Category: Uncategorized

Going to the Dogs!

 If you’re local and you have some time this weekend, stop by the Dog Days Estate and Bake Sale at 101 N. Main Street in Essex today or tomorrow, 9am-1pm.  They’re raising money for another adoption event and could use all the help they can get.    The two puppies you see below are from Connecticut Animal House and are also in need of homes.   A big thank you to my blog friend Hilary of Crazy as a Loom for donating two beautiful rag rugs and a looper loom for the occasion.

Randomocity

   Did I just make that word up?
Did you watch that ABANDONED program  about the vacant Johnsonville
that I heralded last night?
It wasn’t all the great. They didn’t highlight half of the village’s appeal,
nor did they discuss much of the history of that oddly wonderful vacant village.
If you did see it, the fellow that was haggling over the prices of “stuff”
with the shows host… was the guy who I bumped into when I went
trespassing on the property to take pictures. 
 He was reluctant,but then allowed a few shots…keeping an eye on my whereabouts.
That school house that was purchased on the show still stands..
so if they really bought it for the reported $5,000., they haven’t taken it yet.   
The show was mostly about junk hunting, which  disappointed me. 
Frasier wasn’t impressed either. 
This is a bouquet I picked from the backyard gardens before the storms the other night.
Even though these flowers are all out there for everyone to see…
ALL SUMMER LONG…
the husband and child  thought they were store bought,
shocked that they came from our own yard.
For a minute I think they didn’t believe it.
Now why would that be shocking?
Every morning I’m up at 5:30 am… the dogs go out,
then the dogs come in to be fed. 
The manchild is awoken, much to his chagrin,
and then I head up to the barn and coop  to feed..
while she takes him for a walk..
…in rainboots.
Keeps the ticks off in the tall grass, didn’t ya know.
***
Warning:  If you’re easily offended, look away now.
Finally, a few words about politics and living in a house divided. 
It ain’t easy.
Enough said.

Don’t Miss it!!

 Remember the abandoned village I photographed HERE?….

Thanks, Tim G. , for reminding me that tonight the special airs on Nat Geo regarding that very abandoned village!  Click on the link below for more information.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/abandoned/episodes/connecticut-ghost-town/

This morning I’ll continue my college conversation with the kid.  See below, any pointers are greatly appreciated…   🙂

No kidding

Me:  Hey dude, keep in mind.. pretty soon we should start looking at colleges.
Maybe we’ll start with  Sunny Valley U.  Whatdaya think?
Him:  Not going.
Me:   The hell you aren’t. 
So I’ll call and see when there’s an Open House
and we can take a tour.
Him:  It’s such a waste of time, I’m busy!
I’m not going.
Me:  How are you going to know what schools you’d like to apply to if you
haven’t been to them to see what they’re all about? 
Him:   Just google the ones that have a good weight lifting program
and show me the pictures. Then I’ll pick.
*sigh*


Black & White with a splash of color

 I’ve always admired this technique, but never looked into how to actually DO it. I figured it was pretty technical and I have the patience of a -gnat- when it comes to fidgeting around in the various photo programs.. especially Photoshop.   (talk about confusing!.. am I the only one who feels this way about photoshop?)…  Give me picmonkey any day.

But Picmonkey can’t DO this thing, and I saw on a post the other day that a blog friend of mine, Ms. A, figured it out for herself.   I asked her for a tutorial.  For some reason I couldn’t apply her method on my computer, which frustrated the h*ll out of my impatient self.  So I googled and found out exactly how to do it in the dreadful Photoshop.   Much easier than I thought!  Not perfect, I need more patience… (ha!)… but for now, not bad either. 
Now if you’re into this kind of thing but haven’t tried it yet yourself..
here’s the tutorial I found on the net and used for the Photoshop method.
” One of the techniques people most often ask me to teach them is making a photograph like the one on the right that is black and white with one other colour. There are a few ways to achieve this effect but here is the one I find easiest for Photoshop users:

1) Open a suitable photograph, this can be any subject but ideally it needs an area of bright colour that will have an impact when it’s finished while the rest of the photo looks good in black and white.

2) Select IMAGE>ADJUSTMENTS>DESATURATE to turn the photo black and white. But don’t take the photo out of RGB (i.e. don’t convert to black and white or mono) or the next step won’t work.

3) Select the history brush from the tool menu on the left of the screen (usually the fifth icon down in the right hand column), set hardness to 100% and choose a suitable brush size to work with on the section of the photo you want to put in colour.

4) Now use the brush and go over the area you want in colour, the brush will erase the black and white and bring back the colour. You may need to zoom and work close up on some sections. Take your time and change brush sizes if you need to.”

If you do try this, I’d like to post your finished work here… send it to karenthisoldhouse@hotmail.com in the next week or two and I’ll do a post if I get some from any of you.  I’ll give you two weeks to give it a go.

Life Lessons

Without going into detail,
because it’s not my story to tell…
Sometimes horrible things happen in a life
that we have no control over. ..
things you didn’t see coming at all.
Many of us know all too well that a life can go sideways in 60 seconds or less.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where
things look bleaker than bleak,
I will give you the  words that you should conjure…
 this is what an ICU nurse once said to me..
“No matter what you are facing… there is always HOPE.
You just have to BELIEVE. “
 Sounds too simple, doesn’t it?
At the time I clung to every  single word coming out of her mouth,
because it was my lifeline.  I let her know that later.
But besides all that… she was absolutely right.
It’s hard to see when you’re in the dark hole of
despair and frightened beyond the beyond. 
Believe it though, because it’s true.  
Things are going well with these two…..
he’s the seasoned school teacher
and she’s the eager student.

LIFE… is good.

Another Take on Pumpkin Cakes

 My friend Lynn sent this picture to me, something she found on Pinterest… how cool is THAT?  I’m definitely going to make one for my daughter’s October birthday.  Simple make two bundt cakes in the flavor of your choice, place one upside down and the other on top – decorate however you see fit … I’m thinking I’ll put icing in the middle…

What says HOME to you?…

    I’ve been dreaming of “home” since I was a very young girl.  Many years ago we would walk with  my grandmother after Sunday night dinner and admire the gardens, the decor, peer in the windows of other peoples spaces, collecting ideas.   
   My vision of what I had hoped I might be able to call home some day has not changed much over the years.  I grew up in a borough of the city, but I knew that was not my destination.  While many of my friends were excited about the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle just across the bridge, I longed for country roads and wide open spaces.  I wanted land and a barn for my -someday- horses, a yard for my -someday- dogs to roam, a house with big windows to let in lots of natural light (my favorite kind) with big old trees standing guard. Plenty of space for my -someday- children to play and entertain friends, too.   I would decorate this home with lots of candles and ivory linen overstuffed couches. There would be strands of beads to walk through in the doorways… do you remember those?  I’d become a good cook and there would always be a candy dish full of something sugary.
  I did outgrow those hippie beads, and the ivory linen couches will never be practical with dogs and kids… but we were able to pull the rest of it off and for that… every day… I am grateful. 
  Below are a few pictures here at this old house.. things that make this place “home”.  In the comments section below, list five things in your surroundings that make it home to you.  Family is a given.  If you’re really feeling chatty, tell us how your childhood vision of your someday home compares to what you have created over the years.  I’m not talking about material things or stature, but the things that really make a house a home to you. 

Dads Swedish Meatballs
(these are awesome)
Recipe found HERE.