Category: Uncategorized

Snow Scene

On most days I love doing what I do for the critters that live here.
Even when the snow flies… the chores aren’t a “chore”…
Unless the temps dip in the teens and the wind blows…
then it just sucks. 
But oh, the beauty of the white stuff – 
 
In my youth I proclaimed I shoulda been a Floridian. 
As I’ve matured I have come to appreciate and embrace the seasons
and I don’t think I’ll ever go where there is no snow. 
 
I also embrace Christmas Cookies… 
…some things never change 🙂
Recipe HERE

About those Christmas Newsletters

 I have received them… those newsletters that highlight all the wonderful happenings and successes, exotic trips and school acceptances, insert GAG.   I’m not sure why they are so abrasive… after all, we can assume the writer of the letter isn’t lying.  Maybe omitting just a tad.    Something about that type of letter, especially if it’s a mass mailing, seems… impersonal and maybe a little braggarty. ( Is that a word? I haven’t had enough coffee yet to look it up this morning.)

  Well, I did something yesterday I’ve never done before. I wrote  Christmas letters to two of my older relatives and included a collage from picmonkey of photos of my family and my sisters family over the past year.   Not surprisingly,  many of the pics include horses and dogs. What I didn’t do was highlight all the awesome things we experienced this year… and part of the reason for that is… it wasn’t a bad year, but it wasn’t awesome either. And I don’t like the bragging deal, regardless.   I also didn’t want to talk about the negatives… Merry Christmas!  I’m deafer than I was last year, my daughter is realizing that the job market for college grads really really sucks right now, my son doesn’t want to go to college and hey, Mike’s business is really slow and our health insurance was cancelled thanks to the new Affordable Care Act!  And I thought it was a great idea!

   That would just be a downer.   So I talked about how much I appreciate all the family gatherings both relatives hosted for the entire extended family when I was young and how those memories have shaped the person I am today. Hopefully that doesn’t make them cringe.   I told them  I have appreciated their love and guidance over the years, even during times when we didn’t see each other often because we live states away.   I also mentioned their departed loved ones and how they have not been forgotten, how they are still missed and remembered especially at this time of year.

    It’s just my opinion here, but that kind of newsletter isn’t a bad idea.  It doesn’t cost more than a few sheets of paper and a stamp or two.  The recipient will probably appreciate the reaching out in a personal way and  connecting with family near or far just feels good, reinforces what we’ve had since birth, a part of the foundation we are built from.  If you’re estranged?  What better way to bridge the gap.

 have you seen this?  Now that’s keeping it real. LOL
I do find the picture humorous, however the fact that this is close to reality
is a sad and growing trend.  Unplug yourself and live your real life, ya know?
 
  

  

These are my PEOPLE!

  The first time I took my son to the city where he was old enough to absorb the atmosphere, he peered out the restaurant windows in Times Square.. stared long and hard at the scene, and proclaimed “THESE are my PEOPLE!”   He loved the chaos, the hustle, the variety of different KINDS of people.. the artsy –  noisy  – food everywhere –  TALL building vibe. 
Wax Museum… 

Central Park carriage ride…
where I wanted to rescue every carriage horse from the perils of city living.
 Saturday he went with his girlfriend and another young couple for his first trip without the ‘rents.  Well pass me the Xanax and I will survive!  was my mantra for the day.  They did too….  Taking the Metro North into Grand Central – about a two hour ride –  where my son was in awe.  It is a cathedral, if you’ve never been. 
 
Then, as they headed out into the throng of PEOPLE… it was wall to wall.  The walking was slow going, as the crowd was so thick it was more like a shuffle.  Hailing a cab was an olympic event, impossible for those
still green behind the ears of city life and not accustomed to pushing people out of the way and whistling, hand waving, taxi cab saluting more vigorously than the 2000 other people also doing the same on the curb surrounding you.  What they finally managed to do was grab a Bike Taxi… (ever been? It’s a little hairy, espcecially in NYC traffic) … and that driver was able to get them to the Empire State Building.
 The view from the Empire State Building at night is amazing… 
And then they were hungry. Very.
Back into the throng. 
Two hour wait anywhere they went.
So, they found a vendor selling noodles and that’s what they had for dinner in the Big Apple.
Their initial plans to skate at Rock Center weren’t happening, as it would take too long
to GET there from where they were and they had a train to catch. 
Turns out, they picked the most congested day of the year for tourists
visiting the city dressed in it’s holiday finery. 
I’m still sad that they didn’t get to see the tree.  
But hey, he got to see HIS PEOPLE!
A sleepy crew arrived at my door around midnight,
and I promptly fell asleep.  We all survived 🙂 
And while the boychild did NOT take many photos (and he’s my son!)
he did bring home an ornament for Mom. 
   It’s a beautiful thing.

Cousins

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying…
you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose family.
In the cousins department, I’ve been a lucky girl. 
Although most of us don’t live near each other, states away, actually…
when we do talk or get together it’s just like old times,
those young kids swinging around the support poles in nanas basement
or trying on the old wedding dresses laid to rest in trunks.
Riding ponies up a dusty road, now paved, of course..
Pillow fighting and cookie tin raiding, the list goes on. 
Nowadays we commiserate with each other about the raising of children, 
the care of aging parents, the care of OUR aging bodies,
sharing laughs and tears as well. 
My kids are lucky to have cousins nearby, 
and they occasionally get to spend time with those far away too…
Last night I witnessed and truly appreciated the bond
my children are lucky to have with their cousins,
a relationship that is never really matched in life, unique in it’s own way. 
A gift, it is.  I hope they know it and always hold each other close,
regardless of any miles between them. 
 
 

Chill

I’m heading up to the barn and coop to close everyone in  for the night..
The news tells us we’re about to experience an Arctic Chill
throughout the United States.
 
Are you feeling it yet in your neck of the woods?
 
Tonights sky….
 
 
 
 

The Gift of Giving

  I’ve got much of my gift buying done, the “made for” gifts as well… most wrapped too.  As I look at the pile of things I’ve accumulated to give to family and friends I realize how lucky I am to be able to give.  For me, that’s the biggest gift of all.  This year we can’t do as much as we have in the past – our main source of income… the building trade, has diminished tremendously in recent years, new homes sit uninhabited for more than a year.  Truth be told,  I think that part of our life is winding down and new endeavors must take it’s place.  The stress my husband is under to move forward in the best possible way is a heavy weight and the holidays add to that stress in more ways than one.
  Many in our country currently find themselves in a difficult financial situation for various reasons, which makes this time of year a little less than joyous when the pressure mounts to BUY SPEND GIVE GET.  The truth is, we don’t have to bend to that pressure.  We don’t have to carry that weight.   This doesn’t mean you can’t give – it just means you can change the way you do so.   Home made gifts of the useful kind have more meaning than anything store bought. The act of donating items that you no longer have a use for but are still functional can lift your spirits and those of the recipient.  
Ideas:
If you live on a property where there are many winter “greens” – make wreaths. 
 
Do you knit?  hats, scarves, gloves… enough said. 
Like to bake?   several batches of different Christmas cookies… mix them up and assemble on plastic trays you can get cheap at the dollar store.  
 
Coupons for a job around the house of an older relative or parent.   Rake leaves.  Shovel snow.  Cook Meal.  Dust and Vacuum.   You get the idea. 
Donations:
Old blankets?  Towels?  – donate to your local animal shelter
Clothes in really good shape that you just aren’t gonna wear? – donate to local homeless or women’s shelter. 
Volunteer to cook or set up for your local church functions. Work the Soup Kitchen. 
And if you’re looking for a new puppy or kitten to join the family for the holidays… please visit your local shelters, don’t buy from pet shops.  Puppy Mills are a horrible existence for the breeding animals (the parents of those adorable puppies)… please don’t support their torture.
Ideas of your own to add to the above list?  Put them in the comments section below, I love to hear your ideas – 
 

Are you Decked yet?

 
 
 
Below is a ceramic tree my Aunt Virginia made for my family many years ago.
She passed away last Christmas and I miss her dearly.
Grateful for this reminder of her love for all of us …
and the spirit of the season. 
 
An ornament from 1965 with my name (and birth year) on it.
Used to hang on our family tree.
Every year I open the boxes of ornaments and hope I didn’t break it.
 
My favorites are the ones my kids made in elementary school…
 
..and the globe ornaments. 
 
What decoration says, mostly, it is my belief anyway…
is that Love Lives Here. 
 You don’t have to spend money you might not have 
to add seasonal love to your home.
My friend Heidi made this wreath by walking around her yard
and cutting vines and greens as she went. 
It’s a beautiful thing.

Grace

A woman I have come to know through blogging
posted this on her page the other day…
…Walk with Me along the high road of thanksgiving, and you will
find all the delights I have made ready for you. To protect your
thankfulness, you must remember that you reside in a fallen world, where
blessings and sorrows intermingle freely…
 
by Sarah Young.
 
Thank you  Vicky – Perfect.



Happy Thanksgiving, All – 
From This Old House to yours – 
xo


Don’t Stop Believin

One of my favorites from my high school days… 
Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin – 
and seriously.. if you remember the song and you’re not
instantly drawn to sing along with it,
Lighten up, I say. Go with it.
No matter what’s troubling you – and especially if you’re having a difficult time today
regardless the reason – let it go for a few minutes, get lost in an old song. 
Throw in some air guitar while you’re at it.
It does a body good. 
turn up the volume and click HERE