Middle aged musings from farm & hearth
These are just a few and we haven’t received the official photographer photos yet…more to come! SO MUCH FUN, what a magical evening it was, and the weather was perfect! I am so happy for my son and new daughter in law – and all of us who came together to celebrate their special day.
So much awful news out there, but as I get older (and older) I’m trying to teach myself the necessary art of looking away. I really need to, because I literally feel every agony others are afflicted with, the unfairness of it all, the evils and utter bullshit of the world if I let myself dwell. And then the anger finds a home and settles. I’m airing it out and letting it go as often as I possibly can nowadays and it feels… freeing. Politics? Fuck’em. I’ll vote, but I’m staying out of the fray because it makes not one fuck of a difference whether I let it stir me up or I focus on more worthy endeavors – things that actually help others and myself. Onward.
The boy child is getting married in five weeks!! We’ve had fun helping the bride plan All The Things, the groom occasionally nods yes or no and made one phone call for party bus service and a trip to the tux rental with his buddies. The men have it so easy in this department, you know. We love our daughter in law to be, they’ve been together 8 or so years and she’s really been a part of our family for quite a while now. Cheers to many happy years!
It’s opening season for Stella by the Sea – the lawn has been mowed several times already, pots filled with geraniums, little garden plot has tomatoes, basil and parsley, bedding washed, pillows sunned/aired out, refridge restocked, floors washed, bathroom cleaned, windows cleaned – kayak back out on the wall – we’re ready! Why.. when we have a big vegetable garden at home, do we plant one at Stella?…. because it just always feels to me like a plot of soil needs a patch of garden, no matter how tiny. If I had an apartment in the city, I’d have plants in the windowsills. But my soul would wither there, I do believe.
Photo courtesy Ben Kuropat and his drone – he takes amazing photos of our cove. Out in the distance are the Thimble Islands – Stella is in the little heart outline.
The geese have been marching their babies up and down the cottage community road as they switch from the marsh to the cove, back and forth.
This year for the first time I have seen what appears to be a juvenile Lion’s mane jellyfish – a bit pale in color but behaving robustly, inspecting the oyster beds in front of Stella. Notice the much smaller variety in the bottom of the picture – there are many in the water this year.
Meanwhile, back on the farm – everything’s blooming! Have you found that all flowering things are extremely lush this year? The lilacs here in New England are absolutely beautiful. The wild violets carpet the forest floor, even the daffodils where planted seem to have multiplied heartily. Our garden up on the hill is planted – the Mr. went overboard with potatoes but.. plenty to give away, right? Every year we discuss shrinking the garden because it’s a lot of work and so much is given away. We shrink it initially – but somehow it balloons back out. This picture was taken last week. Since then, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, oregano have been planted where the ground is bare here and the leaves have unfurled more on the trees.
The goat girls, horses, chickens and dogs are thriving, all give us hours of work but definitely also the pleasures and therapy that only animals can bring to our lives. We nurture them, they nurture our souls.
Kai’s 1 year adoption day anniversary was May 15th – we’ve come a long way in that year. Kai has gotten me out on the trails again, getting great exercise and building a trusting relationship with him. He’s gone from practically feral to a wonderful companion – sleeps between the Mr. and I on the bed even – it’s all good. I find adopting rescues so very rewarding, even when initially very trying.
Then….
Now….
The girl child and her guy are enjoying their home nextdoor and we love having everyone on the outskirts of the farm. Chores are shared, meals are shared, garden produce and eggs distributed. We respect each other’s privacy and have managed not to get on each other’s last nerve, it’s truly a blessing. My son and fiance are just over the hill.
My newest painting on the easel is a simple thing, marbles in a mason jar on a window sill. Still much to get done here, what a lesson in patience this is. I’m learning as I go, and I make plenty of mistakes, but the therapy of art is a beautiful thing and doesn’t cost much at all. I’ve always loved marbles and glass in all it’s forms of art. I have an extensive glass art collection I’ll post one of these days.
Trying to slim down a bit for the gown I will wear to my son’s wedding, I’ve been making some lighter, healthier recipes lately. Here’s one that was a big hit, so delicious… give it a try if you like quiche – farm fresh eggs make it even better.
Ending this post with a few words of inspiration below – wishing you well, and thank you for stopping by my little corner of the world.
Till soon –
How are you digesting all that awful information out there, is it weighing heavy as it is with me? I just cannot fathom the depths of evil pooled in a man like P*tin and the mentality of those who willingly follow his lead. How do you march and drive and fly and angle your weapon into a peaceable country and start obliterating innocent people and all the things they have built and lived in and loved, and live with yourself afterward. How do you admire the man who tells you to do so? And how does that evil man think he can ever gain whatever little thread of respect he had in this world, now that he has proven himself to be another version of H*tler. He is destroying his own country along with his decimation of Ukran*an cities, how did he ever believe this would be a big win for him?
Why such evil exists in a world where we could truly all live in harmony and without basic need if we would all just rise to that simple concept… is beyond my comprehension. It would be so easy. How did we evolve into something so different. Well…. some of us. This is where the concept of an all seeing, all loving, all knowing, all powerful Creator fails me. It feels more like we were an experiment that is failing, rapidly. Or was he/she/they like the surgeon who’s intent is to save a life but nicks a main artery in the process and we slowly bleed out. If you find comfort in religion, my intent is not to mock your beliefs. I just don’t see it, with all my heart I don’t feel it. I believe more in the power of good people and I pray for that most of all.
I am so impressed by the tenacity, the raw courage of the Leader and people of Ukra*ne. I hope they prevail, I hope they will be able to return to their country and rebuild, despite the destruction, and I hope we all live to see it. My prayers for them are simple.. I am a spiritual person, if not religious. I pray they rise like a phoenix from the ashes and overcome the monster’s attempted extermination. And I pray this country gets it’s shit together and finds more unity among us, rising from the ashes of the political discourse that is also so.. unnecessary. Don’t we all want the same basic things? We do, if you don’t fall for the talking heads with their own agendas.
I have one tattoo on my 57 year old body – and it is the phoenix, it is my prayer.
Looking out over this pink dawn, my mind can’t erase the images and videos of the absolute evil destruction of a peaceful people’s country by a cunning soulless madman. The rest of the world should be standing with them, defending their lives with the might of the many. We don’t… and we won’t … because we have invented weapons that can destroy us all and the earth we inhabit, and a Third World War would most likely end us all … hard to imagine such stupidity and such hate. And yet here we are. Letting a madman have his way, so many innocent lives lost… again.
Again.
Again. 💔
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.
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…
There is a little island jutting off another little island (Mason’s Island) just a causeway away from the towns of Stonington and Mystic here in Connecticut that is open to the public year round. I’m surprised it’s taken me all these years to discover it, but here we are. It is described as follows: Enders Island is an 11-acre island off the coast of Mystic, Connecticut and the site of St. Edmund’s Retreat, an independently owned and operated Catholic Retreat Center. The ministry of Enders Island is dedicated to the work of spiritual care, recovery from addiction, and education in a variety of fine arts within the Christian tradition—both in-person and online.
Mom had cataract surgery last week and I had a few hours to spend during her procedure. Enders was nearby so I went exploring this lovely, serene place. I had the place almost to myself and it was indeed a cold winter day, but the wind was gentle and the sight of it all was warming in a way that is hard to describe. There are some memorials scattered about, I don’t know whether there are remains on the property or if these are just stone testaments to the love people had for them. The little chapel at waterfront is full of messages and little gifts for the deceased who are dearly missed…
I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking here…
This little chapel is obviously a place of great solace for many.
Standing out on the rocks in front of that little chapel, I felt the power and the calm of the sea, the air, the solid footing below me that has been there for eons. There was the peace of the many souls who created and embelish this sanctuary, the peace of those who visit this place along their journey, both among us and beyond…. a peace this weary soul needed.
Till soon, friends –
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.
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 –
… 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…
