This Old House 2 – Page 165 – Middle aged musings from farm & hearth

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.”

Three things I love about Niantic, CT

Yesterday I headed north to pick up my first born so she could spend a weekend at home recharging. That happens less and less as campus life becomes more interesting, but I”ll take the crumbs 🙂 When I’m tired of the craziness that is the I-95 drive I take a detour through a little town called Niantic. It’s one of those quaint New England towns without any pretentiousnous right along the Sound. Funky old buildings, houses and waterways make up the overall feel of worn-in and welcome.

Niantic is a village in the Town of East Lyme, CT. The population is approximately 4,000. Niantic Bay is located on Long Island Sound and is popular for fishing and boating. The only bummer is The Millstone Nuclear Power Plant, which looms nearby in Waterford. Rocky Neck State Park is a great mile-long beach with views of Long Island Sound and a handful of offshore islands. The park also has some great hiking trails in the fall.

According to Wikipedia : Once famous for its Niantic River scallops, the scallop population has been in decline for a number of years. Attempts to revive the scallop population have not met with much success, most likely due to increased pollution from the heavy traffic of motorboats on the river.

My three favorite places are on the same stretch of road running right through the middle of it all on West Main Street…

Smith’s Acres, a totally rock’n garden center with everything you can think of for your gardening needs and an abundance of selection too…

Plants on the roof!..

It was love at first sight for me and this truck…

If he ever needs a new home, I gave them my address.

…then it’s a lunch stop at Niantic Diner for a menu of food that offers more than a Diner suggests..

Coconut Chicken with Sweet & Sour sauce… awesomeness.

…and right around the corner sits the Book Barn, a really funky place famous for it’s 350,0000 some-odd books housed in seven different buildings on the property. The main barn is jammed from floor to ceiling and there is no subject that isn’t covered. This is an awesome adventure for avid readers, and if you’ve got young children, it’s a great place to stock up on children’s books very inexpensively. They buy and sell used books and have everything from the newest releases to 17th century editions. This is what I ESPECIALLY LOVE about them… found on their website:

We would like for everyone who visits The Book Barn to have as enjoyable a time as possible. Therefore, not only do we provide complimentary coffee, tea, water and snacks of cookies, crackers and doughnuts, we also have several picnic and seating areas for our guests to bring their own picnics to enjoy outdoors. Just remember that we do employ 13 cats that all believe in taste testing our guests’ food, you know, just to make sure it’s safe, of course. If you’d like to buy lunch from an area restaurant, we can provide menus for you.

Our goats live in a fenced pen next to The Last Page, and they truly love to get treats from everyone. There is a coin operated cracked-corn dispenser where you can purchase a handful of corn to share with them.

We provide kitty food to all of our feline employees, but you are always welcome to bring them snacks, or share your lunch with them.

There are always plenty of milk bones on hand for you to share with our dog Zoey. Zoey is a 3 ½ year old, black and white Border Collie and Whippett mix. She absolutely loves to play ball. She plays soccer, basketball, and will chase a tennis ball for hours!

If you’re so inclined, there is ample seating outside under the many trees surrounding the building. They encourage you to sit and read.. or play checkers or chess on the many boards available. The building behind the tree is yet another book “annex”. Honestly, I think this place used to be a petting zoo.

This is the main barn… see the gourds that are growing on the vine up to the roof?

On another note.. we’re heading to the Durham Fair tonight to see REO Speedwagon… remember them?

Fire & Rain

Two years ago I stepped out of my life’s box and started a small artisan gallery with a friend. She and her husband had just purchased a large building in town, formerly a christmas shop, and she was in the process of moving her toy store business into a portion of that building. Off to the side, there was what we used to call “the ribbon room”…and the natural light wood floors and beams in the ceiling would lend itself nicely to a warm and inviting gallery. We jumped in with both feet, creating Fire & Rain Artisan Gallery & Gifts.

The name … Missy and I both love Martha’s Vineyard and music. We were looking for words that embodied elements you use to create things. One day while humming James Taylor’s Fire & Rain, we realized it just fit. Never mind how many times I’ve had a customer come in looking for fireplace equipment or James Taylor memoribilia.

Two years of meeting wonderful local New England artisans, and some as far away as California. Two years of Gift Show trips to New York, daily chatter with friends and neighbors, heartship, parental worry, triumphs and tragedies shared over morning coffee (and multigrain bagels with cream cheese from Dunkin Donuts!) and.. ok sometimes a baked potato pizza. If you’ve never had one, you’re missing sumthin. Two years of wonderful.

The media would have you believe the recession is over, but I beg to differ. Five shops in neighboring towns have closed down in the past few weeks…and I see vacant store fronts everywhere. A nearby KFC is now empty. If the colonel can’t even sell chicken, we’re in trouble.

So it is with heavy heart that Missy and I have made the difficult decision to close the doors. She has invested five years (and a hefty mortgage!) in her toy business, and together we’ve run Fire & Rain for the past two. Both were housed in the big barn, such an awesome space. There is simply not enough business to make a case for staying open, and the near horizon doesn’t show promise for change any time soon.

It’s time to turn another page.. but I’m sure going to miss the previous chapter. Thank you to all who have made it such a wonderful journey, and to my family who have given their unwavering support.

I keep telling myself “When one door closes, another one opens”… I just didn’t want to close that door.

Soap Floats

…Ivory soap, that is. I’m willing to bet you already know that if you’re as old as I am. *ahem*

My dad worked at Procter & Gamble on Staten Island along with several of my Uncles for many years. College bound family members were able to get summer jobs in the P & G warehouses, which was way cool… because we made ALOT of money during those summers. I believe I took home about $300. a week. We either worked on conveyor belts righting upturned bottles or boxes, made boxes with glue guns, or climbed on top of MOUNTAINS of soap… I’m talking mountains. And we scrapped them. These were defective soap, and so they needed unwrapping and then chucking into bins. We had a grand old time on the piles of soap, singing Van Halen’s JUMP at the top of our lungs. Whenever I hear that song it brings me back…

(If OSHA or P & G are reading this, I’m lying about all of it.)

Upon returning home thoroughly exhausted after my first day of work, I got into the shower and lathered up without ever touching a bar. That’s how COATED I was with the stuff. It didn’t thwart my love of soaps though… especially the funky and unique. I steal all of those little ~~tiny microscopic~~ soaps from hotel rooms… and forget about a box of chocolates or a fistfull of flowers. Bring me a delicious soap! Well, chocolate’s good too.

This is what got me going on the soap subject today…. look what I found at the grocery store…

Money Soap Jackpot and Florida Water Soap…. huh?… for $1.95 I bought a bar of each because my curiosity was getting the best of me. What the heck is money soap for, cleaning money? Is it MADE out of money? And we all know Florida drinking water is TERRIBLE AWFUL NO GOOD AND VERY BAD. (sorry Florida peeps, but you know it’s true). So do you use this soap to wash your mouth out after you’ve swallowed some? I had to google it. Notice both bars unwrapped say Complexion and Toilet – New York. So if you’re in New York you can use it on your complexion or the toilet? Would I want to use one product that specifies both?

Here’s what Amazon says: FLORIDA WATER SOAP – Thought to bring a youthful glow to your complexion. Enjoy the refreshing scent of Florida Water in this delightful soap.

MONEY SOAP : Believing Makes It So! Luck Brings More Luck! Wash off the Bad Luck!
If you don’t get lucky….. at least you will smell lucky!

Ok then.

Chicken with Garlic, Rosemary & White Bean Stew

This recipe is awesome for a chilly fall evening, my picky family loved it.

Garlic bread is the perfect side…

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into stew sized pieces
Pearl onions (I used jarred)
I bag shredded carrots or three carrots diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
4 oz. canadian ham, diced
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
2 cans (19 oz each) canellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried
2 cups chicken broth

Warm olive oil, salt & pepper to taste in large non-stick soup kettle over high heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add pearl onions, carrots, garlic and canadian ham/bacon, saute until onions are lightly browned. Stir in balsamic vinegar and wine or broth; bring to boil and then simmer over medium-low heat until liquid is reduced by about a third. Stir in beans, rosemary and chicken broth. Bring back to simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper, ENJOY! Serves 4

The Gift of an Ordinary Day

It’s the book I’m reading right now… (love it) … but it’s also the overwhelming need I had today to recognize and truly appreciate the day before me.

Right now in this moment… I need to appreciate that my kids are healthy and happy in the direction their life is taking.. we are not losing our house (yet!) to foreclosure, we are not struggling with a catastrophic illness, we still have jobs. I went for a ride through the beautiful early autumn woods on my horse. MY HORSE! Something that was only a dream as a kid growing up in the shadow of the big city. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up food for a refrigerator that is always stocked. Then I took my other horse, ben, for a walk down the street in our neighborhood, admiring old homes and fading gardens without fear of being hit by a bullet. There’s a guy sitting at home watching football who gives a damn whether I’m hit by that bullet. Tonight we will go to the birthday party of a good friend and we are praying that he has many many more birthdays to look forward to.

It’s not a perfect life – never judge a book by it’s cover and all that – but today I have the gift of an ordinary and extraordinary day. Life is good.

Doe anyone know what this is? There are about twenty of these growing up out of the pine forest floor. They are not together.. but scattered about five feet from each other.

Life As A House

I saw this movie for the first time last night on PayPerView, although it was originally released in 2001. What a wonderful film… full of real and imperfect characters, the gutwrenching twists and turns of true life, humor, humanity… something for everyone, and several clear messages we can all come away with. I absolutely loved it…

Storyline

George Monroe is a lonely and sad man. Divorced for ten years, he lives alone on the Southern California coast with his pet dog in the same run down shack he has lived in for twenty-five years, the shack which his father passed down to him. In the intervening years, ostentatious houses have sprung up around him. He’s been at the same architectural firm for twenty years in a job he hates, which primarily consists of building scale models. On the day that he is fired from his job, he is diagnosed with an advanced case of terminal cancer, which he chooses not to disclose to his family. In many ways, this day is the happiest of his recent life in that he decides to spend what little time he has left doing what he really wants to do, namely build a house he can call his own to replace the shack. He also wants his rebellious sixteen year old son, Sam Monroe, to live with him for the summer, hopefully not only to help in the house construction… Written by Huggo

This description is only the beginning…

CAST: Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Hayden Christensen, Jena Malone, Mary Steenburgen

FUN FACTS: The featured house had to be removed after filming, but costume designer Molly Maginnis led a group of parents that had it dismantled, reconstructed, and enlarged to become a library for the Kenter Canyon school in Brentwood, California. The new library opened in April 2004.

The video of George and young Sam playing in the surf was shot by Kevin Kline’s wife, Phoebe Cates. She videotaped Kevin and their son Owen on the beach in Bermuda.

Lindsay Lohan, who was 14 years old at the time of production/casting, was strongly considered for the role of Alyssa and even screen tested for it. While the filmmakers were impressed with Lohan, they ultimately gave Jena Malone the part, deciding they wanted someone a little bit older.

Mystic Pizza

Today I took my girl (who apparently STILL NEEDS ME on occasion! I won’t dwell on the fact that it usually revolves around replenishment of funds and stuff ) to Mystic Seaport for some retail therapy and Mystic Pizza – Do you know, they still play the movie in the actual joint? We had the Mediterranean and Buffalo Chicken specialty pies… I will say, their pizza is OK… but it doesn’t compare to what we get at Modern or Pepe’s in New Haven. Of course, even in New Haven you can’t get the pie I grew up on in New York.

All over the restaurant there are photos of Julia and the cast, scenes from the movie…and other Hollywood icons as well. Speaking of Julia… I have always loved her movies and she’s one of my favorite actresses. I just don’t get the Eat Pray Love thing.. the book didn’t grab me and the movie didn’t either, although anyone could admire the scenery. Am I the only one?