Category: Uncategorized

Things Change

For the 25 years we’ve been married
Mike has always had a bike.
First it was a rice rocket. Yuck.
Then came the Harleys.. one after the other.
As a recreational rider,  he’d take the bike for a ride mostly during the summer,
and only every so often.  Sometimes with a friend or two,
sometimes with me on the back.
It made him feel a little free of all the responsibilities he carries with family and business.
I totally understand the need.
I used to enjoy tagging along on  a warm summer evening..
riding down by the water with the salt and wind in my hair
or winding down a country road where old barns still stand watch over green or plowed fields.
Something has changed though.
This year it doesn’t feel right.
We took a spin on Sunday night and the entire time,
I felt vulnerable.  Mike is a responsible rider and he’s got the experience
of all these years to keep us safe.
But you never know.  And I felt so exposed to that pavement and the other drivers.
Yes.. things change.  I just don’t think I’ll be riding behind him on that bike anymore.
Funny, last night he said this..
“You know, getting on the bike just isn’t so thrilling anymore.  I used to love it. Now it’s just
another form of transportation,  I might sell it”. 

*sigh of relief* 


 

Randomness in the Rain

 Good morning all – I’m doing what I’m good at.. procrastinating before diving into the housework that’s begging for my attention.  What better way than to purge the many thoughts I have whirling round in my head.

  Ready?…

  Rain is a beautiful thing when you’ve got a hundred or so plants in the ground that have just weathered a string of hot humid days.  My hose nozzle clutching hand is thankful.

Knock out roses – the rose for people who want minimal maintenance and maximum show.
It’s a beautiful thing.
*******
Going from pretty to ugly…
I see that J*ran Van der Sl**t is to be married in jail within the next two weeks.
Remember that creep?   Murdered not just one but two young women.
Serving 25 years in a peruvian prison for the proven murder of one.
The other case is still unsolved, but the circumstances are pretty clear.
He’s actually found a 28 year old woman willing to marry him.
What is wrong with this woman??.. 
Seriously.. is she F-ing nuts???
A bigger question is… why is this man allowed to marry?
Once again, the convicted heinous murderer gets to live a life
while his victim(s) lie dead in the ground.
My solution?  Put him and Jodi Ar*as in a cell together and let them have
their way with each other.  With luck, they’ll seduce each other to death,
as they’ve done with their previous victims.
*******
Cleo is sitting contently in her nest this morning..
had to wash those thoughts out of my head, bare with me…

*******
I have been served with a Jury Duty notice.
First of all, with the way I feel about our Justice system,
I wouldn’t be a good juror.
Besides that, I long ago submitted a doctors note that I am hearing impaired,
which excuses a person from jury duty because…you really can’t hear what’s going on. Kinda important.
So I called and asked what has changed, because I still don’t hear well.
“Has your hearing improved in this period of time, m’am?”
“um, no. It’s gotten worse as I age. That’s what happens with all hearing impaired people
but hey, if you people have found a solution, I’m all ears! Literally! “
long pause and hold on the other side of the line..
and then an “OK, you are excused once again. You can disregard the notice“.
*******
Jean Stapleton, who played Edith Bunker on that beloved obnoxious show
All in the Family, years ago, has died.  I loved her, I think everyone did.
 When I see those old reruns it always brings me back
 to those sleep overs at my grandmothers house when we’d watch them together. 
 Elsie and Al would light up with laughter
at the antics of Archie and Edith, Gloria and Meathead. 
Seeing them outright giddy was a magic I can’t describe.  
Simpler times, you know?
*******
My quarter horse friends all made it out of Oklahoma safely and are on their way home.
I feel so badly for the people who have lost loved ones or a home in that mess.
They are brave to continue to live there.
*******
As you know from yesterdays post I had a gluten feast yesterday and
I feel crappy today.. I call it the gluten hangover.  I am not a celiac, but there is no doubt
gluten and I have a rocky relationship.  To the naysayers who don’t believe in the gluten sensitive
theory  and think it’s just a diet fad, (my  ex-GP in particular), you are wrong, simple as that. 
 When I eat it, I feel crumby. When I don’t, I feel years younger,
very little arthritic pain, blood pressure stays at a good number, my stomach issues clear up,
my headaches go away.   I believe it’s because the wheat our ancestors thrived on is different
from the GMO (genentically modifed ) wheat of today. Our bodies are rebelling.
It’s time I listen to my body.  I’m done with gluten.
 *******
Laundry and vacuuming await…I should really just shut up and get moving here.
I’ll get no help from this lot….
As always, I appreciate that you take the time to stop by here and
especially when you join the conversation and  leave your thoughts on any particular subject.
I apologize for removing Anonymous comments once again,
too much ugly spam, and I do mean perverted ugly.
It’s a new day, all.  I hope you have a great one.

Opening Day – Coventry Regional Farmers Market

If you’re local and you’ve never been,
Yankee Magazine voted it the best Farmers Market in New England.
What a great way to spend a beautiful summer Sunday –
June through October, 11 – 2, Nathan Hale Homestead, Coventry, CT
K and I went this morning,
and I will admit to you right here that I consumed two cider sugar donuts,
an iced mulled berry cider,
a crepe,  and on the way out? a slice of the coconut cake you will see in the photos below.
Disgusting, I know I know I know.
Sometimes, ya just gotta do what ya gotta do.
I did buy kale and strawberries to balance it out 🙂
You could hold these two adorables, one in each hand.
That’s how small they were.  I was tempted to tuck them in my market bag, yes I was.  

An adorable Alpaca face…

Dogs everywhere, but well controlled and polite.
When I see other Danes I realize just how very big Ben is compared to most.
We really did let a horse in the house when we brought him home.
This one is about 60 lbs.  lighter.
Kettle corn, enough  to feed a nation.
Lots of beautiful produce…
Some very colorful people…
Fiber artists…
Chickens!!!….
This is one beautiful rooster.. I think they said it was a phoenix.
Very friendly.
Plenty of vendors, lots of room for walking.
The Nathan Hale Homestead…
where this all takes place..
I got some of these…
..and ate a slice of this….
K had one of these…
molasses crinkles
Iced berry cider in a travel mason jar.  YUM…
There was some crepe consuming…
 ..and some bread buying.
 Finally, some old barn admiring on the ride home.
 It’s all good.

Worry

Many of the friends we showed with last weekend
are out in Oklahoma City for a big Quarter Horse Show
 with their horses right now…
last I heard they were accounted for in shelters, unable to leave
because of power outages and flash flooding.
In the news this morning I have not read reports of horse
or mass people casualties, hoping my Quarter Horse friends are safe,
and their horses too.  I guess soon enough they’ll find out the status
of their trailers and trucks as well.
To all you prayer warriors out there, send a few out to Oklahoma today, will you? 

They’re back!

Last year we had barn swallows make a nest on our kitchen side porch.
It was great to see their progress,
but oooh the mess on the porch.
you’re welcome.
This year they returned and we tried to discourage them.
I knocked their beginnings of a nest down with a hose.
Several times.
After a week of this nonsense, it looked like we had gotten the message across.
No new nest material.
Until the husband spied some fluttering in the other corner of the porch.
This little beauty of a nest went up in just two days while we weren’t looking.
Notice the horse tail hair used in the nest.
No eggs yet, but I just can’t bring myself to knock this work down.. again.
Old nest site on the right…
New nest on the upper left corner behind the geranium.
Even though we have a barn up on the hill they could nest in,
for some reason they love this high traffic area best..
I think because it’s sheltered from the wind and rain
and they can swoop out over the fields easily
in search of bugs.
Their view this morning.
So… I introduce to you
Marc Anthony and Cleopatra.
(from here on, referred to as Marc and Cleo)
Hey, with determination and tenacity such as this, 
 they’re worthy of such names, don’t ya think?


Whats Growing in the Gardens of This Old House

  I saw a picture of a glass mushroom garden on FB a while back, and decided to put something similar together in a bland area of our perennial border.  So… I went to the junk antique places along the shoreline and found a bunch of old glass bowls and vases to construct my own “mushroom” garden.

Do you spy the oddity?
Come closer….
I crazy-glued the bowls to the upside-down vases and then “planted” them about an inch
into the soil.
This one is my favorite, I love the edge on this pretty bowl.
$5. at the thrift shop.
My husband thinks it’s tacky, but I love it.
A really easy, cheap, simple way to dress up any corner of your garden in a unique way.
Lets take a walk in the drizzle….
Now in it’s third year, the perennial borders around the backyard are really taking hold
and multiplying. This spring I added a rock border as an edge to clean it up some.
I’ve potted some plants at the door to the shed…
and the rose bushes and peonies around the little greenhouse are thriving.
Connie… should I be cutting these rose bushes back some or let them go wild?

I had to treat the peonies for ant infestation, for some reason ants love peonie buds.

The greenhouse is empty now that all seedlings have been planted outdoors…
Mike has given the tomato plants much more room to grow this year.
He’s learning as he “grows”… I am so very proud of the farmer he has become.
When I met this man, he wore pristine white sneakers and gold jewelry,
having grown up in the city of West Haven and then a preppy suburban town on the shore.
On our very first date, it was May 5th, 1987, I don’t know why I remember that…
I saw those perfectly clean white sneakers, his perfectly clean Z28 and that gold jewelry
and said to myself…
 uh  oh.
HOWEVER… as time rolled on…
 I like to think I countrified him.
 His love for growing things and enjoying and working the land
has made my love for him grow deeper.
Who woulda thunk it.
If he’s reading this, he’s looking a little incredulous right now
at my blatant display of  unabashed and public affection, right dear? 
In the background of the above picture are onions, lettuce, basil, parsley, oregano and garlic.
These are my Italian Ice tomatoes… they are white!
I’ll let you know how that goes.
Out in the big garden we’ve got tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumber,
and string beans, peas in the background.
We learned the hard way that raspberry bushes produce every other year.
So the pruning we were doing was ruining that years crop.
Considering four years ago we took this old house down and put her back up,
we’ve come a looong way, baby. The yard is starting to fill in again, and look lived in,
it’s a beautiful thing.
Starry night Viola I have near the birdbath… it’s one of my favorites.
The knockout roses around the foundation of the house are very robust this year.
I over-fertilized them last year and almost killed them.
We Learn as we Grow.
Hopefully we Grow as we Learn.  
Isn’t that the truth in all things life-related.
Bailey and Frasier agree.

Slate, barnboard and a cover-up job.

 I’ve managed to do a little work on my fixer upper dollhouse.
This is the kitchen, which I want to look old fashioned and
“country rugged.”
I smashed an old roof slate from our previous home into pieces and grouted them into place 
on the kitchen floor.   Then I bought a package of dollhouse clapboard and stained it
a weathered grey to look like the old barn board we have on the walls in This Old House.
 Then it was glued to the walls.  I discovered that glue makes
these very thin clapboard pieces curl.  Learning experience! – and tip –
use very little glue when you work with supplies from the dollhouse homedepot.
Not bad for an amateur, right?
I think my husband should hire me as a sub, keep it in the family, don’t you?
Because the windows are in really bad shape in this particular old dollhouse,
and the house is kinda tentative in its sturdyness and they don’t MAKE it anymore,
I can’t really replace them. So I found cute curtains to cover them up some
without giving the rooms a heavy look.
(this is why my husband will NEVER hire me as a sub 🙂 
Next project… maybe.. barn board painted white in the living room?
What do you think? wallpaper or just paint or whitewashed barnboard?
Inquiring minds want your opinion or suggestions.

Weekend Wonderful

Nothing like a rainy weekend spent at a horse show…
40-something degrees, cold rain and wind,
mud, mud and more mud.
We did have a lot of fun despite the weather.
Max has proved to be a real gentleman and a trooper in the show pen
and K is just loving the whole deal.
Well, maybe not the whole deal, it involves alot of work
and can be exhausting, but rewarding in just as many ways.
Below are iphone pics, didn’t want to bring my good camera
in the rain. 

There was lots of practice in the arena,
as the outdoor rings were nothing but mud.

This is what the skies looked like all weekend.

Traffic was heavy during practice time

 

Max loves apples.
Here he’s got his pajamas on after a long day in the show pen.

more practice..

blue skies peaking out as we packed up to go home.
That’s a yawn, I’m sure.

 I hope you’ve had a good weekend too..
and my thoughts are with those who have sacrificed for our Country today..
Home of the Free because of the Brave.

Looks Matter

  THIS… is what one of the Jurors in the Jodi Ar*as case had to say the day after the jury was declared hung, and the penalty phase a mistrial.    Zervakos said the 32-year-old defendant simply did not fit his image of a murderer. “When you look at a young woman and you think of the crime, and then you see the brutality of the crime, it just doesn’t wash,” he said. “It’s very difficult to divest yourself from the personal, from the emotional part of it.”

  It is proven that she did the crime, dude.  Hideously so. It was also proven that she has chronically lied  to just about everyone right up to and including you, the jury.   She even slept in the bed of another man just days after murdering her victim.  What didn’t WASH for you?  And.. you could distance yourself from the personal, the emotional horror of this man’s brutal death, but not her punishment for carrying it out?

Though the jury did not believe Arias’ story that she killed Travis Alexander in self-defense, Zervakos said he believed Alexander abused her. “I’m very sure, in my own mind, that she was mentally and verbally abused,” he said. 

So, not based on the facts that were presented, but just what you came up with in YOUR OWN MIND, and in her lies, PROVEN LIES…. you made the decision to let the jury hang?  At the tax payers and Alexander families expense?  

 “Now, is that an excuse? Of course not. Does it factor into decisions we make? It has to.”  says he. 

Here’s what I think factors in….Judge for yourself….

Women convicted and living on death row…
Women who beat the system in one way or another….

Notice how these women change their looks in court to appear less…
sexual? Manipulative?   Less capable of carrying out their hideous murders?
So, apparently… we are such a shallow lot….
that even in cases of the most hideous brutality,
…Looks Matter.
Just sayin.

*sigh*

Too many things I find discouraging today..
a Jury that “can’t get along” in the J.A. case?
Seriously?  OMG, people.. the money spent already…
and they knew the job ahead of them six months ago!
AND COULD THERE BE A MORE CLEAR CUT CASE??
They oughta be ashamed if they can’t come to a unanimous decision.
Ashamed.
While they are squabbling, she is still giving interviews, still smug,
(laughing and flirting with the court guard yesterday!)
still making excuses, still trashing the victim and his family. 
UNREAL.
Yet another heartbreaking natural disaster… 
have you counted the frequency of these events in the past two to three years?
If you’re not scared yet, you should be. 
I don’t know if it’s global warming or the natural order of the cycles of the earth,
but it’s trying to shed us in one way or another. 
Scary indeed.
I have been good about exercise,
terrible with the ban on crap food.
If there is a cookie in the house, it’s not safe with me around. 
*sigh*
WHY.. am I so crappy with this one particular thing?
Any advice on curbing the extra eating would be appreciated. 
I eat plenty of the good stuff  – veggies and fruit.. that’s not the problem.
I’ve got a horse show to get ready for today, there’s a barn bake-off on Friday night
and I’m making red white and blue cupcakes to bring along.
(and I won’t eat a single one …lie…) 
I’ll leave you with this picture of Bailey..
When Ben goes outside he usually leaves a rawhide on his bed.
The little ones take this opportunity to steal it and drag it to their bed.
They pretend to enjoy it immensely for about two minutes..
because HA!!.. I got Bens Bone!!
And then they just sit with it and guard it from each other
until he returns.  Then I have to pry it from them because he won’t,
gentleman that he is.
Like little kids, they are.
It’s a new day, people.  Let’s make it a good one.