Uncategorized – Page 27 – This Old House 2

Come. Sit. Stay.

The porch is officially open here at This Old House…. let me not ever live in a house where there is no porch. I grew up in an old farmhouse smack in the middle of a Staten Island, New York neighborhood where houses were stacked close together. Our house was the original, built in the 1800s, before the area became a ‘hood. On the front of that old house was a porch, where many a rain stormy day was spent watching the drops fall around us, perhaps catch the neighbors arguing or playing cards or reading on their own front porch, and it offered shade for sipping lemonade or iced tea on hot summer days.

When we re-built This Old House – we knew what we had to add – a porch. There’s one on the front, facing the road – which we rarely use. The rear porch looks out over our gardens and the hay fields and horses up on the hill. It’s screened in summer to keep out the bugs and glassed in winter to retain some heat. On a cold winter day where the sun shines bright, it warms up enough so that we can still sit out there with a cup of coffee comfortably and enjoy the view, maybe even read a bit of the book currently occupying the nightstand.

(that’s a jeans rug crafted by Hilary of Crazy as a Loom – so durable, just love it)

Today after getting the various “stuff” done that needed doing…. I looked at the beckoning porch and said.. why ever not. I grabbed my new read – Susan Branch’s Isle of Dreams.. and sat in the reading chair, a light breeze flowing through. I highly recommend giving yourself time in your busy day, time to just relax and let go of whatever might have your knickers in a knot.

If you’re not familiar with Susan Branch, she is an author and illustrator who resides on my favorite Island, Martha’s Vineyard. I love her water color illustrations, as well as her writing style.. and oooh, her recipes are divine. Her real life fairy tale story is one of courage in the face of heartbreak, and resilience. My current read – Isle of Dreams, is hand written and illustrated by her- an amazing feat, and feast for the eyes and soul.

Below is just a sample of the writing and illustrations in her books… there are three.

Quotes like this one are sprinkled throughout the books.. you feel the warmth she envelopes around you with her style, her illustrations.. her humor and grace. Kind of like the comfort of sitting on your porch with a cup’a… watching the world go by…

And the sun will rise…

No matter what happens in life (and death) the sun always rises. Life goes on. Sometimes in the greatest losses, that concept seems surreal.

Mom and I flew down to Melbourne, Florida last week to be with family as we said good bye to our Uncle, Father, Husband, Grandfather, Father-in-law, Friend. While the occasion was a sad one, I couldn’t help but note that my Uncle also loved getting together with family and friends. He was always a big presence at gatherings, and more than a few of us felt he was among us in spirit as we gathered from all over the country on the beach and at his service and his home afterward.

I’m not religious, as I’ve stated here before.. but I do believe there is more to the human spirit than we fully understand… our bodies are a series of nuts and bolts that work together miraculously, but it’s our essence.. what makes us individuals, with feelings, emotion, empathy, etc… that cannot be explained by mechanical means. That energy in some form, I believe, remains.

We had a few days to soak up some Florida sun… the weather was perfect and we enjoyed the glorious sunrises and sunsets, as well as time spent with family.

Have you ever tried Frickles? ( basically beer battered fried pickles) Lord, let there be no Heaven where there are no dogs, horses and frickles. – Just sayin.

Shove It

We are all complaining about the candidates but one of the worst evils of our time is the power we have permitted the media. It’s not enough that we support them by viewing their spin- and on every single network they have their own spin- but so many follow their lead like sheep.
As for the reporter who pressed charges for being pulled back from harassing Trump, grow a skin. I saw the video like so many others- big f*cking deal- I’ve gotten jostled more on the Staten Island ferry. I don’t like the man himself- and now even less with his asshole remarks about women needing to be punished should they choose an abortion. Later amended to Doctors should be the incriminated for providing them. But incidents like this reporters complaint are making us all look just as bad as the crap coming out of candidates mouths. When did we become such a wuss nation?
One more thing for those of you who are cogs in the wheel in either party , still scratching your heads – Trump has such a big following because the parties have been screwing up and forgetting who they are representing for so long now, the people are fed up. You brought Trump to the table with your own ignorance and arrogance., the responsibility lies EVERYWHERE.

Just sayin-

Gains and Losses

A belated Happy Easter to you !

We got together with some of our extended family and enjoyed a conversation filled -catching up – meal together. While I am not religious, Easter represents renewal for me. We’re spending more time outdoors.. there are buds on the trees, birds hunting for good nest sites…and, I get to spoil my kids with baskets full of chocolate, a few spring clothes items and some silly fun things too. They’re grown now, but the tradition will continue because I can’t bear to give it up, truth.

I picked my father up from the nursing home and he was glad to join us. I imagine one of the hardest realities for him has been giving up his car – his independence. I had to sign him out and it felt weird . He was taken back by that simple act too. However… it is very obvious from his conversations with us and his growing relationships with the staff that he feels safe where he lives now, he is content. Huge gift for both of us. When I brought him back and he returned to his room, he sat down in his big easy chair, exhausted…and at peace. I don’t know how else to describe it. Who would think life in a nursing home would bring comfort… and yet, for some it really does. In this environment he has gained the stability, routine and even companionship that he was never able to establish for himself in his earlier life due to his choices. Now, with no choices, he has what he wouldn’t give himself before… and he is doing well. In his new life path, which he did not choose, it seems he has gained more than he lost. Ironic.

Our family lost a patriarch last week –
I grew up on Staten Island, and at 19 moved to Connecticut to live on my Aunt and Uncle’s horse farm just up the road from This Old House. I brought my adopted ancient horse with me, and lived with them for four years, helping care for their horses while attending college and finding my way to the life I’ve made here with my husband and children. The opportunity they gave me will never be forgotten.
D had conquered cancer about nine years ago, but the harsh treatment rendered him weaker and encouraged Parkinsons to bloom in his system. D was a very vibrant, very active athlete until that time.. and from there, although his spirit never once gave in, his body eventually gave out. My aunt and uncle have been a team since they were both very young – they’ve been through many changes in life together, some hardships, many joyful times. Both have lived their lives fully, and together. Their children and grandchildren gather around my Aunt now, and together they will move forward. My heart goes out to her. I have no doubt she will be OK and I know she won’t be alone. There is no way to avoid navigation through the new reality of life without my uncle, but she’s made of the stuff that will see her through and there is still a life to live. My uncle would want that for her.

Peace be with us all in this season of renewal.

51

Today I am fifty one years old. I can honestly tell you that number doesn’t bother me.. I feel blessed. Life is so short, it is so fleeting.. we are just a speck on the earth and our time here is so limited and unknown. To fret over a number seems like a big waste of precious time.

My daughter gifted me with this today…. isn’t it just the truth… * love it

Max gifted us with coming up lame this week… I turned him out two days ago and this is the look I got…

Upon further inspection and some movement on his part, he is absolutely lame. So we sent a video of his movement to the vet, who thinks it’s an abscess in the hoof because there’s no heat or swelling to point to a leg injury. Soaking ensued…

and some wrap/poultice. The shoer comes out today to pull the shoe and dig around to find what we hope is a simple abscess. This is the horse who had the colic surgery six months ago.. the big guy has had a rough year.

Blog and Birthday Buddy Sally sent me this lovely gift… we share the same birthday and have shared each other’s woes over the years, a virtual shoulder to lean on through the internet waves. Amazing, some of the friendships we develop, sometimes without ever meeting face to face. I hope to meet Sally, though… perhaps when the big guy and I start scouting out Florida in the next year. (So he says) Sally also happens to have moved in recent years to a street with the same name as my beloved grandmother. Mike and I named a road after her too, thankfully before she passed so she could see it. I’ll never forget it… Her 84 year old self giggled when she saw the sign. Made my day, my week, my whole month!

Anyway.. back to Sally’s gift…

Thank you so much, Sally, – and Happy Birthday to YOU!!

I’ve been sprinkling SPRING around the house for the past few weeks.. so ready for it.

SNOW to arrive on Sunday, I’m hoping it’s just a dusting.

Have a good weekend, all – and as always, thanks for stopping by.

Another Dog Day With the Big Bunny

I love talking to dog people. I mean real dog people.. the kind who know their dog is one of their family members, sometimes one of their most cherished. Usually, genuine dog people are also good citizens, caring individuals in more ways than dog ownership.

Yesterday, we held a photo shoot at a PetValu a few towns over. For a $5. donation to our organization, with all proceeds to benefit shelter dogs, you got a photo of your dog or kids or both with the Easter Bunny. We have some return customers, I love to see them… and several are rescue dogs that were adopted out by our rescues in previous years. How wonderful to see the dogs and their families thriving. The dogs are so much more confident and happy now that they have lived in a loving home. We witness them when they come to our events, scared and bewildered. To see them rehabilitated by the reassurance of love… is heartwarming.

We’re holding another fundraiser – SPAY IT FORWARD CT – We are helping Connecticut shelters with spay and neuter costs so that they can afford to spay/neuter the dogs in their shelters. This gives the dogs an advantage to help them get adopted… and it reduces the unwanted litters born out of irresponsibility by owners. Local Veterinarians have also joined our cause, donating discounted or waived fees to the spay and neuter program. If you’d care to donate, click on the link above. Every donation, no matter how small it may be, helps those dogs find a better life.

Finding Our Way

My father has been living at a senior care/rehabilitation center for five months now. It’s not the ending to his story that he would have chosen, but due to the choices he has made over the course of his life, he landed where he was steering his ship.
I give him credit in accepting this new life he didn’t want with a certain level of resolve, although for a while there was a resentment toward me for having been the one who actually executed all the transactions it takes to get him to that place. He recently likened me to a hurricane coming in and wiping out all that he possessed. I understand that sentiment. He had been in poor health for many years due to his own neglect.. and finally that last heart attack rendered him too weak to live alone. In just a few weeks time with the consult of many a health care provider, it was determined without someone to live with him, he shouldn’t be alone any longer.
Now.. at first, when he told me his “hurricane” feelings, the proverbial hair immediately went up on the back of my neck, a pattern we have followed our entire relationship. I took a deep breath, ready to defend myself once again…. and it came to me in that instant that he had every right to feel that way, it was his truth. So in five seconds I changed the direction of the wind in my sail and gently explained that it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life, to dismantle HIS life and rearrange it in a way I knew he would not choose. I would never have chosen that job myself, but I was the only one available to do it. He said he understood, and knows he is where he needs to be. The short conversation was miraculous given our normal “routine”. A storm headed off at the pass, a blessing.
I visit him weekly, sometimes more often, bringing him groceries for the little refrigerator we bought for his room…and his beloved Subway Sandwich as well. I continue to brace myself every time I walk in… my “be kind” mantra repeated over and over until I reach his room. He is still who he is… and I am still me. He will tell me what I should have brought or how the sandwich should have been made, and I will either get annoyed, or laugh it off. I will never get the love or acknowledgements that I have looked for from him my entire life, and he will never recognize all that has been done for him by more than a few people, regardless of his self centered nature for all those years. He was damn lucky, and still is. The intelligent part of me says “It doesn’t matter, now, Karen. Let it all go. He’s just an old man who needs someone to give a shit. Period “. The little girl in me still wants to know “WHY”… but there is no reason, he sees no fault or lack or shortcoming, and never will. So yes, Karen .. Let it Go.
Yesterday I stopped in to deliver his soda and chips and Boost. When I arrived, as usual, he wanted to talk. He got all serious for a few minutes and said “You know, I have a lot of time to think here. And what I am realizing is… I’ve had a good life. I’ve done a good job in all areas, really… I got to live on a boat for ten years, a dream of mine. I did a good job of raising a family….. (hair up instantaneously, but then I took a deep breath, changed the wind in that sail again, and said to myself.. it doesn’t matter now, let it go.) .. and I have always done a good job wherever I worked.” I’ll give him that, he was dedicated to whatever job he held. He continued ” As I sit here I realize it’s important to feel good about what you accomplished in life, because the memories are what you have left. I can honestly say I feel very good about the person I am.” I smiled and simply replied… I’m glad you have that peace of mind, Dad. And you know? I meant it.
As I sat there listening to him, I realized his absolute inability… or is it unwillingness…. to see himself for who he had truly been. Case in point… does it ever occur to him that he has two daughters, but only one is willing to visit him and do what needs to be done in his last years? That missing daughter is a genuine, decent person. He’s missed out big time in the relationship department.. but he doesn’t feel it, doesn’t see it… doesn’t even ask. Narcissism is one of the worst forms of mental illness. Why do I say that? A narcissistic person, I believe, is so engrossed in his own being, his own needs, happiness, his own agendas, that he or she never really sees their impact or lack thereof on the people around them in life, including their own families. They don’t appreciate good relationships, recognize or nurture them. Judging by the conclusions my father is drawing as he sits in an elder care facility, pondering his life choices, there is no question of forgiving himself or regrets or wanting to right a few wrongs or even appreciating all that is STILL being done for him. No… he’s content and happy with the choices he made and the fact that he has a staff tending to his every need is actually a bonus. That picture he has painted for himself is another gift he has given himself…and.. to some extent I am glad for him.
The little girl wanted to ask him how he could ignore the obvious, but the woman I am becoming.. yes still becoming at the age of 51… is finally able to change the direction of the wind in her sails. Most of the time. A gift I have given to me.

Cookies, Creatures and a Chill… or two.

Made these cookies the other day… absolutely delicious. We’re -trying- to go gluten free around here, although we haven’t actually succeeded 100 percent yet, but I have yet to make a baked item with GF flour that tastes edible. These are NOT GF, but damn, they sure are good. The fresh strawberries, white chocolate and cream cheese come together beautifully in this soft cake-like cookie. My first batch was gone in 5 hours.

http://omgchocolatedesserts.com/strawberry-cookies/

TRUMP. Holy cow, how did we get here? Not ever would I have believed…. and so totally embarrassing, the way these “men” behave on that stage. Not a sound choice in the lot… And yet the government definitely needs a huge shaking down… and you know what? I’m starting to think TRUMP is not the worst thing that could happen. Maybe it’s the shake down the “establishment needs”. For sure, they’ve brought it on themselves. They asked for it. Just so hard to accept that this is the level we have all sunk to, and I think we all bear responsibility, I do.

For a while I said.. I’m not voting!! These choices aren’t acceptable!!… but not voting isn’t the answer either. I’m weighing out the lesser of two evils, myself. I hope you do the same, whatever you believe that to be. Apathy is a bigger sin.

Spring is starting to announce that she indeed intends to show up. I am thrilled! Barn chores are so much more enjoyable when your hands don’t sting from the cold despite double glove wearing and you don’t include ice chipping of water buckets/ bowls and snow shoveling in the daily lineup of duties. We’re going to Agway today to pick up some seed planting “stuff”. I’ve ordered my seeds already from Baker Heirloom seed company… purple dragon carrots and an oriental variety of purple sweet potato are in the plans.

The girls enjoying some oatmeal with raspberries a few mornings ago. They’ve made it clear they prefer blueberries though. Truly, I wonder what the difference is between the two… they leave the raspberries till there’s nothing else to pick on. Blueberries disappear in seconds.

Out on our morning walk.. the crew discusses the results of Super Tuesday. I couldn’t help but notice their conversations were more coherent than the candidates and there was no mention of the size of their… digits.

Have you seen -Black Mass – the movie about the real life story of Whitey Bulger, portrayed by Johnny Depp? Great movie, probably one of Johnny Depps best performances. He’s an incredible actor anyway, one of my favorites… but in this? Well.. first let me tell you my husband put the movie on and I hadn’t known who was in it, hadn’t paid any attention to the ads for it before hand. I had NO IDEA while watching the ENTIRE MOVIE that I was looking at Johnny. The eyes were haunting to me, but I could not place it, did not see -him-. Amazing performance. I highly recommend the movie- a real, chilling, gritty piece of our american story.

Best “chiller” you’ll see all year, I promise.

Vermont Agriculture

My favorite thing to do when we visit Vermont is to hunt down the old barns with my camera. Back in the day, the houses were small and sturdy and the barns were built BIG, to accommodate the livelihood of the farmers, their livestock and crops. Many are tumbling down now, sad to see.

PS – Blogger is giving me real issues with fixing fonts on this post.. I apologize for the unruly appearance and size of fonts.

Some Agricultural History: (or, skip to the pictures) Farming has always played a major part in the lives of Vermonters. In the late 1700’s, most Vermonters lived on self sufficient farms, which meant they consumed most of the food they produced. Sheep were introduced to Vermont in 1811 and soon they became a major source of income for farmers. The rough hillsides and climate of the state were especially suited for sheep raising. By the 1840’s competition from other areas and economic conditions led to a decrease in sheep farming.

In the years before the Civil War, Vermont began to move towards dairy farming. Just after the late 1840’s, before there was refrigeration, the milk was made into cheese and butter and shipped by railroad to out of state markets. After the refrigerated railroad car was invented in 1910, fluid milk was shipped in large quantities to cities like Boston and New York.

In 1983 79% of the money made on farms was from dairy products and in 1995 it was 69.9%, but as it has in the past, farming in Vermont is changing. There are fewer farms and less of the land in the state is used for agriculture. Only the prime farmland remains in agriculture. 21.5% of Vermont land was used for the purpose of farming in 1997. One reason for this is an increase in population and the resulting demand for good land. Land is expensive and may sometimes bring large amounts of money when it is sold for housing instead of being used for farming. Large farms may sometimes have a tax burden that is too difficult for the farmer to pay. Much of our food is now shipped in from the west and south where it can be produced more cheaply. Also there is an increase in the percentage of farmers who work at jobs off the farm to help supply themselves. This means an increase in the number of part-time farms.

We visited Sugarbush Farm first, owned by the Luce Family …had a nice visit with their Belgian draft horses and bought some syrup and cheddar cheese. Many of the remaining farms work very hard just to stay afloat, some of the families go back for three or four generations and are trying to hold on to their heritage… no easy feat. When I say “work very hard” – their physical labor is intense all year through and the money is sporatic and the pay not what it should be given the value of the fresh food and produce they provide. Another problem is the young generation that would normally take over the responsibilities as their elders “age”… are turning away from the rural way of life and moving elsewhere, choosing a different path. Then there are the economics of the beast… the land becomes more valuable than the sparse income these families can eek out with all that hard work. That brings on a whole slew of other issues, sometimes dividing families in the process.

You’ve probably heard of the slogan… No Farms, No Food… ?…. well, when we buy fresh from these farms, the quality is outstanding and it’s easy to see how our factory produced foods have taken us down a rocky road. What many of us consume now can’t compare to what these farms have to offer. What happens when they’re all gone? It’s happening, slowly, but surely… you just have to take a ride out into the country and talk to them.

The Luces are the second, third and fourth generations to live on Sugarbush Farm. Jack and Marion Ayres bought the farm in 1945 with a dream to make a go of country living. They were the first folks in Vermont to start packaging cheese in waxed bars so they would travel well without refrigeration. By 1975 the Boston Globe wrote about Sugarbush Farm “At the end of a scenic Vermont road lies a Cheese Lovers paradise.” In 1995 the American Cheese Society awarded Sugarbush Farm a Blue ribbon for the best smoked cheese in the country. Today the farm is operated by Betsy, the Ayres’s daughter, her husband Larry and their sons Ralph and Jeff. Its the Luce family’s goal to keep the farm a working, active operation. The future looks bright for the fourth generation with 7 grandchildren learning good working habits on the farm.

Cheese, freshly waxed….

More Barn Charm….

Because it wasn’t far off our path, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to photograph Jenne Farm – the most photographed farm in New England. Jenne farm, located on Jenne Road in Reading, Vermont, has been owned by the same family for generations. The current residents are struggling to keep the farm going, and because of the prime real estate, it is feared they will eventually have to let go of it for development, yet another gem lost to us forever. I hope a way is found to preserve it.

A photo taken by a photographer in fall….

My version on a mid winter day ….

We visited the Billings Farm and Museum, right on the outskirts of Woodstock, walking distance from the Inn… click here for more info.. History of the farm HERE. In brief, it was donated to the state of Vermont as a national historical park by the Rockefellers and serves as a working dairy farm and educational facility/museum on the history of rural Vermont farm life. For $14. you get the full tour, including a walk through the homesteads, the immaculate dairy barns, nursery and a sleigh or wagon ride, depending on the footing.

If he had his druthers… Mike’s dream cabin, where he can get away from it all.. just down the hill from Sugarbush Farm..

Thanks for tagging along 🙂 And whenever you get the chance… buy fresh, buy local.. .support local farmers, producers, farm markets. It matters, and you benefit. Win win.

Quechee, Vermont and the Simon Pearce Gallery

We visited Quechee, just up the road from Woodstock Center – located along the Ottauquechee River in the Town of Hartford. Quechee Gorge is stunning, and forms the southeast edge of the town. I didn’t get pictures of the gorge, as the snow/ice were too heavy on the edges for safe photography climbing. The covered bridge was heavily damaged in Hurricane Irene and had to be rebuilt. The Simon Pearce mill also sustained damage and lost it’s entire glass works floor, on the lower lever. Amazing how that hurricane affected this area of Vermont, hours from the coast.

A must stop in this area is the Simon Pearce gallery and restaurant – the food is divine (accent on fresh, local) and we enjoyed watching the glassworks downstairs. The mill itself is incredible, with a huge waterfall that powers the entire place. Amazing….

Some history on Quechee… This is long, but it’s worth the read – to see a once thriving community turn into a ghost town, and with thoughtful ressurction, it is thriving once again. .. (or.. skip to the pictures)

Quechee was settled in the 1760s when homesteaders were deeded acres for the erection of mills along the Ottauquechee River. The mills became the heartbeat of this community, providing everything from lumber to cider for the settlers. To accommodate growing traffic, a bridge was built over the Ottauquechee River at the current site of the Quechee covered bridge.

During the 1800s, the mills thrived, gaining particular attention for fabric. J.C. Parker and Co. (the property now occupied by Simon Pearce Glass) developed a fabric, “shoddy”, made of new wool and reworked soft rags, thereby gaining a reputation for producing some of the country’s finest white baby flannel. Another woolen mill, Dewey and Company, was establishing its reputation providing fabric for making baseball uniforms for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Over 64 buildings sprang up around this company, creating the village of Dewey’s Mills just downstream from Quechee Village.

In the 1950s, due to the shortage of an affordable labor force and the enticement of the South and its labor force, the mills started closing. Quechee lost the economic base that had existed for almost 200 years. The once booming community became a village of abandoned buildings with broken windows, fallen roofs, brush and bramble covered walls, crumbling foundations, a ghost town of what it had once been.

To add to the decline of Quechee Village, in 1962 a project to address flooding in the lower Connecticut River was initiated. As a result of this project, the village of Dewey’s Mills and that mill ceased to exist. In its place, the Army Corps of Engineers built a causeway between Dewey’s Mills Pond and the Ottauquechee River, which has created a walking trail and wonderful wildlife sanctuary.

In the late 1960s, a group of investors arrived in the area looking for that quintessential Vermont land to build a four-season resort community. As this was the first development of its size to come under the jurisdiction of Vermont’s Land Use Act 250 Law, the end result is a resort that is well planned, developed and maintained with great attention to its surrounding, which includes the Ottauquechee River Valley, its hillsides, open meadows and woodland. Known as the Quechee Lakes Corporation, the company purchased all available land for its planned community and amenities. Today, the Quechee Lakes Resort is one of New England’s finest resorts for seasonal and year-round owners.

Quechee Gorge, known as “Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon”, on the Ottauquechee River is one of New England’s most popular natural wonders. Trails from the Quechee Gorge Visitor Center weave throughout the area (Gorge land is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers) and the Quechee Gorge State Park. A true destination site, over 200,000 visitors visit the Vermont Institute of Natural Science nearby, fish and canoe the river, hike the trails in summer and fall, and cross country ski and snowshoe in the winter.

I took the picture below from the bridge… the power of this waterfall is indescribable….
The Simon Pearce Mill/Gallery/Restaurant is on the right.. the glassworks on the lower level…

We watched a Martini Glass come to be… the teamwork and the speed at which they have to move to work with the fired glass is incredible… It takes about three years for a team to come together and work really efficiently at this trade.

We came home with a set of ivory crackle glaze dishes, very sturdy and beautifully made. Next post.. the rural beauty of this part of Vermont – We’ve explored the state some over the years.. and have to say, it’s our favorite spot.