Category: Uncategorized

Hope Springs Eternal

     One of the biggest mysteries to me right now is how Kelly*nne C*nway and her husband are still married. I know what its like to live with someone with differing political opinions, but their situation takes place on an entirely different playing field. Can you imagine being a fly on that wall at dinner time? And If ever my boss called my spouse, the father of my children, a loser? publicly? … it’s the day I quit my job. I used to think she was pretty dumb to be willing to stand in front of the cameras and spin the lies, twist the words, contort herself to please the man she once called a whiner and unpresidential as she supported T.Cruz.   But it’s evident now she’s ambitious, cunning like her boss, enjoys the theatrics and her place in the WH. 

     As time rolls on, Tr*mp’s mental state becomes more unhinged. He must be exhausted by the end of each day – throwing all those punches continuously.   I can’t feel sorry for a man who lies and cheats and insults and disrespects as if it’s his own form of religion.   His divide and conquer mentality within our own country is a horrible threat to our democracy, it destabilizes us all.   His allegiance to ruthless superpowers who have been trying to destroy America for ages is so alarming.  What’s truly scary for me is…  his supporters don’t see it , or if they see it, they don’t care.   I don’t understand how it can be lost on anyone… the very simplest and biggest truth … and don’t take my word for it – look to the world’s history for the answer… 



    Never until now would I have believed that a man who wasn’t even admired in his home state because he was a cheat, a con, a user,  certainly not a philanthropist, a thrice married  multiple spouse cheating  draft dodging tax evader who called his own daughter a nice piece of ass and was caught saying he just grabs women by the pussy because he can, … would garner such a following by people who would normally be appalled at the behavior.   His total disregard for truth on the little things, let alone the big things,  the environment, animal welfare, our public lands should alarm anyone.   We only have one earth and we’re trashing it –  His rollbacks  in these vital arenas are all about greed, how is this appealing at all?   There’s nothing normal about this cult following, and it’s destroying the fabric of our country with each vile, juvenile, false tweet he puts out.  It’s disgusting.  I am so sad, mad, concerned.. for our Country.  

     When this shitstorm has blown through and we pick up the pieces of our democracy, sew up the rips in the fabric of our communities, our government,  our friendships, even, I hope we finally find a way to  embrace each other  for our differences, work together to heal the divides, respect each other’s voices and hear the concerns, be open to the options so that we can work together to fix what’s so very broken.  

     Am I naive?  Maybe so. But on this, the first day of Spring 2019 ….  I’ll hold on to hope and continue to do what I can where I am to help mend the fabric,  make it stronger than it apparently was.  We each have that power in the little ways we are able – … drops in the ocean with the hope that America will continue to swim,  striving for peace and prosperity and diversity and good will – and continue to be a beacon of hope for all. 

   In the spirit of such… I’ll share with you the first tiny little sprout coming out of the seeds I’ve sown and placed on the window seat in the family room of This Old House…  a little bumble bee cherry tomato is the first to break through – not the mighty beefsteak. Go figure. 



   



54

  Today I am 54 years old. Fifty four.  Five four.  54.  Wow. Seems like yesterday I was a lot younger.   Time flies, my friends.

      I will continue to cherish every day and hopefully every year I am allotted on this earth and I will take a lesson from my aging Dane, Ben.  He’s a cardiac and arthritis patient at this point – has his good days and bad.  Dogs have the great gift of not knowing their mortality. They only know the good days and the bad days.  They celebrate the good by just being, doing, enjoying the moment, whether it’s a good meal, a warm fire,   a romp in the tall grass or  splash in the beach waves with the warm sun on their back.  Bad day?  Rest.   No worries for them about the future or mistakes of the past or even relationship or finance woes.  They just live in the day, and make the best of it without a thought for the rest of it.   Wouldn’t it be grand to have the freedom to do just that.  We CAN do some of that if we allow ourselves – and so I will. 
    So I missed being a leprechaun by mere hours. My mom made my favorite birthday dinner last night – the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal… It was divine.  And while I may not look it,  I have some Irish in me. On this day it’s all in.  🍀
 L-R – Mom, Rex, Daughter K,  Son’s GF and my other girlie, M, and  Me

    I hope you had a good day yesterday and wore a little green, celebrated  with some merry in your step and perhaps your mug too.   May we all take a lesson from dogs and find more ways to enjoy life, less ways to fret over it.

 My favorite Irish blessing – 

Till soon, friends  xo
– Karen

Heated Exchange

      When we bought Stella two years ago, she had been much loved by the previous owner but also neglected. We kept all the rustic charm, she is still a very 1930’s summer cottage, but the things that really needed fixing got fixed and an interior wall was removed so that the tiny  kitchen was open to the seating area that looks out over the cove.  For more details, search the Once Upon a Tide post labels where you’ll find posts on her restoration. 
       At the door to the back deck was the only source of heat,  a gas operated heating stove, one we couldn’t use because it didn’t vent to the outside and so the odor from the burning gas flooded Stella’s small interior. A few days ago we had a new one installed with a vent pipe that goes through the roof.  It still needs to be hooked up, but it will be a beautiful sight to see on chilly spring, summer and fall evenings when we want to take the nip out of the air inside the cottage. 
 The original… 
The new model
      The cottage and surrounding island , or what’s really a peninsula despite it’s name,  have a different vibe in winter months for the obvious reasons – and the cold inside the cottage is bone chilling.  The unmade beds, empty refrigerator and food pantry underline and highlight it.  When we began Stella’s re-do, she was infested with rodents – mice droppings fell from the curtain tops and were embedded in the toaster left from the previous occupant.  There were nests in the seat cushions.  These things in particular freaked the Mr. right out, so he made sure she is now almost airtight, and we don’t have meese in the rafters or the cushions or the toaster anymore. 
  While the guys were installing the new stove, I took a walk around with camera. 
 Stella from the road
 … and from the waterfront 

    Meanwhile, we’ve had some glorious sunsets that 
I’ve captured with the good camera here on the farm

   As I type this, it’s snowy-raining outside and the horses and chickens are waiting for their breakfast –  Spring is just around the corner, you can see it in the light cast across the fields at the end of the day, in the diamond sparkles on the water.  Just don’t look on the ground, where there’s still some of the white stuff that doesn’t scream spring.  Out into that stuff I go….. 

Frosty and Sweet

    As soon as I open my mouth about bringing Spring things in, Mother Nature tells me to curb my enthusiasm. 

  Snow falling on Cedars –  My chicken coop pictured below with the cedar forest a very philanthropic woman named Elizabeth and her husband Ed planted many moons ago here on this little farm. It was upon her death at the age of 95 about 16 years ago at the estate sale that I first laid eyes on the inside of our 1835 farm house and the surrounding grounds and fell in love.  A lot has changed here in the ten years we’ve owned the farm – including the complete resurrection of the house.  One thing that is absolutely as it was – are the cedar forest on the left of us and Pine forest on the right, minus a few trees lost in storms.  I love them 💗 they remind me every day of the thoughtfulness and generosity of the previous occupants of Grace –  (This Old House)   We’ve paid it forward, so to speak – by planting many sugar maples along the dirt roads on the property.  Someday someone will enjoy the shade and glorious colors  and perhaps the syrup made from the the sap of the Mighty Maples we’ve planted. We will at least get to enjoy them as juvenile trees.

  Speaking of Maple Syrup –  I’ve been collecting the sap  from some of our ancient maples when the weather conditions encourage the sap run, and the boys have been dropping the buckets off at the Sugar House at Parmelee Farm.   It’s balm for the soul, this community project.  Residents of our little town have been collecting sap from their trees to add to the big barrels at Parmelee,  helping to fill the distiller,  they’ve been volunteering to fill and label bottles, some even dropping off cookies and snacks for the volunteer force to enjoy while they work.  The Boyscouts and Girlscouts have visited to learn the ancient art of syrup making, as have science classes from the middle school.  All sales of the limited supply of syrup are applied to sustaining the farm and sugar house.

  That label being applied is one I designed for the project –  I’m no professional, but I think it came out pretty darn good in the -winging it- department.

      In these times of truly ugly politics, this community effort for a worthy cause is a beautiful thing indeed.  If you’re feeling discouraged for whatever the reason, I strongly recommend finding a project or organization in a field of your interest that is doing something good in the world – no effort is too small, the commitment does not have to be huge, so don’t let work commitments and the lack of free time discourage you.   It’s balm for the weary soul. 💗

      Till soon, friends… 

Fake

       Along with some of the stuff  around This Old House, I put Spring in my blog header yesterday – just in time for more snow.  I’m not complaining, though – as we’ve honestly had very little snow accumulation this winter. While I love the beauty of it, and it is indeed coming down in a gentle flurry as I gaze out my office window this moment,  I don’t like the work it creates for me on the farm or my boys on the job sites. 
    My mini horses, Coady and Lacey, like living up at the big barn now that they’ve taken over Opie’s stall.   In the photo below they were begging for peppermints – spoiled kids, they are! We all  still miss my favorite redhead, probably always will.   Opie was certainly the leader of the herd, and that’s more evident now than ever.  The other two Max’s… our retired show horse and my friends horse seen in the pic below, still look out over the fields wondering when he’ll come trotting over the hill.  They don’t venture into the upper pasture without him – they walk up to the opening in the stone wall but they don’t go through it – as if they’re wary of what could be out there.  Or what’s no longer out there to protect them.  Without his leadership they seem a little lost, a little adrift.  They don’t particularly like each other, these two old men – and so more often than not, they stand  grazing or gazing, far apart in the field, where they used to tag alongside Opie wherever he went.  
   

    Coady and Lacey have each other, crying for the other if we separate them for even a few minutes.  Animals form relationships, they care about each other, they miss each other when one leaves – don’t ever doubt it.

 Every so often,  our Max hears something on the wind he must think is a whinny from Opie, and he returns the call, over and over again until finally no answer brings Opie back and he gives up.  Breaks my heart.

   It does my soul good to give this old man the retirement he so deserves after many years as a faithful servant to several different showfolk.   I wish his buddy were here to enjoy that retirement with him.  We were supposed to grow old together, me and that redhead –  Wouldn’t it be something to be reunited with those we loved and the animals that were also a part of our lives, when our time here  is up. I’ll continue to hope. 
       So why the post title, FAKE?  let me ‘splain…. I took a walk on the wild side and ordered the cowhide rug I’ve been coveting for many years.  Something about that look has always appealed to me but we didn’t have quite the right spot for it or the appropriate decor and no one else up here in this house approved.  One other little detail… I couldn’t get past the idea that I’d be walking on and looking at the actual hide of a cow – one who walked the earth and cherished his or her life as much as I did mine.  That’s kinda silly and hypocritical thinking, since I’ve certainly owned leather shoes and jackets, gloves, and I eat meat.  Still – I couldn’t do it, go figure. 
   Until… I saw these on Overstock for a decent price.  
 ( I love the abode depicted in this photo but it’s not very cozy, is it. Seriously… who’s gonna sit in that hard little chair and settle in with a good book or  watch a netflix original?  That chair right there reminds me of the little desk chairs in grade school that most of us couldn’t wait to get out of) 
   Fake cow hide rugs! that actually look real… LOVE! 💗  They come in a few different hide patterns, this is the one I chose.   Now.. I don’t have the magical touch some designers have where they can through a whole bunch of different elements and styles and vintage and new pieces into a room and it comes out looking fabulous. But.. what I do throw together at least I hope looks inviting, or warm, or interesting, or something along those lines.  
   It was delivered today in all this snow, and here’s where I threw it.   The Wingback chairs were given to us by the previous occupant of  our home and have moved around the house periodically – not of their own steam, thankfully.  What do you think?   I’m still not sure it belongs, but who’s writing the rules, anyway?

    

Weighing In

   Have you been watching M*chael C*hen’s testimony?  I did something I’ve been putting off for a year instead.  I cleaned my kitchen cabinets.  Not the dishes one or the bowls one or the glasses one. Those are easy… I’m talking the cooking spices and oils one, the junkdrawer-but-it’s-a-cabinet one, the other glasses one that turned into everything but the kitchen sink.   The baking supplies one…The coffee mugs and pods and filters one.   I got so giddy with all that –organization – that I then turned the corner into the pantry and attacked the medicine cabinet that is also the pets and livestock medicine cabinet.  My husband is Type A all the way, so for him, coming home to a kitchen and pantry full of neatness and ducks in a row is better than sex.  He was a happy camper last night for sure. 
   Meanwhile, I did tune in to the news now and then just to see if any bombs went off.  Nope… stuff we already knew…. it was just highlighted and underlined.   Although those who still support Tr$mp don’t really care, I know this.  
     Who would have ever believed that a man who cheats heavily on his taxes and refuses to divulge them, a man who has never lifted a finger to help the common man, a man who dodged the draft by having his wealthy father pay off a doctor to falsify his medical records, a man who has cheated again and again on wife number 1, 2 and 3… has four bankruptcies and many failed businesses and unpaid contractors and lawsuits under his belt,  a man who repeatedly lies day after day and this is proven time after time, a man who attacks anyone who does not bow to him or questions policy he’s driving, a man who’s MO is to divide this country, not unite it… would have a following, enough to get him elected, enough to continue to follow him, apparently right over a cliff.    It’s dumbfounding. 
     The G0P attacks C*hen as a liar, while they defend the Liar in Chief… The only Lie C*hen originally told was that Tr$mp did nothing wrong.  How’s that for irony.   It’s truly hypocrisy at it’s boldest.   At least to me, The G0P has destroyed it’s own credibility – First they laughed at the notion that he could win the nomination, calling him things we know he truly is… then they bowed to the King, now defending him because he is currently their only ticket on the train.  
     Meanwhile – during that testimony – the personalities of those doing the questioning came through loud and clear.  Some of the old regime, Dems and Reps alike,  sounded shrill and stupid and holier than thou.   The ones who came up with the most effective questioning were women, in particular the enthusiastic freshman so many like to attack, A0C.   It’s true, sometimes she comes off as the overzealous puppy at the dog pound, but she’s coming through slowly but surely with an honest evaluation of the clusterfuck we have now.   As I’ve said before, I don’t align with any one particular party, I want to hear what they all have to say and I want to believe in the good intentions and vote on the right path for the troubles of our time.   Views to the extreme in any one direction – right or left – won’t be effective or practical – that’s what I feel, anyway.  Some of her ideas are not realistic, and she may be the rookie, but she is genuine and in many cases spot on, and  it’s clear she isn’t bought by anyone. 
If you don’t agree with these words below and you were chanting “Drain the Swamp”… what swamp were you looking to drain? 
      
    In the end, I believe Mr. C*hen was telling the truth – he’s got nothing to gain now by speaking out.   He described the thug many of us already knew occupied those presidential suites, he underlined what was already written on the wall.   Many people who voted for him knew he was not stellar, but they wanted a big change, they wanted someone who wasn’t bought, not an old school politician. What they got was far worse, and I will continue to hope enough of them can’t in good conscience continue to abide the level of division and deceit in the web he’s been spinning since election.  I hope they see him for who he really is, and decide our country is worthy of something better.  I truly believe this Country we all love is in big trouble, and I pray We the People will  eventually, sooner rather than later,  right the ship. 
     Speaking of ships – my mother repeatedly reminds me that getting upset over all that we cannot control is not good for the fibromyalgia… lol… and I know it’s so!   This quote below…. truth that can be applied just about anywhere…. 
‘
It’s a new day, all – let’s make it the best it can be. 
  

Fresh Air

       While it’s still definitely winter ’round these parts, and I’m about to trudge out into my “morning commute” in hat gloves, two jackets and boots to prove it,  I’ve been freshening things up inside Gracie (this old house). I asked my mom yesterday whether it was too soon to put out the Spring Things – and she said “no, I’ve put away winter already, it gets old, dull”.  
     
       So I did just that – and  then drove to the nearest crafts store – which is Joann’s Fabrics.  Their Spring Things are already 40-50 percent off, so I decided to make a few wreaths for the front double door, and I scored a few ready-made wreaths for my mom and I, too.  (Because MOMs… you only get one, and mine is my very best friend).  

 I’ll share the finished product when done. 
My ready-wreath find… 
 Last week we repainted the bedroom –  it used to be a celery green.
Now, what Benjamin Moore calls Cake Batter, a soft buttery off white. 
I replaced the bedding too – going for a very neutral look
Belgian Flax Linens – a combo from Pottery Barn and Pine Cone Hill
The lamps replaced a few we’ve had for many years,
now living in the dining room.
Hard to see in this photo, but they are glass wrapped in a light
 black chicken wire.  Inexpensive finds at HomeGoods, 
and I love them. 
The drapes – Restoration Hardware – also belgian linen, lined, 
Keep heat in and cold out,  but they
do let some light in, which is what I was looking for. 
They are an investment, I usually go with cheap curtains,
but they’ll last if cared for properly. 
 Frasier approves. 
 The painting above the bed I found last week browsing a nearby antiques mall. 
It is an original painting by  Robert C. Benham…
a New England artist in the early to mid 1900’s. 
His paintings usually go for around $300-$400 if you find one,
and this was leaning against other stuff on the floor, dirty, with a chippy frame.
I love chippy frames – and the grime comes off with a good
careful  wiping down… 
So I offered $170, and the offer was accepted. 
These bits of paper are taped on the back. 
The painting depicts
“Trail to Burnt Head”  – which is located in Maine. 
      So, while Gracie is sporting a little Spring Bling inside… outside is quite a different story…  The view out my kitchen sliders below…. 
        And if you peer out my kitchen sink window,  my favorite doves are giving me that look –  “What’s wrong with this picture, Karen.  Seed’s awful low”. 
Notice the maple syrup collecting bag and buckets are empty right now… in order for sap to run, we must have cold temps over night, warming up during the day. If  temps remain cold, the sap remains dormant. 

So up to the barn I go, to tend these family members…
Coady is sporting new shoes –  his soft ride gel boots, which
help him  be more comfortable with a condition he’s had for years –
 Cushings Disease with a side of laminitis flare up caused by it. 

   The girls hunting for tidbits in a fresh little hay pile. 

 Just one more thing… 
Have you seen the movie – A Star is Born – with Bradley Cooper and Lada Gaga yet? If not, you must –  WOW, do they have chemistry and talent.  And I’ll warn you – it is indeed a tear jerker.  When she first made the scene, I didn’t like her.  Meat dresses?  Condom costumes?  But.. as she grew into who we came to know, she is truly a decent, caring, honest soul, a real talent on multiple levels.  She’s a song writer, a singer, a philanthropist, she’s an encourager, not a breaker-down. (those are real words here anyway…lol).  
Wishing you all a good day – 
and thank you for stopping by 

Gone but not forgotten

     When our family was young, we’d often take the kids out or have a little date on our own for Sunday breakfast at a favorite country restaurant named, appropriately, The Country Restaurant.  It was located in a  little town just across the river from the Goodspeed Opera House via the East Haddam Bridge, our side of the Connecticut River.    They served breakfast and lunch, the tables and chairs were the old wooden colonial style, the quarters close,  the paper placemats advertised local businesses and there were always crayons available in a paper cup on your table if you felt like doodling on them.  I always did.  
     
     A line formed if you got there shortly after 8 a.m….which reached outside. If  the weather was poor, everyone would squish into the little entryway regardless of shoulder to shoulder, back to front  proximity – neighbors and strangers being kind to neighbors and strangers.  The coffee was good and the food delicious – not exotic, for the most part they served the staples you’ll find at any decent diner, but they also had a few of their own specialties.  The waitresses were like family… to each other and to us, their faithful customers.  “How’s your son?”  “He’s doing much better, thank you for asking”…. “Where are the kids today?”  “Home with mom, she’s up for a visit”.  “Can you believe this snow?”   “Feels like it’s been winter for years!”   “Drive safely home, now”.     
     At Christmas time they would bake mini breads – like banana walnut or apple cinnamon – and hand those mini loafs out to their long time customers as they dined.  We are creatures of habit, this family of mine – and we had our favorite meals.  One waitress in particular, would simply walk over and ask – the usual?  And with an eager head nod all, she’d place the order without another word spoken.  Soon after, his OJ and my decaf would appear along with two chocolate milks if the kids were in tow, and the perfect breakfast would follow.  The home fries the perfect crispy texture, the veggie hash divine  ( still haven’t mastered the re-creation of that hash) – the pancakes generous, light and fluffy, the bacon crisp and full of flavor.  My order was almost always… that hash, and their special Deluxe French Toast.  
     One day I got up the courage to ask the waitress something that had been pestering at me for years.  I said… … I’m a cook, I do know how to make french toast, but what is that extra ingredient that makes this so particularly Delicious.   She glanced over her shoulder toward the kitchen, and then swooped down next to my ear and whispered – Frosted Flakes!   Oooh, that’s IT!   With the knowledge of that one ingredient, it all came together  and I was indeed able to re -create it at home.    It’s been a hit with my family ever since. 
Sadly, the Country Restaurant closed years ago, but not for lack of customers. Apparently some book/tax accounting practices put the owner in a bad spot, and the doors were shuttered for good. So many of us who have lived in this area for a long while remember it fondly and miss it, still. 
    In honor of the beloved Country Restaurant, below is my recipe for their Deluxe French Toast. 
So here’s what you do- try it- you will not regret it. Smash up some Frosted Flakes cereal in a dish. Put four eggs and a little vanilla extract in a bowl- mix well. Melt butter in a large fry pan. Dip bread slices in egg, then crushed frosted flakes, then set in pan to golden brown on each side. when first side of each slice is browned, flip it and place on it one thin slice of deli ham and one thin slice of Swiss cheese then place cooked side of other bread slice facing ham and cheese on top to form a sandwich style. When both sides of what is now the outside of the sandwich is done, place on plate, sprinkle ( use sifter, I didn’t) powdered sugar over it and serve. 

Delish!!


The Country Restaurant may be gone, but it will never be forgotten. 
Good times. Old Times.  No Cell Phone Times. 
It was truly a beautiful thing. 


The Hunt for Treasures of Years Gone by

     My husband and I are about as far apart on the spectrum as you can possibly be when it comes to certain things, but it’s those other more important things that keep us together and contented most of the time.  Our love of family and our sense of -home- , the land and beauty of nature are on the latter list.  Treasure hunting through antiques stores and old barns and outdoor markets is up there too.

      Along the shoreline not far from our farm and seaside cottage are quite a few treasure troves – two of which we visited yesterday.

    First we browsed the Essex Old Saybrook Antiques Village –

   We didn’t find the small black table he was looking for to go in his office, but I did score these Bunnykin bowls –  Vintage 1936, small bowls that were part of a children’s mursery dining series by Royal Doulton, England.  I’m a firm believer in using the good china, using the antiques that make their way into This Old House.   One day, when we are hopefully graced with grandchildren,  I’ll use these bowls to serve up ice cream or oatmeal or baby food  when they visit.

    I love to search for information on the pieces that catch our eye.   According to Wikipedia – Introduced in 1934, Bunnykins tableware depicted Mr. and Mrs. Bunnykins and other rabbits dressed in human clothing, in colorful rural and small-town English scenes, transfer-printed on white china. The earliest pieces, signed “Barbara Vernon” (Sister Mary Barbara Bailey), are quite rare and highly prized. Bunnykins china was used by  Princess Elizabeth and  Princess Margaret and thus became a popular present given as christening and birthday gifts in middle-class English homes. The chinaware line originated with artwork by Sister Mary Barbara Bailey, the daughter of Cuthbert Bailey, general manager of Doulton during the 1930’s.  Unbeknownst to the public, Mary was not a professional illustrator, but a nun in the Augustinian Canonesses of the Lateran. 

     Since we hadn’t found what we actually went out for – we drove down the road to the Old Saybrook Antiques Center.

   This antiques center carries some of the very finest pieces, some dating back to the early 1700’s.  It’s clear the dealers who sell their wares here know the value of what they find – and carefully preserve it.   The details in the woodcarved chairs and desks are amazing – a toddler’s 1800’s highchair below…

     The photograph below by well known photographer J.A. Beal depicts a scene in 1870’s New York City…  If not for the price tag, I would have loved to bring it home.

     This mirror is just stunning in it’s detail… 1900’s – Gold gilt
pardon the ugg’s slip-ons… comfort first 🙂

     The bowl below was large and well worn – still in beautiful,  functional condition.  It is described as an Early American lathe turned pine kitchen bowl with original forged iron hanger – circa 1800.

     

   
     This horse caught my eye –  an 1850-1860 era horse that has acquired a leg wound.

If you’re a long time reader here you might remember my rocking horse restoration project.   The price tag on the one above means  if I bought it I wouldn’t bastardize it with a renovation –  but the one I found a few years ago had already been messed with quite a bit and was a real bargain, so I gave him a facelift.

 The find…

    My finished project….

       I’m not sure how old my horse is…. but he’s very similar to the one we saw yesterday – so quite possible he is  an 1800’s horse.  I didn’t repaint the base, as it looked original.

A few more treasures I would have loved to take home if I won the lottery…

   After browsing this market we still didn’t find the piece we were looking for…. but…  I did find an 1800’s original pencil sketch of a farm house that reminds me of  Gracie – what I call This Old House because I also call our home Saving Grace, Gracie for short –   with trees and fields and a person with chickens and a dog in the front yard and a horse in the field on the left.  The price was fair and they accepted our offer,  my birthday is around the corner, sort of anyway…. So… I picked up another treasure and we call it the early birthday present. 
 I placed it above the mantel in the keeping room because it reminds me so much of This Old House –  They are about the same age, don’t you know.   And although we aren’t convinced it belongs in quite that spot – scale and all that – I love it too much to put it anywhere that it won’t be seen often.  I imagine A. S. Bailey sitting in a field in front of the house, perhaps under a shade tree – sketching the scene in front of him/her? ….. admiring the shiny coat of the horse grazing in the field, the man tending his flock of chickens, with beloved dog by his side… the charming house in the background – the attention paid to the roof shingles, the fencing…  the chimney at the peak.   Simpler times…. 
  Speaking of which – it’s time to go do the not so simple chore of feeding the horses and chickens and tucking them in for the night –  Thank you for tagging along- 
Till soon – 

Something Delicious this way comes…

     The Mr. and I have been minding our food intake – and typical of men!!… he lost 13 pounds in the first two weeks on Nutrisystem and I’ve lost 2.   I aim for healthy foods, plenty of greens, smaller portions, much less dairy,  much less sugar, grains, no red meat.   He has more to lose than I do, but still… I’d be more than half way to my goal if I lost 13 pounds by now!  I don’t like Nutrisystem though, even though it works – if you ask me – that’s crap food although it’s tasty,  and if you like eating healthy fresh not frozen and packaged processed stuff, it’s not sustainable for the long haul.  That’s probably why he lost 40 lbs on it last year, and gained it all back when he went off the program.  I think what it does teach is portion control.  So you can succeed on the system once you get off their food program, as long as you keep to the portions, etc.  That’s the trick.

      I’ve always been active due to the horses and farm chores and I like to walk/hike/kayak, etc.  I’ve also got a full weights system out in the garage/gym thanks to the men of this family and I’ve used it frequently for light weight training.  It definitely helps with the fibromyalgia pain to KEEP MOVING.  When I was diagnosed a few years ago after living with chronic all over muscle pain for years without answers, I was given the option to take various meds.  Ask me how much I hate to take pills – and so I opted to try natural ways of coping with this pain-in-the neck condition.  I’m here to tell you – If you suffer with chronic pain from any source – good diet and exercise definitely help.  Choose with your doctor what’s right for you depending on your condition, but no matter what, keep moving. 
     I had my yearly physical yesterday and all is good – blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol, etc.  Low on Vitamin D, which is important, so I’ll take in more dairy and broccoli, etc.. and add a supplement back in.  I’m going to continue with the weight loss goals, hopefully by summer I’ll be 15 pounds lighter.  Or at least 10.  
     That being said!!… there was a recipe in last week’s paper that looked delicious and easy and made with fresh ingredients and I just had to try it regardless of our weight loss goals.  WOW – it’s super good, and super easy. We had it for dinner last night and I’ll share it here with you…  I don’t even like pepperoni, but it was not overpowering in this dish – If you like a good vodka sauce that tastes really  fresh and light? This one’s for you..
Pepperoni Pasta
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 jigger vodka  (optional but really adds to the flavor) 
  • 1/2 pound thinly sliced pepperoni
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper  (if you like it spicy, add more, but be careful) 
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream ( I added a little more for creamier texture) 
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • Fresh grated Parmesan Romano mix cheese
  • 1 pound pasta- the grooved kind hold the flavor of the sauce better, but any pasta will do
* next time I will use less pasta so that there is more sauce, but truthfully it was so flavorful it wasn’t a problem for taste. 
 Fill a large pot with water and cook your pasta of choice – al dente when done. 
While that cooks, in a dutch oven or large skillet, warm oil and add onion and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat until translucent (try not to brown it). Add the entire can of diced tomatoes. When hot, add vodka and cook for about four minutes, at which point most of the liquor will have evaporated.  Toss in pepperoni and stir, cook for another few minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste and add cayenne pepper. Just a little gives a punch, so don’t overdo it unless you love spicy hot.  After a few more minutes, add the cream.  It should be a pretty coral color.  When pasta is al dente – drain and put it in the sauce in a bowl or the dutch oven, whatever works for you. Toss to coat – then add the grated cheeses and the fresh chopped basil, toss again – and  Enjoy! 
You will not be disappointed with the flavor.