched the first season of True Detectives with Woody Harrelson and Matthew Machonagy (that’s spelled wrong, I’m certain) – loved it. Watched 1000 pound sisters and BY GOD I’M DETERMINED TO LOSE THIS EXTRA 25 pounds!!!!!!!!!. That’s a sad show – I feel they are being exploited. Watched The Marsh King’s daughter – worthy! I have books on my night table but haven’t felt like picking one up for some reason. Lazy, I think. It’s probably the drugs.

So that’s where I’m at. Looking forward to a better week ahead and the week after that, getting back to more normal life here on the farm. I hope all is well in your world –

oh just one more thing…. I cannot believe… I just cannot…. that we have before us the possibility of another four years of absolute integrity disintegration and mayhem with The Orange Scream in the oval office. I just…. can’t. Canada is looking so attractive. Maybe the Amalfi Coast, though. Where would you pick up and start over again if you could take all those who matter to you, with you?

Till soon –

Tap tap tap ….. is anyone out there?

There was a time some years ago when I blogged daily – it all started when we bought this ancient farm house and began the renovation. I thought some people might like to follow along and this was an easy way to share the journey. So, this blog was born and back-in-the-day, grew to about 400 visitors to the blog daily. I enjoy writing and it has been part of my career, so blogging was a good creative exercise for me. I also met some friends I still cherish to this day, fellow bloggers, some of whom still blog at least occasionally. I’m not sure what I want to do with it now, but this morning I decided to visit this space and so here I am – and I hope all is well with you!

Our two grandchildren are now 8 and ten months old – they are such a joy in our lives and we feel so blessed that they live here on the farm with their parents. The moms work part time, so I am their part time daycare and I get to spend some real quality time with them. Another blessing.

Christmas was wonderful with these little babes and I am so proud of our kids as they grow into their roles as parents. They’re doing such a great job at it and that warms my heart 💗

I retired from my role as Editor of our local news publication and have spent more time focused on the farm/barn needs and the grands. We sold the seaside cottage because it become more work than enjoyment and this farm takes effort too. Looking back, I don’t regret the decision, it feels like it was the right thing to do. I’d like to travel at least occasionally before I die, so that helps the plan. When you own a second place, it tethers you to feeling like you should spend all your free time there in that one place.

I’ve gone on more hikes with my rescued dog and good buddy Kai, a better walking partner I have not ever had. He’s not a puller, a gentleman for sure on leash. That’s huge for me. I wouldn’t ever be accused of being a gym rat – I don’t enjoy treadmilling it or spending an hour in a gym with 50 other people … but walking and hiking and seeing the beauty of the land and different scenery is something I can get behind and really enjoy. So if you’re like minded, I highly recommend it. No matter where you live, you’ll find interesting places to explore. And when you enjoy the exercise you’re doing, you’re more likely to DO IT. I love the phone app Alltrails – an excellent tool for navigating trail systems just about anywhere.

I’ve been cooking a lot.. here are two tried and true recipes that are easy to put together and are definitely family approved.

Italian Beef Soup

I bought a decent chuck roast to use in it. I also used Romano Cheese as throw on, not Parm. Plenty of leftovers – perfect for a winter supper.

(Serves 5 )

INGREDIENTS

4 lbs. Boneless Beef Chuck Pot Roast

2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

14 oz. Carrots, peeled and diced

5 oz. Celery, whole stalks

1 Onion (6oz.), peeled and cut in half

2 tsp. Salt, plus extra to season the meat

1 tsp. Black Pepper, plus extra to season the meat

4 cups Low Sodium Beef Broth

4 Cups Water

1 Cup Tomato Sauce

1 lb. small Pasta, I use ditalini

Grated Cheese to Garnish, I use Pecorino Romano

METHOD

Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Heat up the olive in a large soup pot. Put the meat in the pot and sear for about 4 to 5 minutes on both sides and remove from the pot. Add in the onion, celery, carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a low flame for about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add in the broth, water and tomato sauce. Be sure to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon. Add the meat back to the pot. Put the lid on the pot, only leaving a small part open to let some of the steam out.

At three hours mark take the beef out. Using two forks, shred the beef.

Add the beef back to the pot and simmer for a half hour. In the meantime, boil your pasta.

Serve the soup with the pasta and garnish with grated Pecorino.

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Thumbprint cookies – Google Allrecipes thumbprint cookies for the recipe. These are so good. I used blueberry preserves this time but any jam will do!

Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten were four simple words…

Let go or be dragged.

It’s time to head out into the winter chill to feed horses, goats and chickens and muck stalls. Been doing it for 40 or so years and while my body complains a bit, the work also fortifies me, body and soul. Hard to explain and my husband often says “I don’t know how you do it, over and over and over again” especially when the weather is yuck. My connection with the animals is why I do it…. and if you know, you know.

Wishing you, me and everyone we hold dear a healthy, happy 2024 and beyond – If I’ve still got any readers here and you’re still blogging, leave your blog address in the comments so I can visit you later on today.

Till soon –

Better Together

Do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? …The fifth of May happens to be our first date 37 years ago. Holy shit – thirty seven years goes by in a flash. A lot has happened in those 37 years… mostly good, some great, and some awful. We have our differences, like big ones.. we were married, divorced and remarried all in our 20’s. But… we come together in the most important ways and as I get older I value that more than anything else. As anyone who has lived for a while knows….Life can be hard at times and having your best friend by your side through it all is a lifeline. Better together.

Speaking of friendships, love and lifelines… have you read the book or watched Firefly Lane on Netflix? I loved it, I think in the series they got it perfect, the love, the laughs, the trials, triumphs, the heartbreak even. Give it a look or read if you haven’t already.

I keep glancing at the political news and I just cannot believe all the dumbfuckery, the cruelties, the hypocracies and the deceits. Where can the truth be found… and trusted? Where are the consequences? And it’s hard to fathom that we don’t have better candidates to refresh our political landscape with something more logical, forward thinking, honest, folks with a –better together – mentality. Jeeezus, all the corruption. And all the old men should just go. Just… go.

I’ve been walking with Kai on local trails, hope to expand our horizons elsewhere in the state soon, the ticks have been brutal already. I have yet to find an all natural spray that actually repels them all, but maybe it’s helping somewhat. If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments. The trails, the woods, the fields, the rock outcroppings, the shoreline… just beautiful. It’s where I recharge and I love having a dog to share the hikes with, he motivates me to get out there, keep moving. Better together.

Our grandson is doing well, despite being born so early he is tiny but mighty and growing, thankfully. Almost two months old 💙 Our granddaughter is due in a few weeks! Say a prayer for a safe and healthy delivery for mama and baby, will you? To watch both my children become parents at the same time, and us becoming grandparents! (which we just love beyond description!) .. is such a gift.

I like to make a fruit/greens smoothie at breakfast time occasionally – a favorite mix is frozen dark cherries, a banana, some honey, a handful of blueberries and a handful of spinach. Delish! and good for you. Try it!

This farm continues to give me peace as I tend the critters and the barn, appreciate the gardens and walk the fields and give thanks for our journey to here.

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

Till soon,

We’re all just walking each other home

….. one of my most favorite quotes, attributed to Ram Dass, an American spiritual leader of the 1970s. This country and the world at large is in big trouble on so many levels, all because of the flaws in humanity. Recently I am making every effort to focus on the uplifting things, and that quote is one of them. It truly helps me to believe in that simple concept and gives me inspiration to do whatever little good and truly see it anywhere it can be found.

I don’t have much to say here right now, just that I am enjoying my new grandson immensely and watching my daughter become the wonderful mother we all knew she’d be.

We’ve had some glorious weather and I’ve been out in it, soaking it all up, getting some exercise, enjoy this farm and the woods and the shoreline trails.

Till soon –

My Sunshine

Being a grandmother is something I have looked forward to since my kids grew into adults. I have missed the baby stage and all those in between.. with the exception of the moody teenager who knows everything everywhere all at once, with attitude. Our grandson was born six weeks early and spent two weeks in the NICU just to be certain he was strong enough to come home with his parents. He was and he is thriving, having had his first pediatric check up yesterday with a glowing report. He is my little sunshine and I am so very proud of the mother my daughter became instantly. I love that my own mother gets the chance to be a great grandmother, too.

My daugher-in-law is due with baby girl in May, stay tuned! She sent me a picture she found of a beautiful easy-to-make spring centerpiece and I absolutely love it. So easy to throw together, too…. use a clear vase – almost any shape will do… a bunch of carrots with the greens still attached, a handful of tulips… put the carrots in the vase with greens sticking out of the top, place tulips in the center of the greens, and fill with water 🥕 🌹

The above is mine, and below is my neighbor’s 🐇 – love the purple tulips!

With the warmer weather I’m more inclined to get out for walks/hikes and get those recommended 10,000 daily steps in. That’s harder than it would seem, but I have been managing to come close and if I take an extended hike/walk I surpass it. Of course, I’m using my phone health app to monitor and I don’t wear my phone on my person at all times, so it’s possible I’m getting quite a bit more in than what’s recorded. A recent physical indicated elevated cholesterol, which runs in my family, but a subsequent scan of arteries reveals no disease and I really really want to stay away from statins so I’m tweaking my diet (plenty of room to improve!) and sticking to a decent exercise routine. Can you believe I still haven’t lost the 25 pounds I’d like to lose? Oh, it comes off in little bits and then jumps right back up to that yucky number. I’m not giving up though… for me, it’s what I’m putting in my mouth, not a lack of working out. Ask me how much I love food though! It’s my drug of choice and I like to cook and bake for others, which kinda sucks when there’s a weight loss goal to be achieved.

Bob’s Pond and Hammonasset River Trail with my trail buddy, Kai. Yesterday was a beautiful spring day, so we took advantage of the inspiration and explored land trust trails.

The sight and sound of the roiling river was music to my soul. As a hearing impaired person, to be able to still hear this force of water is a gift 🙂

I could talk about the horror of the newest school shooting and that hideous fact that death by fire arms is now the leading cause of death for children in this country, but I am so weary and so disgusted by the lack of any action by the powers that be… and for all the wrong reasons… but I’ll leave it here with my mother’s words below…

*Thoughts and Prayers*

Let’s send thoughts and prayers again.

It worked the last time

and the time before that and the one before that.

It did work, it must have

because we haven’t done much of anything else!

Thoughts and prayers because it can’t be guns.

The NRA says it’s not and they would know

and tell us the truth.

They don’t benefit from a flush gun industry.

Do they?

Thoughts and prayers because….

the Second Amendment says that’s all that’s allowed

according to the NRA and many legislators.

Besides guns don’t kill people, people kill people.

People kill children.

People kill children with guns.

We can put flowers outside the schools, the churches,

the synagogues, the mosques, the supermarkets.

That’s allowed,

Along with the thoughts and prayers, of course.

Just not sensible gun laws.

Meaningful legislation is not necessary.

It will upset the NRA, the Gun Lobby, the Insurrectionists,

the White Supremacists.

Limited magazines not necessary, background checks at gun shows

not necessary!

So, here we are, left with thoughts and prayers

And flowers.

Always the flowers and the candles, against the fences.

As for more mass shootings

Well, tomorrow’s another day.

Mourning in America!

I’m not a religious person but I find myself praying for us all .. often. I hope all is well in your neck of the woods, thank you for taking the time to stop in here, your comments and thoughts are always appreciated .

Just Call Me GRAM ! ❤

My first born had her first born on Saturday!! We are over the moon in love with our precious grandson. He was in a hurry, apparently, so he is six weeks early. However, and Amen… he is healthy and doing great! So is his mother, whom I am so very proud of ❤

There’s something about being in a hospital that gives you such a diverse slice of humanity. So many stories passing by- the joyous, the tragic, the troubled, and everything in between. The highly educated and skilled and affluent, the poor and struggling, the healthy and the unwell, the families, the elderly, the living and the dying. Those who love their jobs no matter how demanding and draining and fraught with difficulty, both emotional and physical , and those who begrudgingly get through their shift.

I can of course only speak from my own experiences and being so hard of hearing, I pay much more attention to those around me than I suppose the average person might. What I notice are the wealthiest among us are not for certain those walking around with Gucci bags and a stellar wardrobe and a fine education and important meetings and places to be. It’s not even the healthiest among us, although that’s a treasure one should value above all … Nope. It’s the people who have enough love within that they freely shine it on others regardless of their circumstances, in the warm greetings and casual smiles in passing, the little courtesies, the big ones, the sharing of stories and commiseration , the compassion shown to strangers, the nurses and healthcare staff who are exhausted, who have seen so much heartbreak, but still show up and shine their light and do the hard things, and do them with kindness. It’s the people who embrace without effort the notion that we are all in this together , that truly get the most out of life. They have what matters most.

Till soon –

The Happening You Must Focus On

It is easy to mourn the lives we aren’t living. Easy to wish we’d developed other talents, said yes to different offers. Easy to wish we’d worked harder, loved better, handled our finances more astutely, been more popular, stayed in the band, gone to Australia, said yes to the coffee or done more bloody yoga.

It takes no effort to miss the friends we didn’t make and the work we didn’t do and the people we didn’t marry and the children we didn’t have. It is not difficult to see yourself through the lens of other people, and to wish you were all the different kaleidoscopic versions of you they wanted you to be. It is easy to regret, and keep regretting, ad infinitum, until our time runs out.

But it is not the lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself. It’s the regret that makes us shrivel and wither and feel like our own and other people’s worst enemy.

We can’t tell if any of those other versions would have been better or worse. Those lives are happening, it is true, but you are happening as well, and that is the happening we have to focus on. ~Matt Haig

(Book: The Midnight Library)

I love that passage so much! I also read the book, and while it wasn’t one of my favorite reads, it’s a good one… and that group of text above? Spot on. Who among us hasn’t dreamed another dream, had a few regrets, wasted too much time on what isn’t. And we all know, life is short and too precious for such nonsense. I am a firm believer in making the best of every day, even when I catch myself doing anything but. Then I readjust the sails.

The new barn has been a Godsend here on the farm. Both of our girlies are very pregnant and I’ve taken over all barn chores again, which means a lot of water buckets and hay bales and stall mucking etc. etc. With the yoga and stretching/meditation I’ve taken up, my body is faring better than I had expected. 40 plus years of all that work has left me with some arthritis and worn parts, blah blah. But it’s also made me a strong work horse and I’m grateful to still be able to do it. And I love those animals so. They are my heart and my peace and my salvation often. We got our first real snow of the winter on march 1st. In New England, that’s just strange. But it’s made all that work easier on this older girl.

I have always felt the sky is like a painting we live under, it’s landscape always changing, and all we ever need to do is look up to see the mood of the moment, the beauty of nature, the temperament of the weather gods. Who hasn’t marveled at a full moon rising, the night stars on a cloudless night, the rolling roiling storm clouds coming across the horizon or the gorgeous colors of a beautiful sunrise-sunset. On the hill and fields of this farm we have what I call big sky country, a big patch of blue with many glorious sunrises and sunsets.

I made a few more recipes from The Lost Kitchen files…

New England baked beans and brown bread – first time I ever bought a slab of salt pork, had to ask the butcher where to find it at the store.

And Waldorf Salad – with apples, celery, Fennel, arugula, lemon juice and zest, candied walnuts, mayo, salt & pepper… SOOO GOOD!

The Mr. turned 59! We had a lovely family dinner at one of our favorite restaurants near our Stella by the Sea. Our mothers are still with us and we are so grateful they are here to meet their first great grands.

Cheers to many more years!

I completed the Woodstock, VT Middle bridge painting, whose true angles are a bit skewed in any photo taken, so this was a real challenge and it’s far from perfection, but I’m glad I attempted it. The bridge for me represents many happy family memories there and hopefully more to come. The lighted star up on the hill is the first thing I look for when we drive into town.

Had a physical this week, and it’s clear I need to get serious about cleaning up my diet. Cholesterol numbers less than stellar, weight – about 25 pounds overweight. Bleh. I get plenty of exercise, so… as the doctor has often said… it’s what you put in your mouth. Each new day is a chance to get it right.. right? I’m making a concerted effort to improve those numbers. Being a food loving person and one who likes to cook and bake for others, it ain’t easy.

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods – till soon 🌹