Health and Wellness – Page 2

a Quilt of a post

Well let’s start with an actual quilt! Through blogland I have met some wonderful people, some of whom I consider dear friends. I have been collecting my son’s old t-shirts from childhood with the intent of having a T-shirt quilt made for him. Finding someone to do it proved difficult.. and then it dawned on me I have a very talented friend who does all sorts of creative things including sewing but mostly weaving beautiful towels, rugs, shawls, etc. for many years. So I asked Hilary over at Crazy As A Loom if she’d be willing to give this project a go, and boy did she ever! It came out better than I expected, my son loves it too. She said it’s her first T-shirt quilt, and her last, LOL. As I suspected, it’s a mighty pain in the a&& to make, but I am so grateful she was willing. My son and daughter in law are expecting their first child in May and one day this will be an heirloom for generations to come. It’s so warm and cozy.

Not sure if it’s the strange weather, a too warm and then frigid cold winter we’ve had here in New England… this fibromyalgia body has been in flare. When that happens I’m tempted to get lazy and slow down but with all the barn chores that’s not really possible and I do find if I keep moving I’m better off. I walk often and hike occasionally – this weekend we went over to the Scout Camp at Deer Lake and hiked to Fat Man Squeeze. I’m glad I still fit! When I adopted Kai he was a timid soul, so much so that on these hikes he would be afraid to go over big logs, afraid to climb rock and ledge, afraid to go into caves or up the very narrow squeeze. With the trust we’ve built over the past two years, while he’s still timid, he has come a long way and easily goes where I go without freezing, without me having to carry him up and over as we did initially. It’s a beautiful thing. Truly he is the best walking/hiking companion I’ve ever had.

I’m not a bendy person, so certain forms of Yoga make me look like the walking dead…..but yoga is really good for this fibromyalgia body and years ago I found a DVD set and used it for a long time and it really helped. It was great for beginner or low level yoga people like me. We got a new Tv system and no longer had DVD player and I just stopped, which was dumb. I’m thrilled to say I just found the exact series on Amazon prime $15 purchase and I can do it right in my office while it streams on my screen or on my flat screen tv in the family room via prime video. If this sounds like you to some degree- I highly recommend the Kate Potter series, seasons 1 and 2 in particular. It’s Calming, fun, enough of a work out that you accomplished something, and helps you stay limber, strengthens your core and overall body.

I’ve also carved a little time out for painting… the bridge picture is coming along… still much to do but I’m happy with it’s progress…

The following made me laugh out loud, and anything that does that is worthy of sharing…

Reading a good book right now, that gives a different perspective on the fallout and a different kind of victim of the Holocaust.. another dimension, another layer I had never given thought to before, and I have mixed feelings about it as well. I recommend it if you’re a reader – very well written

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods… Thank you for stopping by

Till soon!

The State of Things…

I don’t even watch the news anymore, rarely skim the headlines, truly shy away from anyone posting political crap on social media, and I used to be one who chirped.. a lot! I just cannot believe the utter shit show across the entire political system, our governing bodies. I decided my sanity and well being is more important than absorbing all the toxic noise, misinformation, ignorance. And we all know in our deepest well of knowledge that we don’t change the heart or mind of another person who will believe what they want to believe, no matter the detriment to themselves or others. So I stopped trying to do that, too. And I must admit, I’m not so sure those I trusted are trustworthy enough.

It’s freeing! I’m spending more time improving the quality of the work I put into my day job, this farm, the critters in my care, my family, myself. I picked up the paint brush again and completed a piece for a friend, and I have a new one on the easel. It all feels like the right thing to do.

The completed piece – this tells the beginning story of an immigrant who was born in this house ( no hospitals anywhere near) and raised here until his family moved (legally!) to this country for a better way of life. They have worked very hard for a long time with two successful businesses now and just built a beautiful barn and home here in town. He wanted this painting made as a reminder of their journey.

New on the easel… when completed it will be a snowy scene of a Vermont covered bridge in a town we visit often, many good memories and hopefully more to be made.

The weather has been good and bad and iffy and good and bad again. In between raindrops or frigid temps I’ve been walking with Kai again, and recently my son and I have gone on a few short hikes. It feels good to keep going.. and we’ll get more hikes in when weather permits.

This is Deer Lake Reservation, which has just been sold by the Boy Scouts of America after a lengthy campaign by locals and state representatives to save it from development, to Pathfinders, which will keep it as a camp and public recreation area and wildlife refuge. There are extensive trails, too.. this is a BIG WIN for nature, for campers and the general public who appreciate and recognize the value of open space. There are many cabins the scouts and other campers used, and they will be kept up by the new owner and used in summer camp programs.

This quartz wedged in a large boulder looks like teeth!

We’ve also been down to the shore for some winter walks…

This next scene is going to be my next painting, on a bigger canvas for the living room if it comes out decent. I am so grateful for this New England lanscape, diverse and beautiful in all seasons.

Our girls are in the second trimester of their pregnancies now, we are all so exciting for Jonathan and Mia to arrive. The eternal worrier in me keeps praying all will go well for both moms to be and their babies, and the dads as well! Baby showers being planned, I’ve already got a shelf full of childrens books I’ve been collecting for many years ( I’m a big fan). The baby clothes nowadays are so much more fun than when we were young mothers! and the baby equipment too.

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods or piece of the plains, spit of sand on the shore or your stamp on suburbia… what have you been doing to stay sane in these troubling times?… creativity, better health, new horizons, perhaps travel again? Covid is running rampant again around these parts, my son and daughter-in-law just got over it. People are masking up again….just.. ugh.

closing this post with a few pieces I’ve found inspiring or profound…

Till soon-

Grow where you’re planted

Our garden is thriving, and I have to be upfront and say we don’t do all this work by ourselves here in this big plot – we have help from our construction crew – when work load is slow they help in the garden.

Last night I went shopping for dinner up on the hill behind the house, pulled potatoes and onions right out of the ground, it’s a beautiful thing…

I made some triple berry jam, throwing some store bought strawberries in with our blueberries and raspberries…

and made my Grandmother Elsie’s BBQ sauce… she was an outstanding cook and made some fancy dishes including an incredible roast with dumplings and gravy I have yet to duplicate and her pies were legendary- but one of my favorites was her bbq ribs – and her recipe for sauce came off the back of a dominos brown sugar box. It’s soooo yum. The ribs are first baked for an hour at 400 in Coca Cola – then drain the coke and smother with bbq sauce- bake for another half hour till ribs are looking perfectly saucy baked . This sauce can be used on chicken, burgers, even hotdogs !

I grew up on Staten Island where most of us had postage stamp sized yards …. across the street from an old Italian named Joe. He had the most magnificent tiny garden and each summer he would let me come over and pick a few of the best tomatoes for our family. We would save a few for my grandfather, who thought a good garden tomato was food worthy of the Gods and he wasn’t wrong. Joe would also let me eat the peppers right off the plant because that’s how I loved them most, before they were fried or roasted.

It doesn’t escape me for one minute, how fortunate we are to farm this land. What a treasure it is to harvest dinner from our own hill. If you’re not already doing it, I honestly believe it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself- and it can be a container garden on your deck or herbs on a window sill , you don’t need acreage. It just feels so good to stick hands in dirt, tend plants, reap the rewards- and gives children a quality lesson and skill that’s never wasted in life.

Think about it… reap what you sow, grow where you are planted, …

Life is like a garden, you reap what you sow… from your own fertile soils, your seedlings do grow

Therapy

I just finished a painting for mom, inspired by an old image of the greenhouse at Snug Harbor on Staten Island where she served as a volunteer and gave tours for years. I’m no professional but I’m learning as I go, it’s been a wonderful form of therapy during the pandemic, to pick up brushes again after years of ignoring the easel and creating something, whether it’s good in anyone else’s eyes or not. That used to stop me… to think I wasn’t good enough to really pursue painting. Art is art – and it’s so individual. Your style is your style – we can all learn as we go and improve what we’re doing with tips and tricks and general rules of how to’s…. but never cut yourself up so that you don’t enjoy creating, whatever it is you like to do. The world needs more of it, our souls need more of it –

Off to the frame shop it goes… and next up on the easel – I needed an infusion of those vivid St. John USVI colors.. so I’m going back to the island on this canvas board…

Another great form of therapy for me, for better health, body and mind.. has been the hiking I continue to pursue. In our neck of these United States woods we have access to so many trails, and I am grateful for the diversity. Kai is a wonderful hiking buddy, too. These images are from Peters Woods Preserve. Yesterday we had a wee fox cross the trail just up ahead of us.

Check out the rainbow my daughter caught in the image below… we should have been looking for a pot of gold!

I’ll end this post with a funny ( at least to this profanity using texter) and a delicious recipe, a combination of a few flavors I love.. strawberry and lemon. A perfect combo to remind us of sunny days ahead.

Strawberry Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbls poppy seeds

1 and 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of 2 lemons

Glaze:

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Juice of one lemon

2 tbls milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment.

In a large bowl, add flour, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Whisk to combine.

In another bowl, add both sugars and egg; whisk to combine. Whisk in oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.

Add the chopped strawberries to the bowl with the flour and toss to combine. Gently fold in the wet ingredients.

Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread.

While the bread is baking, make the glaze by adding the powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk, and vanilla to a bowl; whisk until smooth. Add the chopped strawberries. Using the whisk, smash the strawberries into the glaze to break up, small chunks are okay

Till soon,

Heavy and Light

Such a weird weird time, isn’t it? Are you still masking everywhere? Doctor’s offices still require it but many stores do not. Around here I would say the ratio is more masked than not, but there are naked faces and I must admit, I am SO TIRED OF THE MASK! I cannot imagine how the folks who have to wear it all day long for work/safety reasons are tolerating it. And the poor kids! To be clear, I’m not debating it, not wading into that mess because I just don’t have all the answers, and neither does anyone else, and I totally get the need to be cautious and protecting ourselves and others and have done that more so than not for the past two years. TWO YEARS, wow. As a hearing impaired person the masks are even more of a hinderance for the obvious reasons.

About those shots and boosters – We’re boosted around here, but there is an odd uptick in strokes lately and I’m not going to lie and say that doesn’t concern me. Strokes among younger folks, not where you usually see them. And I’m not going by news sources, I’m talking about people we know. I’m not anti vaxx, but I’m not sure I’ll be getting more covid shots now that I’ve had these three. I want more time spent on it, more research. In the meantime we’re both on a weight loss kick (AGAIN) and I’ve been walking/hiking with Kai as often as I can talk myself in to it, at least four times a week when weather permits. Eating less meat and more greens and fruits, drinking more water.

2024 – raise your hand if you think we all deserve better choices than Biden/Harris and Trump/anyone in the next presidential election. Man, I feel like we’re floundering big time on so many fronts and for a variety of reasons. We need a reset, but not of the hideous kind, of which I worry we are headed.

Enough of the heavy – here’s some Light –

We’re gearing up for a family wedding this June – my son and his lovely fiance who is also like a daughter to us now… and the wedding planning has been so fun! The bride has wonderful taste in what she’s picking out – simple and elegant – lovely whites and creams and greens and elegant black. My mom will be Justice of the Peace, and the whole thing will take place at an old Lace Factory that is now a wedding venue… family and friends and the groom and his men will arrive aboard the Essex Steam Train – how romantic is that! All of this set against the CT River. A few pictures below to give you a sneak peek at the vision board, so to speak .

We’ve got that wonderful day to look forward to… and a three day trip booked on the Vineyard for the Mr. and I in July… plus! .. a really exciting trip planned for June 2023 with a cousin and his wife – Italy! Starting at the Amalfi Coast where my husband’s family 2 generations back are from. This will be the first time across the pond for the two of us and I am over the moon excited. We met them for dinner the other night, they’ve been to Europe many times.. and my workaholic husband has decided it’s about time he starts enjoying life and even some travel. Encouraged by travel accompanied by a couple who know the ropes, so to speak, he agreed. Hooray!

I hope this finds you well and sane, and I hope love found you in one way or another yesterday, so many ways to see and appreciate and give love in it’s many forms. Found this quote and love it – May you see love in everything today and may your heart be filled with gratitude for all

Till soon…

Holidays during Pandemic times

How were your holidays? Scaled down like ours? We managed some smaller gatherings and I’m grateful we’re all still here and relatively healthy. We even did a weekend at The Woodstock Inn, a favorite place for us. Last year’s trip was cancelled because Vermont was basically closed to outsiders, and this year still looked different but was enjoyable, regardless.

Christmas came early while in the Woodstock village, the Mr. obliged my obsession with these boots as we kept passing them in a store window and they whispered to me every time, I’m not even kidding.

The Inn was magical, the depleted staff did a fantastic job with a difficult scenario.

Christmas rolled around and we did what we thought was best – smaller gatherings, and some of them cancelled.

🎄 Mom holding a delicious refreshing Christmas Drink – the Poinsettia – Prosecco, Elderflower liquor and a splash of cranberry juice, with some frozen cranberries thrown in. Mix together according to taste – pretty and yum. I’m not a big drinker but I like a refreshing one now and then and this hits the spot. And kills the germs, right? LOL

We’ve decided to scale back down the restaurant dining since the new Covid surge, but we did get out to our favorite cafe in Stonington, the Dogwatch. Their “power bowl” is my favorite – packed with healthy eating. the Town of Stonington is beautiful any time of year, but especially during the holidays.

The kids and I have done some hiking and that is the single most awesome thing that happened to me this year- upon the adoption of Kai, my spirit dog as my mom calls him, I knew he needed a lot of attention and trust building and hiking was a good way to do it. That also gave me the opportunity to tone up and get in better shape, and my adult kids don’t mind hanging out with mom to do it. I’m not a gym rat, I hate being stationary to exercise. Treadmills, elipticals, blah blah blah. Get me out in the scenery and I can go for miles, and so I do. It’s been a win for all of us during pandemic times and my goal is to continue exploring trails long into the future.

Yesterday’s hike at Hammonasset State Park on Long Island Sound, Madison, CT

Wishing us all good health and much joy in the years ahead.

Shots or Not

I certainly… certainly… thought by now we’d all have that damned virus kicked to the curb. At this point I’m not sure it will ever be eradicated. I missed the smiles on people’s faces and it’s discouraging to see masks coming back into every store again, but I understand the fear and the need for caution. All the crazy out there is flapping in the breeze, too ….. there are government chips in the vaccines, you know…. they’re tracking you…. even though that smart phone you have in your hands has been tracking you for years if that’s something you lose sleep over.

I’m not thrilled to inject my body with any foreign anything, heck, I don’t ever get the flu shot , but I’ve been inoculated throughout my life as most of you have too and I know without a doubt vaccinations have eradicated many a disease we would otherwise die from. I’m grateful for the option to get vaccinated against the virus I saw take my Dad down in a matter of days, but I do believe it should be everyone’s right to decide for themselves if it’s right for them , and I understand the legitimate concerns.

While it’s true you can still get sick once you’re vaccinated, and even carry the virus to give to others, science and experience is saying the severity is diminished and so far in my life I have seen science save lives much more often than it takes them. It boggles the mind that somehow, through recent politicizing of a public health threat that should NOT EVER have been politicized, science for some has become something not to be trusted.

You know.. there are gambles we all take on a regular basis. When you drink or smoke you take a gamble. When you get in your vehicle and drive off you take a gamble. When you choose not to get your health check ups you take a gamble… When you sip a c*ke, eat k8ntucky fried chicken, throw back some Adv*l for pain, eat take out chinese food, pizza, Mickey D’s, buy foods supposedly labeled organic, skate on a pond, ski down a mountain… it’s all a gamble, and it’s yours to take.. or not.

I’m not advising anyone on what they should do regarding the vaccine or anything else for that matter. Heck, I go back and forth myself. But I know science isn’t evil (big ph*arma, the business, is another story) and science is ever evolving, and while I absolutely abhor some members of our government, for the most part I’m certain most of them aren’t evil either. In so many ways we are so damned lucky for the science and the democracy we have today. How we have benefited from both is getting lost on some people as they get mired in the conspiracy theories and utter bullshit some will spew for their political posturing and to confuse and divide the masses. That’s how you control and keep the masses down where you want them, proven through history time and again. How is that lost on anyone?

We here in this house decided based on our circumstances and the conclusions we’ve drawn from our own research… we are vaccinated. That doesn’t make us sheep. With great hope, it might make us and our loved ones safer. That’s the gamble we decided to take.

Wishing you, each and every one – vaxed and unvaxed –

a Merry Christmas and a Happy, HEALTHY New Year –

with much love from This Old House 2 and Stella by the Sea –

Nature, the ultimate recharge, my cathedral

… has always been nature and the animals. In my quest to keep this aging body moving and in good working order, I’ve been walking and hiking more… my newest rescued dog Kai as my faithful companion. He is such a joy because he loves the outside time and he doesn’t pull! That’s a bonus I have not had before, not even with little Sally with the twisted front legs, which don’t slow her down one bit.

The biggest bonus is.. my kids actually like hiking with mom! So now and then I am accompanied by some of my most favorite people, too. The only nuisance are the damned ticks. I have found the all natural Cedarcide spray does help repel them. I buy it on amazon.

Lost Lake at WestWoods, Guilford, CT – my boy introduced me to these awesome trails –

A train occasionally blows through on the tracks – I look forward to hiking these trails when the snow lands, Polar Express comes to mind.

This is an old quarry area, hence the large blocks of stone, and below is an old horse watering station.

The trails of Parmelee Farm are close to home and we go there often. My son was hired to enhance the trail system and he and crew are doing a beautiful job.

When I’m not out in the woods or mucking stalls or editing for work on this computer, I try to get upstairs to sit at the easel – newest painting I’m working on is a scene from a recent hike on Barn Island, such a glorious day and fun new discovery for nature walks, I decided to try to capture it on canvas. Still much to do with it, but here’s where I’m at ….. with Michael Bolton on Amazon music – I may be 3/4 deaf, but I remember the nuances, and the beat tells me where we’re at in the song. The Brain is an amazing thing, this I know for sure, and in this way I can still enjoy music on a whole different and definitely less satisfying level, but still, there’s joy in it. Grab it where you can!

Some good advice and humor for you as we head into the weekend –

We’re all just walking each other home – Ram Dass

Till soon, friends…

Who rescued who

Life with Kai

He continues to teach me as much as I’m teaching him… patience and learning to be more quiet within being the most important. I’ve stepped up my walking game for his needs and in turn I’m taking better care of me, too.

He’s still shy, he still questions trust. Sometimes he’ll play with a toy for a few seconds and then spook because he’s not sure that’s OK to do. ( of course it is) we are still always on leash outside of the fenced yard because I don’t know if he would bolt if spooked. He is very well mannered on leash. He licks my face when we are driving somewhere, a little thanks in dog language? He perches on the center console in my batmobile , my wingman on those excursions. He wades chest deep or swims through shallow waters out to sandbars at my heels, trusting.

Progress and so much love .

Who rescued who? Hard to say

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas….

…. and for most of us that’s exactly what it will be, a “little” Christmas compared to what we’re used to. Strange times indeed. This past month I have taken a step back from newsfeeds and my appalled reactions to so much of it. I am grateful for this family’s health including our mothers and for the promise of better days ahead. I hope you are weathering the multitude of storms and are feeling some optimism for the future.

I put Christmas up here in this house before Thanksgiving was done – we needed the cheer so I pulled out all the stops – even the SnowVillage that’s been in big bins in the basement for years came back out. It’s true we won’t have the bigger family gathering we usually do, but that’s OK – it helps to know we are placing some insurance on having everyone round the table again next year by being cautious this year. This will be the first Christmas without Dad. (Fuck Covid) Last year he brought with him a mini drone that he loved – we pushed it around between us and had a good laugh…. I can tell you for certain it will not matter, whatever the issues in a push and tug relationship, once they’re gone, you’ll be reminded of the good, the bad, and you’ll miss them. Also, no matter what you thought you were doing right while they were around, you’ll find regrets.

From the looks of these gingerbread men you’d think we’d been drinkin –

Sally’s favorite seat in the mancave…

We’ve had some beautiful snow, although it makes barn chores a little more difficult. My goatgirls Bella and Star are not impressed with the white stuff, but have adjusted .. eventually.

SO much joy I get from these two… they talk to us all the time, huddle around our legs, I’m grateful I can hear some of their little goat girl mumbles… mehhh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh.

More snow pics here on the farm….

My daughter’s home next door can be seen in the photo below…

My son’s home is deep in the mist of the picture below. Happy News to share with you on that front in the next post…

Some laughs to share with you next…. and wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, a joyful, peaceful holiday season in whatever the ways you celebrate, and good health and much happiness in the New Year – XO

Sharing this beautiful song , one of my all time favorites… click on the link and click skip the ads… enjoy ❤

https://youtu.be/ChcR2gKt5WM

Till soon, friends…