Middle aged musings from farm & hearth
Look who landed on the feeder outside my kitchen sink window this morning. I’ll admit, I was grumbling about the mess in the sink. (Dish washing is my least favorite chore.) I looked up, and there he was.
Blue birds are my favorite of all the bird species. They don’t normally populate feeders, preferring berries and bugs along the edge of fields. This little guy, in doing something out of the ordinary, seemed to be sending me a message.
I’m listening.
A few of us barn girls spent a glorious halloween afternoon riding along the Air Line Rail Trail. For those of you who live in or around Connecticut, this is an awesome resource for biking, hiking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, walking, dog walking and running. Even young children can enjoy it, for the terrain is flat and easy to navigate. I will warn you that the high elevation of some of the bridges and portions of the trail system require caution, especially when you’re riding a 1000 lb. animal who might jump to the side if spooked. My trusty steed behaved, thank you to The Powers That Be.
Very Brief History of the Rail Trail – Two of the most important cities in the United States in the mid-1800s were Boston and New York City. To build a railroad on the straight line between the two cities, diagonally through Connecticut and Southeast Massachusetts, had long been a dream of various railroad investors and engineers. The “Air Line” route got its name from the idea that the railroad would follow a path as “if a line had been drawn through the air” between the two cities.
The idea eventually took shape after much trial and tribulation, corruption and re-organization. However..in the long run and moving forward a hundred years – by the 1960’s there was flood damage to many of the bridges and it was no longer profitable to run certain sections of the rail trail. It slowly became defunct, although certain portions are still in use today.
Once certain parts of the line were abandoned, the state of Connecticut stepped in to oversee the property. The section of the Airline from East Hampton to Willimantic, from Willimantic to Putnam, and in Thompson were placed under the control of the Department of Environmental Protection. The state government in the 1980s began planning the 50 plus mile greenway corridor from Portland to Thompson which would become one of New England’s most treasured recreation paths.
The information I posted here and the complete history of the train service can be found on this site.
My photos don’t do the trail justice, as I had only my iphone and the fear of falling off the side of the cliff should my horse decide to do the unthinkable. Fear-based iphone pics generally suck.
… It’s what you see.
And so, my girl turns twenty one.
Seems like just yesterday we were heading out of those big glass hospital doors, you safely tucked in your car seat dressed in way too much clothing. If I had my way there would have been bubble wrap too, and all cars would have been ordered off the streets until we got you safely home. I remember thinking to myself ..” Are they really letting me out of here with this tiny little baby?….I’m going to be trusted with this little life all by myself, without a nurse nearby just in case? What if I make a mistake? “
I’m sure I’ve made mistakes, but there has been so much joy and love along the way, and it’s been my privilege and pleasure to have raised such a wonderful human being. You have taught ME a few lessons in courage, strength and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Dad and I are so proud of all you have accomplished, and we look forward to witnessing the wonderful life you have ahead of you….
Happy 21st Birthday to our Bean, Cookie, the doo, Kristabell, Cookie Crumb…
21 lessons of life, learning and love
Originally written by Cheryl-Anne Millsap
1. Learn to forgive. Hurtful things are going to happen to you. Learn to let it go. Carrying a grudge is like trying to climb Mount Everest with a boulder in your backpack. It weighs you down and holds you back.
2. Say “I love you” and say “I’m sorry.” These really are the magic words. Learn when to say them, say them often, and mean it when you say them.
3. Be a child. Open your eyes every morning like you are opening them for the first time. Look closely at the world around you and find your place in it.
4. Never stop learning. Whenever you can, turn off the television and pick up a book. Take a class. Learn another language. Try something new. Travel. Explore the world around you. Exercise your mind.
5. Use what you’ve learned. You came into this world as helpless as any creature could be. But, by now, you should have most of the tools you’ll need to survive and thrive. Make good use of them.
6. Lose your ego. You won’t miss it.
7. Ask questions and question the answers. When you get the chance, ask a question. Search for the answers and when you think you’ve found them, look again.
8. Listen. Listen to music, to the birds and to the voices of people all around you. Listen to what they say and to what they aren’t saying. Listen to the little voice inside you.
9. Never lose your self respect. It’s the one thing you can take with you.
10. Hold a baby. Even if you never have one of your own, hold a baby in your arms now and then. Cradle them. Breathe the scent of a newborn. Think about the people who held you.
11. Practice gratitude. Look around you and count your blessings. Count them again.
12. Mind your manners. Make the world a kinder, gentler, place. And for heaven’s sake chew with your mouth closed.
13. Get a job. Learn the value of hard work. You don’t have to be rich or famous or powerful. You don’t have to play sports or be a movie star. Just do what you love and do it well.
14. Make friends but choose them carefully. Surround yourself with people who lift you up. Avoid those who want to drag you down.
15. Take a leap of faith. Sometimes, that’s all you can do.
16. Give until it hurts. Spend time with those you love. Share your thoughts and dreams. Give a little back to those who need it more than you do.
17. Learn the difference in fashion and style. Fashion is what looks good at the moment. Style is what fits you forever.
18. Try something new. Don’t be afraid of change. Break out of a rut. When you get too comfortable, stretch a little to see what happens.
19. Hold onto tradition. Hold onto your history by keeping at least one tradition alive. Cook the family mac and cheese recipe. Tell old stories again and again.
20. Reach out and touch someone. Hold a hand. Give a kiss. Hug someone who needs it.
21. Never forget. Remember that you are loved with a love that knows no bounds.
Count on that.
There were rumors. It had been spotted by more than a few people. Something folks around these parts have never seen before! I wasn’t sure that I believed it…until I caught a flash of silver as I drove by the rumored pond on my way to the grocery store.
This little pond happens to abutt the back of This Old House’s property, and it borders the main drag most people take in and out of town. So yesterday Ben and I took a walk out back to see if we could get a glimpse. I wasn’t hopeful because the trail narrows and the brush gets thick around that pond and who knows whether the silver winged water fowl was still in residence. Or if it had ever existed at all, for that matter.
With hiking boots, tick repellent and stoic resolve we headed into the wilderness, unsure of the length of the journey or it’s outcome. As with all great journeys, there were risks. It’s hunting season after all, so I wore bright yellow and talked nonsense with great frequency and volume.
We avoided the consumption of poisonous berries….
Considered harvesting mushrooms for the evening meal…
Decided against it since I haven’t a clue as to which are edible unless they’ve come
from the grocery store in a cardboard carton…
but the sky was still friendly and the temperatures moderate…so we forged ahead.
Just as I was about to give in and go home, out of the corner of my eye…..
I saw something….
Good Lord, the rumor is true.
Behold the rare silver winged duck.
And there is more than one!
..disappearing into the garage and mysteriously into the woods for an hour or two…
But we knew that already, didn’t we.
Big News on the Gelato front!…
Roba Dolce, the Gelato and Sorbetto Company I have been shamelessly hawking for my husband and his business associates… exhibited at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) 35th Anniversay Gala in Washington, DC this past weekend. Free samples were passed out, and guess who stopped by the booth!?…..
Thank you to Beth of Be Yourself…Everyone Else is taken
for letting me steal this.
* The economy is so bad that I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
* I ordered a burger at McDonald’s, and the kid behind the counter asked, “Can you afford fries with that?”
* CEO’s are now playing miniature golf.
* If the bank returns your check marked “Insufficient Funds,” you have to call them and ask if they mean you or them .
* Parents in Beverly Hills and Malibu are firing their nannies and learning their children’s names.
* A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .
* Motel Six doesn’t leave the light on anymore.
* Congress says they are looking into the Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great!! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear !
…my camera, that is. Although some would say that’s me. *sigh* ….there’s always a critic, isn’t there.
New England can be a dreary place come January and February, when all the snowbirds have scattered down South. I’ll admit I have dreams of a little seaside condo with sugar white sand and gulf waters where I can flee those bitter grey days.
