Category: Uncategorized

An Irish Christmas Tale

 

Paddy was working in his woodwork shop making toys for the lads and lasses. He was hover’n over a saw machine when a wood piece slipped and he cut off all of his fingers. Off to the hospital rushed he.

The doctor asks him “Did you bring your fingers?”

Poor Paddy in tearful pain says “No.”

Doc says “Ah now Paddy, with our modern medical technology we could’ve sewn them back on as good as new. Why didn’t you bring the fingers??”

 And Paddy looks at him and screams “How de feck could I pick dem up????”

Rain, darn it.

 Oh, how I wanted snow.  The husband not so much. He’s probably doing a happy dance as I type, because when it snows,  for him it means a lot of plowing.

  This is what I see as I look out my office window… we are blessed with a neighborhood full of older colonial homes and I am grateful daily to be surrounded by the old New England charm.

  Although it’s hard to see in this photo, when we look out the back windows we have Mrs. N’s awesome log cabin up on the hill.  Our previous home had beautiful grounds, but it was set way back off the road. What I find I am enjoying most in our move to This Old House is the proximity to neighbors… seeing lights on across the street or over at Mrs. N’s. 
 See the dreariness of this morning?  For all of you who are complaining of snow…
YES, send me that semi truck full. I’ll accept the delivery.

 The eldest child is home from college for winter break
 and she has joined me in making cookies
for the christmas cookie collection.
We tried something new this year and it came out delicious!!
Have you seen these in the store? 
You should be able to find them in the baking section.
   Recipe is on back, similar to Choc chips.. YUM.

 

More Blog Love

 See the button on the right over there?  Everybody needs a little…

 Yeah, well no one needs the aggravation of trying to figure out how to make the “codes” of a blog button work if you don’t really know what you’re doing.  So after two hours of cursing the machine, I went to the expert –  Di of The Blue Ridge Gal.  She saved me with the flash of an SOS.  Go ahead, click on it.. it works!   The jingle, by the way, is a song written and sung by Mikes partners son, James.  Not bad, huh? 

Thanks, Di –

 And.. look what arrived in the mail from Misha in the Tennesee mountains!…. a moose, a snowman and a PEACE pillow.   Misha, your christmas card was beautiful too, Thank you.

 We had a serious winter sky early this evening… I’m hoping for snow.

The Reason

   I was asked recently why I like to blog.
 “What’s the appeal? You’re having mini conversations
 with people you don’t even know and might never meet!”
       The appeal?  It’s the human connection…the commiserating, shared creativity,
virtual visits to parts of the world and occupations and customs
I may never experience in person. 
 A room with a different view.  
We laugh together, cry together and  sometimes for each other.
We share ideas and recipes and remedies. 
Blogland is a village of sorts, complete with idiots,
but I try to avoid those.

 I received cookies in the mail today from Hilary of
Crazy As A Loom ….
…not helping me with the “Lead me not into temptation” thing…
but these sure hit the spot with a nice cup of tea
on a bone-cold winter day.
Thank you, Hilary.

Looking around This Old House, I see I may have gone hog-wild with the decorating and I’m wondering, too late,  who’s gonna help me put it all away. My family finds 2,000 things of more importance to do when it comes time to take it all down.
I found this sign at one of the casino shops last week –

 And this one is perfect for This Old House, much to the husband’s chagrin.
.  
I am a sucker for vintage snowmen, and these two are my favorite. 
They are keeping Henry company on the kitchen island.
 
I picked up this throw on sale at TJMaxx,
now lets see how much it sheds on the couch.
Can’t be worse than the dog.

Thank you to all of you who comment and commiserate here at
This Old House.
You’re all part of the journey and I’m grateful for your presence.

Elizabeth Edwards

 I am so sad for this woman. My heart broke open  when I saw tonights’  headlines declaring she had lost her battle with cancer.  Ever since her estranged husbands run for the presidency and the story that slowly unfolded, I was hoping for a decent ending to her story. I don’t know what that would have been…but it doesn’t seem fair that she should have had to endure the loss of her son,  a battle with cancer and  the painful fallout from her husbands’ affair – the loss of her marriage, and ultimately, her life.

 Her own words speak volumes about the kind of woman she was.

“The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human” But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.”

If there is truly a hereafter and justice is served – I hope she is walking hand in hand with her beloved son, catching up on the years that have passed.  Rest in Peace, Elizabeth Edwards.

Twilight

   Do I admit that I am a fan of Stephenie Meyers Twilight Series?  And do I throw my sister and my good friend Joey under the bus and tell you they’re just as bad as I am?  Heck yeah, I’m not going it alone 🙂 

  I have ALWAYS been a Vampire fan, and I find True Blood to be a bit campy and cheap and I just don’t watch it.  I’m in it for the gorgeous scenery and the romance, and maybe even the anquish, because there is plenty of that to go around.

  I read all four Twilight novels in nine days… couldn’t put them down.  Joey and I along with a few other mid-lifers went to see each of the movies as they came out with the exception of the most recent one, “Eclipse”. Matinee hours,  to be less conspicuous.  We were not alone. There were plenty of mid-life-wifes there and each of us gasped in unison at the appropriate moments.  

 The DVD  for Eclipse has just come out and I grabbed a copy today. I need the Closed Caption now a days to really enjoy a movie, even though the scenery in it is worthy without sound.  There will be a private showing tonight in my home and there might  just be chocolate wine, guacamole and chips involved.

  Go ahead and laugh if you will, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

Mohegan Sun Casino

 Yesterday Mah Baybeee gambled for the first time!  Good Gawd when did I get this old?  Although can I gush for a minute?… one of the slot maintenance gurus said my daughter and I look like sisters.  Yes, I know part of his job is to make everyone joyful so they’ll dump more money in the slots,  just hush.

 We live within 45 minutes of  both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos and occasionally head up there for dinner and a vacuum suck of about $300. of our hard-earned cash because we never ever win anything there, ever. .  I should point out that we aren’t much for gambling. It’s more of a once a year something-different thing to do.    Anyway… I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times, but the place was half empy when we got there around 2:00pm  and throughout the night there weren’t many “winning” bells and whistles going off.  Lots of people staring at machines with blank faces, mechanically hitting the spin button or pulling the lever just for something different.  I did a lot of people watching, and I noticed some folks actually have a pattern they follow… hit the button, pull the lever twice. (you have the option).  Or, there’s a rythym to their button hitting or lever pulling. Either way, they are mesmerized.

 That’s my mom next to my girl,  being a bad influence.

 Mike’s hand on the wheel of (mis)fortune.

  We had a good time, celebrating my MIL’s birthday and her oldest grandchilds new gambling status. Burgers and steaks at Michael Jordan’s joint, slots for a few hours until fingers were pryed off slot levers. The kid came out the winner, up $83. 

 Shopping area with a Dale Chihuly  glass sculpture…

Here’s what Mohegan has to say about itself:   A world at play and a world to its own, Mohegan Sun, created in 1996 by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, is one of the world’s most amazing destinations with some of New England’s finest dining, hotel accommodations, retail shopping, live entertainment and sporting events. Boasting three world-class casinos, Mohegan Sun is also host to the Kids Quest/Cyber Quest family entertainment facility, a luxurious day spa, convention center and meeting facility, a state-of-the-art Poker Room as well as three major entertainment venues with seating from 300 to 10,000. People from across the globe come to see live concerts with some of today’s top headliners, along with major sporting events including Mohegan Sun’s very own WNBA team, the Connecticut Sun.
Every turn leads to a new adventure with an indoor 55-foot waterfall, and electrifying water wall, the world’s largest and most spectacular indoor planetarium dome and the awe-inspiring Wombi Rock, a glowing crystal mountain made of imported stone that serves as the focal point of Casino of the Sky.

And it’s all that.

Christmas Blooms

  Did you know that the plant we know as the poinsettia was once used as a fever medicine?  The poinsettia is a native of Southern Mexico. The Aztecs used it for practical things, like the extracted purplish dye used in textiles and cosmetics.  The milky white sap of the poinsettia, which we call latex today, was used in the fever treatment.   The Founder of the Smithsonian Institution, Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851) had attended medical school and had an interest in botany.  When he discovered Poinsettia plants in the Taxco area, he sent them home to his South Carolina plantations, where he grew them and gave them to friends and botanical gardens.  One of those friends, a nurseryman… began selling them under the now famous name, Poinsettia. 

For those of you who are local, Acer Gardens in Deep River has a terrific selection at good prices this year. They carry a huge selection of bows and wreaths too.. the two on my header are from their shop.

 I have two crazy geraniums who are still thriving on my back porch.  I’m going to try to keep them happy all winter, anyone have any tips?  There is a small heater back there that we turn on when we want to sit out there. The sun warms it up during the day and it is glassed in for the winter.

Christmas at This Old House

 

 December has arrived, and with it the craziness of the Holiday season.  I’ve decorated This Old House for the first time in the spirit of Christmas, but I wish I could tell you I was feeling more of the joy.  With the passing of the “Thankful” holiday, while there is much I am grateful for, the flip side are the worrysome issues that remain.  Their weight is heavy, I’m finding they don’t mingle well with this time of shopping, spending and our tendency towards overindulgence.

  Mike’s proffession in particular has taken a hard hit in this down-turn of the economy. Along with us there are many subcontractors, craftsmen and laborers who are out of work or watching their business of 30 years dwindle and in some cases, close up entirely. Homes are being lost to the bank, life savings and retirement funds being used up for today’s survival, mom and pop stores closing for good. (our artisan shop among them). There are family and friends struggling with health issues and money woes and relationship crisis and we are not immune.  As for the job market, which I am scouring daily, it’s currently a dismal landscape.

  In the news this week is the story of a deranged father who has “displaced” his three sons after attempting suicide and admitting himself to a hospital.  He will not say where they are…what an  a**.  The police are not hopeful.  I keep thinking of what the boys’ poor mother is going through, you’de have to shoot me to end the insanity.  I am praying they will find those boys alive and give her back her life.

 As for the state of this country’s affairs. I’m not even going there.  I’ve decided to avoid the news all together because there is surely not much I can do in my little corner of the universe to fix any of that.

SO… in an attempt to create an escape for my family and myself, I have decorated just about EVERYTHING that stands still in This Old House. If you’re idle for more than a few minutes around here, you’re in danger of the same fate.

Dining room (keeping room)

 Kitchen (also part of keeping room area)

 My Christmas Cactus bloomed for Thanksgiving
 My tree collection at the dog sink in the downstairs bath
side entry mud room

 This is Country Girl Kate’s cardinal photo…

In the mancave, nutcrackers stand guard

 mitten and snowflake tree in upstairs hall

family room

 According to a google search: A candle placed in the window is  a traditional practice in many cultures with a variety of meanings. Throughout the history of man a campfire has represented warmth and security. It is the barrier between the safe and the unsafe in an untamed and unfriendly wilderness. Over the course of history, as we have moved our campfires into our homes, there, the hearth has represented these very same things. The family hearth has been the center of activity because of its warmth and practical use for food preparation. 
 In most cultures a Candle in the Window was used to signal a Family’s loyalty to a loved one who was away traveling. It let that person know the family awaited their return and the hearth was warm and waiting for them. In Ireland during times of religious persecution, the Window Candle signaled the location of religious
services.  In Colonial America a Candle in the Window was used to honor dignitaries, announce births and just plain celebrate.  
  The candles in the windows of This Old House are lit for those who are struggling. My hope is that the holiday season will bring peace and joy, good news and resolutions to all who are in need. One of my favorite quotes… “It’s better to light a candle than curse the dark”.   Amen to that.