Life – This Old House 2

Maine… what a catch!

The first few times I traversed the Maine landscape was with an old boyfriend when I was 20 years old. His aunt lived in the Bangor area and we explored Bar Harbor and attended the Fryeburg Fair. Loved it! For whatever reasons, when I married and we grew our family, Maine points weren’t on the radar for vacations… we headed over to the cape and I fell in love with Martha’s Vineyard, so there is where we spent our coastal region getaways. We will still visit in July, I need my fix of Vineyard time… but!….

I actually convinced the Mr. we’re not spring chickens and time is of the essence… we need to start slowing down the work machine and take time to explore and enjoy and relax. One never knows when that time has come and gone, right?

SO. Ogunquit, Maine was recommended to us and it’s just a three hour easy drive up the coast. I booked it. We went… we LOVED it… and we loved it so much we’ve booked a few days in September, a girls trip next time with my mom, my daughters and my grands.

In short, the people were happy and friendly and helpful with local information, the businesses all take pride in what they do, that’s so obvious.. the beaches and waters are clean, the air fresh, the food just phenomenal! We were told it gets much more crowded once the kids get out of school and I believe it. May, however, is perfect timing. Marginal Way is a wonderful walkway into Perkins Cove, Ogunquit Beach awesome for kids, especially little kids. I’m really looking forward to the return trip in Sept.

I hope all is well in your world. Tune out all the noise at least sometimes… it’s a wild, troubled world we live in, and we can’t let the undertow drag us all down, ok? This life, this time right here is all we’ve got. Make the most of it ❤ Onward and till soon….

Spring sprung!

We’ve had some crappy April weather, truly. But yesterday it was downright summer-like! Of course, being New England.. we’re back to the crappy weather this morning but oh, the things are greening! The garden on the hill is planted, and my new kitchen herb raised garden is planted, with a little mini fairy house and yard in the middle 🌞

Sunset behind peach blossoms last night….

a hike with two of my girlies, accompanied by Leo and Kai….

I try to buy non toxic products and non-animal tested. Some of the companies I have trusted over the years, I wasn’t aware have been sold out to corporations, and because money is their biggest concern, not our health, they tend to change up the ingredients to cut their costs and boost their profits. If this is important to you, too… check out this list, and then check their ingredients and practices.

During our good weather weekend I took a drive to a dairy farm that is known for it’s outstanding chocolates… Thorncrest Farm in Litchfield, a family owned small dairy farm operation that makes award winning chocolates. They ship! Worth treating yourself or someone you love. They really care about the humane treatment of their cows -they graze them at night for heat and bug stress relief, and their barn is immaculate. That’s important to me, too.

Our patio with my new kitchen herb raised garden in the background…

My two little cherubs – a year old already! Grandparenthood is a wonderful, wonderful chapter of our lives, such a blessing ❤

I hope all is well in your world – Till soon ……

Hitched!

What a weekend! Family and friends arrived from far and wide to celebrate the union of my daughter and her beau. The weather was typical New England fickle early Spring, everything went mostly as planned although we had to move the ceremony inside instead of out on the hill sloping down to the water, because BRRRRR. We all had a wonderful night under the big top, dancing our fool heads off thanks to a DJ who knew how to read the room, enticing young and old to join in the fun. I’ll share more photos when we have the professional shots but here’s a sneak peek.

At around 2 am after everyone had retired for the night… three of us came down with the nasty stomach bug (norovirus) that’s been going around the midwest and northeast. It was ugly. Then a day later, it hit the rest of us here on the farm. Oddly.. and thankfully.. this particular outbreak did not spread to our guests. Amen for that…. and the miracle that it didn’t hit us just 12 hours sooner. We are all feeling better after two days of being mostly in bed if not in the bathroom. Fun times!

Yesterday before the rain I headed out into the woods to hunt the tiny spring blooms I look for each year – they are the message sent from mother nature that indeed the growing season has arrived, if a little fickle with a bit of back and forth. Winter has been reluctant to loosen it’s Grip! That old saying is very true though – if you don’t like the weather in New England, wait a minute or two… Tonight we expect more heavy rain and some wind. Having already lost a few of the towering pines at the front of our property, I hope we don’t lose more of them. They were planted at least 50 years ago in rows, so we have a literal pine forest out there that is aging.

The tiny blooms along the trail out behind the farm fields here….

Long spur violet

nightcap

Trout Lily

And so far in the garden on the hill we have planted the potato trenches and the garlic is thriving… the warmer days make outside chores more enjoyable and my soul is lifted, face to the …. well not the sun very much lately, but I remain hopeful! LOL.

The Mr. rarely takes time off but this year upon his 60th birthday I told him I’m going on a few adventures whether he comes with me or not. It’s time we expand our horizons at least a little bit and do more of what brings us pleasure instead of nose to the grindstone 24/7. We’re taking a few days to explore a bit of southern Maine in mid May and I’ll report on that then. I’m excited for a happy change of scenery, a little adventure – I hope you find time to do the same in whatever way is enjoyable for you –

A delicious salad recipe I haven’t seen before…

This Blackberry Avocado Arugula salad makes the most of fresh produce with cucumber, avocado, hazelnuts, vegan feta and a lime mint vinaigrette!

Ingredients:

Produce

• 5 cups Arugula

• 1 Avocado

• 1 cup Blackberries

• 3/4 cup Blueberries

• 1 1/2 cups Cucumber

• 2 tbsp Mint, fresh

Condiments

• 2 tbsp Lime juice, freshly squeezed

• 1 tbsp Maple syrup

Baking & Spices

• 1 Pepper

• 3/4 tsp Salt

Oils & Vinegars

• 1/3 cup Olive oil

Nuts & Seeds

• 1/3 cup Hazelnuts, toasted

Dairy

• 1/3 cup Feta, vegan or regular

Till soon –

The Atheist

I love this so much.

A rabbi was asked by one of his students “Why did God create atheists?” After a long pause, the rabbi finally responded with a soft but sincere voice. “God created atheists” he said, “to teach us the most important lesson of them all – the lesson of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs an act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone in need, and cares for the world, he is not doing so because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that God commanded him to perform this act. In fact, he does not believe in God at all, so his actions are based on his sense of morality. Look at the kindness he bestows on others simply because he feels it to be right. When someone reaches out to you for help. You should never say ‘I’ll pray that God will help you.’ Instead, for that moment, you should become an atheist – imagine there is no God who could help, and say ‘I will help you’.” — Martin Buber, “Tales of the Hasidim”

Of Weddings and Elections and Goals, oh my…

Two weeks to go until my daughter’s wedding! What??!!! Seems like yesterday we started thinking about it and man, TIME FLIES. If you’ve done this before you already know… some of the planning is fun, some of it tedious and some of it downright nerve racking. All of it is expensive. I don’t know if this is unusual because I haven’t done this much, but in our case, the grooms family hasn’t really participated in the planning, by their choice. I’ve certainly reached out and asked if they would like to share ideas or suggestions or input of any kind, but they are just a different and distant sort of folk, for lack of a better way to describe it and wanting to be respectful. SO… as a result… this entire wedding is pretty much what my daughter and I put together with input from the groom of course. We certainly want him to feel this day is his as well as the brides.

When my daughter said yes to the dress, I quietly had some reservations. Elements of the dress were beautiful, and some elements didn’t compliment her. Not surprisingly, she felt the same when the actual dress in her size arrived and we pondered what to do about it. When we met with the tailor for the standard alterations, we made a great team, the three of us. We made some big changes that really brought it together beautifully thanks to the tailors talents, of course…. and I am so happy for my daughter, she loves it and I love that! I’ll show you the before and afters, after the wedding.

Regarding the state of the world, of all the upheaval, the greed, the corruption, the absolute evil, the continued erosion of our environment and culture and government and want for truths and justice and equal rights for all, affordable living for all, freedom to live as we wish, women’s rights… the list goes on and on and on….. this crazy crazy election season (WTF is the best and easiest way to express it) and the cult environment I would never have believed possible had I not been witnessing it myself….. it leaves me almost speechless when I try to make sense of it all, and that’s one heck of a statement because I don’t have trouble speaking my mind. I wouldn’t have believed where we are now was at all possible… I always thought of us as a forwarded moving country, building a stronger, kinder, wiser nation. Sadly, we’re going backwards in so many ways, and so many people are cheering it on and even hoping for civil war, willfully ignoring the dangers of all of it and also ignoring the lessons of past history. How it’s lost on these people that they, too, could lose everything that means anything to them should something of this nature break out, is beyond my comprehension. We are capable of better healthcare, an end to homelessness, fair tax laws, fair wage, freedom and equality for all, border control, better education, repaired and stronger infrastructure, and on and on and on. But our government can’t get out of it’s own way, our party system has become cult-like, it’s failing us all by not functioning together like two wings on the same bird. Ultimately, human nature is apparently failing us all. Except not all of us are guilty of it. But it takes the whole village to want it and to cooperate, and that we do not have.

And that’s all I’ve got to say about that for the time being. You see how that train of thought’s tracks run all over the place.

Goals… I’ve still got the same ones… better health tweaks I sometimes do and sometimes don’t, lose some weight, keep going with the exercise, find inspiration where I can, do good where I can, live my “dash” as fully as is possible. Below is the latest painting on my easel, still work to do on it, but I haven’t decided how I want to round it out….. I’ll come back to it as inspiration rises…. This is swan hill overlooking the Connecticut river, a hike I’ve taken a few times, admiring the view.

Till soon,

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 –

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.

********************************************

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 –

A Snow Day

Years ago we’d get many of these through the course of a New England winter. Now, not so much. It makes life easier for my guys, because they’re responsible for a lot of snow plowing, and it makes life easier for me when it comes to the barn chores for sure…. but… one can’t help but wonder what it means for our climate in general. Our shorelines are being decimated every time we have a storm of any kind, seaside cottages, homes, beaches being washed away, roads and basements flooding as the water rises and the winds/rains become more harsh.

Today is the first real snow we’ve had of the season and it is beautiful. The dogs rejoiced as they ran out into it at 5 am this morning, and then quickly retreated once business was done because brrrrr.

Everyone and their brother, third cousin and Great Aunt Evelyn and her neighbor were out grocery shopping yesterday due to the prediction of heavy snow, including the grands, who met up in the baby food Aisle with their moms in tow. They recognized each other immediately with smiles and giggles.

We met with the wedding coordinators at the facility for my girl’s wedding and they are such a lovely group of people, this is such a relief. They helped me herd all the cats – planning a wedding is such a big undertaking nowadays and I’m not experienced with these things at all. I thank you for your suggestions on which dress I’ll wear, and it was unanimous – so I decided to go with dress B. Below is the 1902 mansion where the ceremony and reception will be held, a lovely old sea captains home by the sea, a simple ceremony to be held on the back lawn if weather permits. This mansion has not been updated in a very long time, so it has the old world charm still intact, which I love.

Regarding the orange scream, that piece of shit is still giving Putin high fives , all he talks about are the revenges he will execute, no regard for the law and so far has yet to be held solidly accountable. He jumbles words just as much as the other old man some want to disparage, even jumbles history! and lies outright, over and over again. Now and once again attacking yet another military man, this time his opponent’s husband, for being “absent” as she campaigns- the man is DEPLOYED, something he would have no understanding of as he was a draft dodging cadet bone spurs. And where is Maleficent? Nowhere near him. She’s not stupid, I’ll give her that. This country deserves so much better – I pray for all of us every day, that someone of strength and integrity and vitality and ability to lead comes on the scene and saves our sorry ass government before it’s too late. It almost feels too late, we are so far down this divided rabbit hole of untruths and unbridled fury. This is no longer about “policy”, of which I hold a mixed bag. It’s about decency, humanity, security, democracy.

Sadly in this house we have never been more divided than we are in the current political atmosphere. As an unaffiliated voter, I try to keep an open mind and vote according to what I believe are our most pressing needs at each election. The husband is a staunch Republican. Which hasn’t been a significant problem until such a raging narcissistic asshole took control of his party. Now if I see Faux news on in the man cave, I walk back out.

*Sigh… it is what it is.

Till soon, friends – May sanity and peace ultimately prevail.

A tale of three dresses

With my daughter’s wedding just 2 months away, I’ve got a gaggle of three dresses brooding in my closet. All three I got on sale, online. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate store shopping and store mirrors in store dressing rooms? Bleh. I don’t think I’ll know which of the three I’ll wear until just before that day. I’ll donate what I don’t wear to a local women’s community closet. I’d like other opinions on style – give your honest opinion – which would you choose – A, B, or C.

A. This one is a beaded affair, with a bow on one shoulder. Not a style I’ve ever worn before, I’m not a girly girl, but it grabbed my attention. The pic is awful but the best I could find online.

Three very different vibes. And I am heavier than the models shown, by about 20 pounds, so the fit is a little different, nothing just hangs/drapes as beautifully as these women portray.

If you’re in the market for shoes for a special occasion, shoes you’ll be comfortable in all night long and can actually dance in… naturalizer is a great brand for just such a shoe. I bought these online and they’re super comfortable and still very pretty… The Vanessa.

Cold dark winter nights here on the farm inspire me to cook, and a good hearty soup with a fresh baked bread is one of our favorite meals here in this house. Bread baking intimidates me, I give all of you sourdough starter people a gold star for your adventurous spirit. As for me, I’ll stick with the super easy to follow New York Times No Knead Bread recipe… pictured below. I use a specific Le Crueset covered kettle to make it.

As for the soup…… picture doesn’t do the taste justice….. Use an immersion blender once it’s cooked, to make it creamy. You can leave some chunks whole if preferred.

Creamy Potato Carrot Leek Soup – link HERE

While recuperating from surgery I have worked on my newest painting a bit… still much to do but it’s a fun journey – This is an area I have hiked several times, the view into the valley is the Connecticut River…. I’ll share it again when it’s finished.

Who couldn’t use a good laugh, right? Saw these shared on Facebook, and laughed right out loud.

Time to put the barn boots on and get out there to feed and turn out the critters. I hope all is well in your world, thank you for stopping in –

Reunions

My high school 40th reunion took place a few months ago. Fortieth. Four-Oh. Holy crap, how is that even possible? I debated with myself for months beforehand… do I truly want to go back to my home town and see all those people again? Thanks to facebook I do keep up with those who actually cared to stay in my life over the years, even if it were on the peripheral. We have continued friendships that may wax and wane, but when we connect again it’s always as if it were just yesterday we were standing on the bus stop or sitting on the bleachers or running the track commiserating over the latest awfulness of teenagerdom. Those friendships feel genuine. In my high school experience there were the usual cast of characters – the in crowd, the nerdy super intelligent crowd, the outsiders, the fringe, the athletes, the scholars… where to fit in? …you know the woe. I was somewhere in the middle. Didn’t stand out, didn’t lag behind. I am finding those who seemed kind then, are kind now. Those who were not so kind, still aren’t. Funny… and not funny. Based on their personalities in those categories…. one can accurately guess their politidal affiliations. There were friends who were always good to me and vice versa, and there were some who would easily talk behind your back if it was the cool thing to do when you weren’t in ear shot. I had a decent HS experience for the most part, but there were some shitty things too, painful things. Do I really want to live those emotions on any level again? Would seeing those people dredge all that up,some 40 years later? Meh. ………. So I decided to pass on the opportunity. Seeing the photos after… proved me right. LOL. And none of the people I value from that time period attended. We all kind of felt the same. A chapter closed long ago, not feeling a need to reopen it.

This is someone’s creation, I don’t know who the original creator is but I plan to make something similar to hang out in the garden where the sun will catch the light of the glass beads – isn’t it clever?

After two weeks of rain and clouds, the sun finally showed up yesterday and today… what a glorious feeling, the sun on my face and sprawled across the hill behind the house, drying up the mud and warming the surfaces of everything everywhere.

Last night’s sunset all around New England was reported on so many fb posts because it was truly spectacular. Here’s what we saw on the farm… no filters, it was that stunning! And only lasted for about 10 minutes.

Leaving you with a recipe given to me by my aunt many moons ago. It was given to her by a neighbor when she lived down south, someone who was not Coral Harris – I wonder if Coral Harris knows one of her recipes is still floating around and loved by many –

Till soon –