Makes me wonder

 I just had a blog comment conversation with a fellow blogger who’s observations on life are pretty straight up and hilarious too.  I asked what he knew about those weird rope-like neck things I’ve seen major league baseball players (and it’s now reached into little league circles, too) and the answer surprised me.

 So I googled..and I found exactly what he said…

They are necklaces embedded with titanium.  “More common in major league clubhouses than 24-karat gold chains are $23 nylon necklaces, produced in Japan and distributed to athletes looking for the latest edge. Representatives from Phiten, a company based in Japan that sells the necklaces, say the nylon is coated in a titanium solution that can help improve circulation and reduce muscle stress.”     Many players feel the necklace gives them more energy and they heal faster from muscle injuries.

These are the specs:

Size: About 20” (50cm)
Front: Nylon 100%
Reverse: Cotton 65%, Polyester 35%
Middle layer: Silicone impregnated with Carbonized Titanium     (IMPREGNATED!)

Very interesting article about this very debate…  http://www.scienceline.org/2008/10/ask-fox-phiten-necklace/

*sigh*   Have you seen them?  It’s just my personal opinion, of course, but I think they look silly.  Like grown men sporting a teen fad…remember the sharks tooth necklace, the macrame bracelet or choker that you never took off, not even in the shower?    Do they really believe these things give them an edge?  As the above article implies, there are arguments for both sides.  Power of Suggestion and Placebo effect make more sense to me than believing these necklaces weild power.

As usual, Japan’s on to something.

Hey,  I’ve got a bridge for sale………

Scenic Route 100, Vermont

  We handcuffed the kids to the inside of the truck so that we could spend some quality family time on a scenic ride up north today.   (bread and water were provided, sanity wasn’t part of the deal). 

  I can happily report we all seemed to enjoy the trip once the heavy sighs and eye-rolling and proclamation of ruination of any kind of social life subsided.  Duct tape had nothing to do with it, I swear.

Vermont’s Route 100 is  one of the most scenic roads in New England with incredible mountain views.   Running north-south, it starts at the Canadian border and ends at the Vermont/Massachusetts border.

 The water is so clear.

 We rented this log cabin once. It sits on the VAST trails… awesome for snowmobiling. 
We were thrilled to find it again and see it when it’s not under three feet of snow.
 The Silo at the base of Mt. Snow.. great hot cider and burgers.

   Two things that stood out today… the colors were OK, but not spectacular…and as we got farther up into the state it was clear we had actually missed the colors.  The other thing… and this really bothers me… is that there are so many vacant houses and so many businesses either closed or stuggling.  One of my favorite stops in the Mt. Snow area  is Adams Farm… an old family farm in business since 1865. They made great fudge, goats milk soap and syrup. There were sleigh rides in the winter and Hay wagon rides in the fall and an extensive farmyard petting zoo.  When we pulled in  I thought it looked vacant…and indeed, it’s closed and going out of business. The farm is for sale due to the down-turn in the economy. 
 I found this article online… I wish I could tell the family how sorry I am that this has happened, and that they will be missed.
*sigh*   Something’s gotta give.
 

Lucky

   When I was young and daydreamed of keeping a pony in our tiny side yard ( our house backed up to a dead-end street-no backyard), I had a horse shoe.  It was given to me by my dads good friend who had a farm upstate.  That shoe was cherished. It was a touchstone…something a real horse had worn, something tangible I could hold in my hand, even in the shadow of the city. It was a bridge to a hopeful future filled with horses. 

   Turns out there have been more than a few horses in that future, and I’ve got a great little quarter horse sidekick now to plod along  autumn trails and dusty roads. To have been able to fulfill this dream, I consider myself lucky.

  And I still love horse shoes.  I’ve got an idea for a piece of artwork… and this is just the beginning.

Before and After – Side Door Entry

The side entrance was part of  a 1940’s dogleg addition. That slatted area was a woodshed and the side door and mudroom/hall to kitchen was located in the A-frame roof section to the left. There was also a very narrow staircase to the second floor.   The greenhouse, which was dismantled and sold to a neighbor, contained a narrow concrete pool.   I initially loved the pool/greenhouse and had visions of growing stuff organically, but the pool itself was tiny, no laps or jumping, kinda creepy and in need of much work. Ultimately it was in the way of moving the house back where we wanted it.
This is the same profile today.
 Hallway before the re-do… actually it had alot of rustic charm. We did not reincorporate the staircase, instead putting one in the family room going up to the loft/pool table/bar area.  (at the end of this hallway the mancave and family room are on the right – kitchen and main house on the left.) 
After
A  bathroom was installed to the left here, before you walk down the hall.  That’s  one of my 100 year old Cast Iron plants, which I just brought in from the front porch. It’s been very happy there all summer.  The old barn wood that we have on the family room and mancave walls also wraps around to the hallway here.
Mudroom door…

 

Bench picked up in an anitque shop whos  owner is very generous with his prices.  Looks to me like an old pew, maybe?  I want to call it a Deacon’s bench, but  I don’t truly know what that is, as I am new to paying attention to these things..

Bathroom door.. and this sink is the smartest idea  I contributed to the design of the rebuilt house.  It’s the DOG SINK.  All of my dog supplies are under there, and this sink is where I give them baths when they are filthy from the yard, make their meals and clean up their dishes, leashes, collars, etc.

 I used curtains and tension rods to cover the mess underneath.

This is another piece of eco-friendly furniture by my friend Art.  If you’ve read this blog in earlier days, you may remember he makes furniture out of old material from dismantled houses and barns.. like windows, doors, barn siding, etc.  There are usually atleast three different paint colors involved too….

My awesome really-cheap mirror find….

 And since it’s a miserable rainy morning made for lazyness and I’m walking around with the camera doing nothing productive anyway, here’s what we’re doing outside too…

This weekend we bought some plants for around the front walk lantern…

A few evergreen shrubs, some vibernum (favorites of mine) and coral bells.. (also favorites)

I had no idea coral bells came in so many varieties…
At the side door I have begun a perennial garden with lavendar, purple and coral coneflower, catmint…small boxwoods and packasandra (yes I know that’s spelled wrong) 

Remember my newly acquired Newport Real estate?
This is it.
The commute is zero and the taxes are virtually nothing!  🙂
 

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Recipe for Sunday Sauce

 You know I love to share recipes… however, this Sunday Sauce is the old world family recipe of  great friend Matthew Olerio, handed down from generation to generation. We almost had to kidnap his wife’s  beloved dog to get it out of him.  So I cannot divulge this recipe, one that includes several secret weapons ( like 1 shallot minced instead of onions, garlic thin sliced and mashed,  NO PASTE, NO OREGANO, NO SUGAR,  a large can of Hunts Tomato Sauce as well as two cans of San Marzano!  tomatoes crushed in a food processor, some parsley, some basil…might be a few shakes of garlic powder and pepper too). Sweet Italian sausage sauteed in olive oil and his killer beef/bread/egg/parsley/butter/pepper meatballs have something to do with it …..although last night I made RAO’s Frank and Anna Pellegrino meatball recipe because sometimes that’s how I roll.

I could tell you the rest… but then I’de have to kill you.

Fugedabowdit.

Buzz Off

 Should I be reading more into this?  I’m getting visions of Amityville Horror here, I’m not kidding. For those of you who might have also  been horror show obsessed back in the day, remember the flies? 

We’ve got them. In the hundreds.  All over the house.  But they especially like to taunt you when you’re eating, typing on the computer or trying to brush your teeth!!!…. We have been windex zapping them, vacuum sucking them, fly-stripping them, but..they… are… everywhere. 

 Wouldn’t have anything to do with soneone’s brilliant idea of a  few tons of Chicken Sh*t sitting in the back field under a tarp waiting to fertilize hay fields, now, would it? ……  Actually, I sure hope so… because the Amityville horror thing?  Ain’t happen’n here. 

Maybe I should summon a priest out to bless the house just to see if he has any fainting spells, profuse sweating or sudden violent illness upon entering.   *sigh*

Rain & Randomness

  The rain feels glorious this morning. We’ve had a very dry, hot summer and the earth is thirsty.  Autumn has definitely arrived, but the colors in the sugar maples are muted… I’m thinking it has something to do with the lack of  rain. 

 I had lunch again at my favorite diner  (twice in one week, the shame of it)  and while there I asked if they’de be willing to give up their coconut chicken recipe.  The waitress came back minutes later and said just this..    ” The cook said real simple.  Dip the chicken cutlets in flour, then egg… then sweetened shredded coconut.  Pan fry in a small amount of butter or oil until golden brown. Use any sweet and sour dipping sauce for a side.”       They serve it with white rice, and I found another recipe that recommends marinating chicken cutlets in Coconut milk for a few hours beforehand.  I also recommend using thin sliced cutlets.  We gag on the fat ones around here.  Really. 

The guy on the right here is making me so proud these past few weeks… He’s doing a great job on his new Baseball team…he’s one of the rookies, for sure, and his game has improved tremendously.   I just received his progress report on his first month in High School… a strick Catholic HS, no less…. and he is doing a great job there too.  Big improvement from middle school and it’s been a huge effort on his part.  He even ties his own tie now. Amen, brothers.  And I mean that, with a hearty THANK YOU, LORD.   Yes I am aware of my views on religion in my previous post and the  occasional hypocracy I display here.   

  So, DUDE… great job, I’m so proud.  And.. next time we go to the diner I’ll let you suck down all the creamers just once without scolding, because sometimes I’m cool like that.

   I’ll go in to work today and begin packing up the remainder of the pottery.  The rain is fitting of the mood.  This gallery has brought so much to my life, all of it good, some of it difficult, a great learning experience  and a difficult door to unhinge.  That’s what it feels like I’m doing.

Thanks for the Memories, REO Speedwagon

On Saturday night a group of ladies gathered on the hill at the Durham Fair to see a band from our youth perform some of their classics…”Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore”,    “Keep on Lovin You” ,   “Take it on the Run”….  The band may be aging, but they still deliver and I was grateful for the reminder.  I’m not talking about the obvious.. a reminder of my own youth and the heady feeling of  group exuberance and excitement for the future.  I needed a reminder that we are all still capable of coming together regardless of our differences in age, political affiliation, education, gender,  societal status (is that a word? It is now)  or race.  There were very young people in the audience… very old people too… and plenty of us who are in between and remember REO in their heyday.   

 A friend and I had a brief conversation last night as I sat outside in the church parking lot waiting for my son to come out of the 5 pm mass, a requirement for his confirmation year.  She asked why I hadn’t gone in, and I told her the truth – it wasn’t required of the parents and I had shopping to do.

 I will make it clear here that I was brought up as a Catholic, but I am not religious. I do give my kids the same upbringing so that they can make those decisions for themselves.    My religion is about doing right by others, helping where I can, being kind and considerate and generous where possible.  I try  to see the good in people,although I’m not always successful.  Science makes more sense to me than what I was taught in my religion classes.  It doesn’t mean I KNOW.. it doesn’t mean I have any more answers or that I’m right in my beliefs. Truth be told I believe that if I was like my friend and had a real FAITH, I might be more content with the state of the world.  I don’t have that crutch and sometimes I envy those who do.   I asked my friend what she gets out of her Faith… and she said simply “I have to believe there is something better than this… People are so mean, I have to believe there is something better”.    

 Saturday night on the hill at the Fair, while REO belted out their tunes… we all sang together, swayed in rhythym together, forgot for two hours whatever weighed heavy.  It was my confirmation that we are all still capable.  Thanks, REO, for the memories and the reminder.

Fun Facts:

Where did the Band get it’s name?  “From a flatbed truck, first built in the early 1900’s. It was very high-speed and heavy-duty for its day, and was considered a milestone in the history of transportation. It was sometimes outfitted as a fire engine. The letters REO are the initials of Ransom Eli Olds, who went on to create the Oldsmobile.”

Where did the band get together?
“At the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Neal and Alan started it from their dorm, where they were roommates.”