Uncategorized – Page 106 – This Old House 2

Only in winter…

…can we dog people bring our canine companions down to walk the beaches.

The winter has been so mild, I’m taking advantage of every good walking day…

“It is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears.

We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea–whether it is to sail or to watch it–we are going back from whence we came.”

– John F. Kennedy

Raw

That’s all she wrote today…Mother Nature.

I had some plans.

I wanted to take Ben down to the beach for a walk

but it’s too raw.

I wanted to go up to the barn and brush the horses…

but it’s too damp.

So..I did what I had to… cleaned the stalls and the chicken coop,

did my yoga and attempted a peaceful mind (ha!) for these achy shoulders.neck.back..

took a shower and shook off the chills…

and trudged out into the grey day in my trusty Jeep.

(have I told you lately how much I love my Jeep?)

I looked over some good second cut hay that will be delivered tomorrow
(because OUR hay was wet when baled, and then turned moldy – live and learn)

and I did the weekend grocery shopping a day early.
There’s a loaf of Banana Bread in the oven…

with chocolate chips added just because I can.

I am attempting to eat Gluten and Dairy free

whilst still feeding my family the stuff we usually eat.

Oh, that’s fun.

Not.

“No, you can’t make the bed! I’m still in it!!”

I usually make the bed before I leave to do anything in the morning.

Something about leaving an unmade bed doesn’t feel right.

Today when I left for hay and grocery detail…

I left the bed unmade.

I actually thought about it while I was out and about.

When I came home I thought about leaving it unmade, period.

It’s made.

I am not OCD. I’m not even a cleaning nut.

When did I become so anal about bedmaking, I ask you.

I think this is the prettiest rose I have ever seen…

husband sent some to me and some to grown-up girl…

because sometimes that’s how he rolls 🙂

I hope you’re having a good day, gloomy or not.

As I type this, the dogs are at my feet

and the aroma of almost done banana bread threads through the house.

I hope you are surrounded by things that bring you Joy too…

Life.Is.Good

Dirt

Some of you might remember the Chicken Sh*t saga.

This fall we finally spread the last of it, then regraded the entire field behind the

horse barn, and left a big pile of the extra dirt from the regrade

on the edge of the field to ferment futher.

We fortified the soil in the field with lime too, for better quality hay growth this coming season.

Valentines Day was spent redistributing the extra dirt,

with a hired dump truck to haul it to another farm that is using it to dry out their fields.

Since I don’t run with the big dogs when they’re digging in the dirt,

I wandered off to the old bottle dump behind the farm with my camera.

Back at the house, I noticed such rich purple/gold hues in my chocolate coral bell patches…

during a normal winter season these would be crispy brown leaves under snow.

If you’re still with me here, I forgot to announce the winner of the Peanut Butter coupons from

Peanut Butter and Company – Tgannon!! He’s already been notified.

Thank you for all your kind words on yesterday’s post regarding the many

different views of Love. It was so much fun.

And just so ya know, often I try to reply to a comment left here,

so many of you say such nice things or ask a question.

But there are still quite a few readers who have that function turned off,

so I can’t reply. If you wish to change that… here’s how.

Love is…

Unconditional

OXOXO

This picture has so much meaning to me and truly represents LOVE! The “I ♥ U” is how my husband and I have always signed our notes to each other and we even had it engraved in our wedding bands. The heart in the middle is actually my 6 year old’s handprints made into a heart shape. She IS my heart and every time I look at my mantle, it just warms my soul. ~ Kathryn

OXOXO

Carolina

OXOXO

This picture is not a great picture, my niece posted it on facebook
for me to see. But to me this is love. My brother is a Vietnam Vet,
one of those guys that went off as a young man and came back as a
troubled soul who never really came back at all. He is holding his
first grandchild, a baby boy named Ethan. This little guy gave my
brother something to hang on to, when he was ready to let go.
This picture speaks to me of hope.
~ Joyce Ann
OXOXO

Sisterly love

~ Sally

OXOXO

The Blue Ridge Gal

OXOXO

The attached photo of Shane and I (1999) in Minnesota before we were married.

I adore this photo. And to tell the truth, we still act like this, some 13 years later. 🙂

Nancy ~

OXOXO

My two grandchildren – sister and brother – at the zoo. ~Meryl

OXOXO

I took this last summer out on the pontoon. It is a shot of my daughter and her husband, who have been married 13 years, and still in love.

– Muffy

OXOXO

My mother died on Tuesday after a decade long struggle with Alzheimers…

I was playing with colored wire while notifying people about her death on the phone and got this.

Seemed right that it was laying on paper towel… she was ‘ordinary’ and ‘everyday’ and good to have around!

~ Donna

OXOXO

~Joey

OXOXO

My Vintage cupid that is just hanging around, ready to shoot at anytime.

He’s a little tattered but still adorable!

– Patti

Cracks

We all have them.

Our individual weakness may vary greatly,

but none of us is completely whole, perfect, unbreakable.

I know I have my issues, fissures… cracks in the facade.

I’m grateful I don’t have to expose them to the world…

or even worse..

the world isn’t casting a light on me, trying to find them.

Can you imagine the pressure. To be perfect.

To perform every single time. To have to do the inevitable…

age…change… in a world that shows no forgiveness.

To have every mistake scrutinized,

your weakness magnified, exposed…Publicly.

I don’t ever want to know what that’s like.

For all the luxuries, the priviledge, the adventure…

still…

Big price, they pay… for reaching that bright star…

and how quickly it’s tossed to the universe.

Rest in Peace.. finally.. Whitney Houston.

Finding Color on a Grey Day

Today was a very typical grey New England day…

..and I read somewhere that when you’re having a grey day,

go create something to chase the blues.

So I looked for different hues with my camera…

reds of old barns and greens of mosses…

white rushing waters and black and brown cows.

Come take a ride to Devils Hopyard and Chapman Falls…

with a few stops in between…

Roamy’s home!!!!

…and with him arrived a bit of a mystery.

Click below to find out more, and if you’ve got the answer?

… well, spill it!

http://theroaminggnome2011.blogspot.com/2012/02/roamy-comes-home.html

Spreading the Love

The folks at Peanut Butter and Co. liked my comment on their facebook page and the fact that I blogged about it. They rewarded me with two coupons for a FREE JAR of their delicious stuff, no purchase necessary, and a handful of dollar off coupons. I’m gonna spread that love even further. Tell me in the comments section below how you like YOUR peanut butter, and I will use the random generator on Friday to pick the winner of the coupons.