This Old House 2 – Page 43 – Middle aged musings from farm & hearth

Cookies, Creatures and a Chill… or two.

Made these cookies the other day… absolutely delicious. We’re -trying- to go gluten free around here, although we haven’t actually succeeded 100 percent yet, but I have yet to make a baked item with GF flour that tastes edible. These are NOT GF, but damn, they sure are good. The fresh strawberries, white chocolate and cream cheese come together beautifully in this soft cake-like cookie. My first batch was gone in 5 hours.

http://omgchocolatedesserts.com/strawberry-cookies/

TRUMP. Holy cow, how did we get here? Not ever would I have believed…. and so totally embarrassing, the way these “men” behave on that stage. Not a sound choice in the lot… And yet the government definitely needs a huge shaking down… and you know what? I’m starting to think TRUMP is not the worst thing that could happen. Maybe it’s the shake down the “establishment needs”. For sure, they’ve brought it on themselves. They asked for it. Just so hard to accept that this is the level we have all sunk to, and I think we all bear responsibility, I do.

For a while I said.. I’m not voting!! These choices aren’t acceptable!!… but not voting isn’t the answer either. I’m weighing out the lesser of two evils, myself. I hope you do the same, whatever you believe that to be. Apathy is a bigger sin.

Spring is starting to announce that she indeed intends to show up. I am thrilled! Barn chores are so much more enjoyable when your hands don’t sting from the cold despite double glove wearing and you don’t include ice chipping of water buckets/ bowls and snow shoveling in the daily lineup of duties. We’re going to Agway today to pick up some seed planting “stuff”. I’ve ordered my seeds already from Baker Heirloom seed company… purple dragon carrots and an oriental variety of purple sweet potato are in the plans.

The girls enjoying some oatmeal with raspberries a few mornings ago. They’ve made it clear they prefer blueberries though. Truly, I wonder what the difference is between the two… they leave the raspberries till there’s nothing else to pick on. Blueberries disappear in seconds.

Out on our morning walk.. the crew discusses the results of Super Tuesday. I couldn’t help but notice their conversations were more coherent than the candidates and there was no mention of the size of their… digits.

Have you seen -Black Mass – the movie about the real life story of Whitey Bulger, portrayed by Johnny Depp? Great movie, probably one of Johnny Depps best performances. He’s an incredible actor anyway, one of my favorites… but in this? Well.. first let me tell you my husband put the movie on and I hadn’t known who was in it, hadn’t paid any attention to the ads for it before hand. I had NO IDEA while watching the ENTIRE MOVIE that I was looking at Johnny. The eyes were haunting to me, but I could not place it, did not see -him-. Amazing performance. I highly recommend the movie- a real, chilling, gritty piece of our american story.

Best “chiller” you’ll see all year, I promise.

Vermont Agriculture

My favorite thing to do when we visit Vermont is to hunt down the old barns with my camera. Back in the day, the houses were small and sturdy and the barns were built BIG, to accommodate the livelihood of the farmers, their livestock and crops. Many are tumbling down now, sad to see.

PS – Blogger is giving me real issues with fixing fonts on this post.. I apologize for the unruly appearance and size of fonts.

Some Agricultural History: (or, skip to the pictures) Farming has always played a major part in the lives of Vermonters. In the late 1700’s, most Vermonters lived on self sufficient farms, which meant they consumed most of the food they produced. Sheep were introduced to Vermont in 1811 and soon they became a major source of income for farmers. The rough hillsides and climate of the state were especially suited for sheep raising. By the 1840’s competition from other areas and economic conditions led to a decrease in sheep farming.

In the years before the Civil War, Vermont began to move towards dairy farming. Just after the late 1840’s, before there was refrigeration, the milk was made into cheese and butter and shipped by railroad to out of state markets. After the refrigerated railroad car was invented in 1910, fluid milk was shipped in large quantities to cities like Boston and New York.

In 1983 79% of the money made on farms was from dairy products and in 1995 it was 69.9%, but as it has in the past, farming in Vermont is changing. There are fewer farms and less of the land in the state is used for agriculture. Only the prime farmland remains in agriculture. 21.5% of Vermont land was used for the purpose of farming in 1997. One reason for this is an increase in population and the resulting demand for good land. Land is expensive and may sometimes bring large amounts of money when it is sold for housing instead of being used for farming. Large farms may sometimes have a tax burden that is too difficult for the farmer to pay. Much of our food is now shipped in from the west and south where it can be produced more cheaply. Also there is an increase in the percentage of farmers who work at jobs off the farm to help supply themselves. This means an increase in the number of part-time farms.

We visited Sugarbush Farm first, owned by the Luce Family …had a nice visit with their Belgian draft horses and bought some syrup and cheddar cheese. Many of the remaining farms work very hard just to stay afloat, some of the families go back for three or four generations and are trying to hold on to their heritage… no easy feat. When I say “work very hard” – their physical labor is intense all year through and the money is sporatic and the pay not what it should be given the value of the fresh food and produce they provide. Another problem is the young generation that would normally take over the responsibilities as their elders “age”… are turning away from the rural way of life and moving elsewhere, choosing a different path. Then there are the economics of the beast… the land becomes more valuable than the sparse income these families can eek out with all that hard work. That brings on a whole slew of other issues, sometimes dividing families in the process.

You’ve probably heard of the slogan… No Farms, No Food… ?…. well, when we buy fresh from these farms, the quality is outstanding and it’s easy to see how our factory produced foods have taken us down a rocky road. What many of us consume now can’t compare to what these farms have to offer. What happens when they’re all gone? It’s happening, slowly, but surely… you just have to take a ride out into the country and talk to them.

The Luces are the second, third and fourth generations to live on Sugarbush Farm. Jack and Marion Ayres bought the farm in 1945 with a dream to make a go of country living. They were the first folks in Vermont to start packaging cheese in waxed bars so they would travel well without refrigeration. By 1975 the Boston Globe wrote about Sugarbush Farm “At the end of a scenic Vermont road lies a Cheese Lovers paradise.” In 1995 the American Cheese Society awarded Sugarbush Farm a Blue ribbon for the best smoked cheese in the country. Today the farm is operated by Betsy, the Ayres’s daughter, her husband Larry and their sons Ralph and Jeff. Its the Luce family’s goal to keep the farm a working, active operation. The future looks bright for the fourth generation with 7 grandchildren learning good working habits on the farm.

Cheese, freshly waxed….

More Barn Charm….

Because it wasn’t far off our path, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to photograph Jenne Farm – the most photographed farm in New England. Jenne farm, located on Jenne Road in Reading, Vermont, has been owned by the same family for generations. The current residents are struggling to keep the farm going, and because of the prime real estate, it is feared they will eventually have to let go of it for development, yet another gem lost to us forever. I hope a way is found to preserve it.

A photo taken by a photographer in fall….

My version on a mid winter day ….

We visited the Billings Farm and Museum, right on the outskirts of Woodstock, walking distance from the Inn… click here for more info.. History of the farm HERE. In brief, it was donated to the state of Vermont as a national historical park by the Rockefellers and serves as a working dairy farm and educational facility/museum on the history of rural Vermont farm life. For $14. you get the full tour, including a walk through the homesteads, the immaculate dairy barns, nursery and a sleigh or wagon ride, depending on the footing.

If he had his druthers… Mike’s dream cabin, where he can get away from it all.. just down the hill from Sugarbush Farm..

Thanks for tagging along 🙂 And whenever you get the chance… buy fresh, buy local.. .support local farmers, producers, farm markets. It matters, and you benefit. Win win.

Quechee, Vermont and the Simon Pearce Gallery

We visited Quechee, just up the road from Woodstock Center – located along the Ottauquechee River in the Town of Hartford. Quechee Gorge is stunning, and forms the southeast edge of the town. I didn’t get pictures of the gorge, as the snow/ice were too heavy on the edges for safe photography climbing. The covered bridge was heavily damaged in Hurricane Irene and had to be rebuilt. The Simon Pearce mill also sustained damage and lost it’s entire glass works floor, on the lower lever. Amazing how that hurricane affected this area of Vermont, hours from the coast.

A must stop in this area is the Simon Pearce gallery and restaurant – the food is divine (accent on fresh, local) and we enjoyed watching the glassworks downstairs. The mill itself is incredible, with a huge waterfall that powers the entire place. Amazing….

Some history on Quechee… This is long, but it’s worth the read – to see a once thriving community turn into a ghost town, and with thoughtful ressurction, it is thriving once again. .. (or.. skip to the pictures)

Quechee was settled in the 1760s when homesteaders were deeded acres for the erection of mills along the Ottauquechee River. The mills became the heartbeat of this community, providing everything from lumber to cider for the settlers. To accommodate growing traffic, a bridge was built over the Ottauquechee River at the current site of the Quechee covered bridge.

During the 1800s, the mills thrived, gaining particular attention for fabric. J.C. Parker and Co. (the property now occupied by Simon Pearce Glass) developed a fabric, “shoddy”, made of new wool and reworked soft rags, thereby gaining a reputation for producing some of the country’s finest white baby flannel. Another woolen mill, Dewey and Company, was establishing its reputation providing fabric for making baseball uniforms for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Over 64 buildings sprang up around this company, creating the village of Dewey’s Mills just downstream from Quechee Village.

In the 1950s, due to the shortage of an affordable labor force and the enticement of the South and its labor force, the mills started closing. Quechee lost the economic base that had existed for almost 200 years. The once booming community became a village of abandoned buildings with broken windows, fallen roofs, brush and bramble covered walls, crumbling foundations, a ghost town of what it had once been.

To add to the decline of Quechee Village, in 1962 a project to address flooding in the lower Connecticut River was initiated. As a result of this project, the village of Dewey’s Mills and that mill ceased to exist. In its place, the Army Corps of Engineers built a causeway between Dewey’s Mills Pond and the Ottauquechee River, which has created a walking trail and wonderful wildlife sanctuary.

In the late 1960s, a group of investors arrived in the area looking for that quintessential Vermont land to build a four-season resort community. As this was the first development of its size to come under the jurisdiction of Vermont’s Land Use Act 250 Law, the end result is a resort that is well planned, developed and maintained with great attention to its surrounding, which includes the Ottauquechee River Valley, its hillsides, open meadows and woodland. Known as the Quechee Lakes Corporation, the company purchased all available land for its planned community and amenities. Today, the Quechee Lakes Resort is one of New England’s finest resorts for seasonal and year-round owners.

Quechee Gorge, known as “Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon”, on the Ottauquechee River is one of New England’s most popular natural wonders. Trails from the Quechee Gorge Visitor Center weave throughout the area (Gorge land is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers) and the Quechee Gorge State Park. A true destination site, over 200,000 visitors visit the Vermont Institute of Natural Science nearby, fish and canoe the river, hike the trails in summer and fall, and cross country ski and snowshoe in the winter.

I took the picture below from the bridge… the power of this waterfall is indescribable….
The Simon Pearce Mill/Gallery/Restaurant is on the right.. the glassworks on the lower level…

We watched a Martini Glass come to be… the teamwork and the speed at which they have to move to work with the fired glass is incredible… It takes about three years for a team to come together and work really efficiently at this trade.

We came home with a set of ivory crackle glaze dishes, very sturdy and beautifully made. Next post.. the rural beauty of this part of Vermont – We’ve explored the state some over the years.. and have to say, it’s our favorite spot.

Woodstock, Vermont – It’s a beautiful thing

The Mr. and I spent a lovely weekend in Woodstock, Vermont – lodging at the Woodstock Inn. The accommodations are luxurious, the staff very friendly and the food divine. We had uncommonly warm weather for February in Vermont, but even if you were snowed in, the Inn has so much to offer and is so expansive, there’s room to wander without ever stepping outside. There is a spa, two restaurants and tavern, a gift shop, swimming pool in summer, a full game room for the young and young at heart, many sitting areas throughout, a huge fireplace to lounge in front of in the lobby, wine and cheese tasting in the evenings… It’s not cheap, but for a few night stay, it’s well worth the money even if it’s a big indulgence. If you ski, golf, snow shoe or xcountry ski, they have packages for that too.

The Town of Woodstock is absolutely beautiful. The Inn is located right on the Green, their address is 14 The Green, so no need to get in the car to walk in the village. There are many well maintained older and stately homes, not something you see a lot of in Vermont, so this surprised me. Main Street and the Green have many shops, boutiques, restaurants, artisan galleries, a very old movie theatre and long standing businesses like the Pharmacy and General Store, established in the late 1800s –

If your’e interested – a brief history of Woodstock HERE –

Delightful walking in this town.. and Middle Bridge is just across from the Inn…

see the star on the hill above it?

Bridge selfie

The General Store was founded in 1886….

Original wood floors and shelving.

How many feet have walked these floors, carrying all their stories…

You can find just about EVERYTHING here… there are rooms I haven’t photographed..

Hunting and fishing gear, wine, groceries, wooden bowls and pottery and glassware and books and

boots and jackets and t shirts and toiletries and if you’re so inclined…

have a seat and play a game of checkers.

The pharmacy has the same feel, but a little more upscale.

I’ll be back with a tour of Quechee and the Simon Pearce Mill…

About that thing called LOVE

Are you a Big Fan of what some call the -Lovers Holiday – ? I have to admit, I’m not really the romantic type. Oh, I love People and things, like my husband and kids and animals and extended family, etc…and seaglass and puppies and horses and Marthas Vineyard and vacations on warm sunny beaches with my toes tucked in the sand…. But I’m not particularly demonstrative in the mushy way that some go about Love. Is that good, or is that bad? I don’t know. I’m not an ice cube, to be clear, but over the top, or even anywhere near that summit, I am not.

There are many forms of Love.. many ways to show it, many reasons for it. Romance to me isn’t so much the hearts and flowers and mushy love letters, poems, chocolates, declarations…. nope.. over the years romance is more about the daily interactions – going to the drug store on a bitter cold night to get your significant other the cold remedy they need, or getting up at 1 a.m. to feed the baby or let the dog out or check the fire…. or going to that darned family reunion you don’t want to go to because your partner wants you there. It’s needing something from someone but recognizing they aren’t in a great place at the moment so you let your own needs go so as not to overwhelm them. It’s believing in someone enough to help them follow their dream, even if it’s not quite your own… or having their support as you challenge yourself or follow your own dreams… It’s knowing someone has your back, always…and returning the favor.

I usually make something yummy and chocolate – this year I made pumpkin spiced iced cookies, recipe HERE... but I saw a few other fun recipes on Pinterest (love me some Pinterest) … that I’ve saved for future reference..

Recipe HERE

Great picture tutorial on how to make a heart cake

Something I’ve learned about LOVE over the years… it has to start with you. By you I mean… you gotta love yourself. That was a tough lesson I had to learn, took me many years. Why? I couldn’t tell ya, and I even had some therapy sessions to try to figure it all out. Ultimately, I don’t think it was the therapy that got me to a better place. For me, when I sat in the therapists chair, she was telling me things I already knew, and I nodded my head politely to get through the 45 minutes. No…. I think there came a time when I took a good long look at my life, at my life’s patterns… and discovered I could forgive the mistakes because they weren’t made intentionally, I should forgive the mistakes of others because holding grudges is like drinking poison.. and the person I was as a whole was genuine, kind most of the time, decent and true. If I could use those words to describe myself and know it wasn’t bull, then why didn’t I think I was worthy of my own admiration. Why didn’t I believe it? Life is hard, for all of us in one way or another. We sure as hell don’t need to make it harder for ourselves.

So.. I say…. The “lovers holiday” is not just for those who are romantically linked. And Hey – if you’re the romantic type, and you’ve got that romantic person to do those romantic things with that you see in the movies, have at it! Enjoy. Hallmark loves you especially. If you’re NOT one of those and you’re just wishing for this event to be over with…. I say use this day to acknowledge your own worth.. an appreciation for who you have come to be. For once, don’t focus on any of the things you might have done better, don’t focus on the love you don’t have… blah blah blah. Pay tribute to -you-. Do something nice for yourself.

My husband and kids will get cards (mushy! even) and small gifts from me, plus that plate of cookies on the counter… and a nice dinner. There will be a fire in the fireplace as the temps drop to close to zero overnight and the dogs will be at our feet as the husband and I sip a glass of wine, or Baileys, and watch a movie – (or a rerun of Law and Order Special Victims Unit – because right now we’re hooked) To me… being able to count on that… is my romance. I love it. Every simple part about it. And loving the me I have become… (and it’s still hard for me to even type that without feeling it’s narcistic) … is the icing on the chocolate cake.

Cute Kids craft…

One more thing… if you were to give yourself something for this holiday, what would it be? (Besides the wish for good health and happiness, something we all wish for regularly)… No, I want you to be materialistic right now with your wish… what would it be? If I could get away with it? I’d add a dog to the family – a pomeranian. Oh, how I love these little dogs. The only things that stop me are 1) the husband 2) I’d need to -rescue- it. Buying a dog now that I have been in rescue for a few years just doesn’t feel right. But look at these precious pups…

Indeed, that would be my indulgence. You?

Ps… none of these photos are mine.

before and after

SO, the New England grey has descended, and the best remedy for that in my opinion is to pick something in the house that needs rejuvenation. That would be our bedroom. I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond to see what might inspire me… and found -lots-. I came home with a few bags full of stuff and two rugs… and spending just hundreds, not thousands, the room was transformed in a half hour.

ahhh.. that feels better.

Pull up a chair and grab a cuppa… it’s a long one and it goes all over the place

Because SNOW.

It’s 7:40 a.m. and I’ve already fed the dogs, chickens and rabbits, mucked stalls and fed and watered the horses, let them run around for a bit and closed them back in. The snow started to fly about an hour ago and we’re told it’s gonna be a good one. I’ve got work to do at my editors desk here, so being snowed in is probably a good thing.. less distraction to take me away from it when the -inside- is more pleasant than the -outside- .

This picture was taken yesterday during the -pleasant- portion of our winter weather.

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Have I told you lately how much I love being able to work a job I enjoy .. from home?… it’s a big blessing. Back in the day, there was a three year period of time where I worked a secretarial job in a windowless office. For a girl like me, that was very depressing. I need to see the daylight, the sky, branches on trees, the weather…

My son and his girl have been enjoying the sun and sand and 80 degree temps of St. Maarten, returning tonight, weather permitting. As if I needed another reason to worry, of course they fly on a storm day. We have not been to St. Maarten yet.. but the kids have enjoyed it so much and friends have recommended it highly, I think we’re going to take a family trip next January. Of course, it takes two years to get the Mr. to agree to take a vacation. Remember the Fonz… and how he just could not bring himself to say he was Wrrrrrrrrrrr…………….wrrrrrrrrrrrr……………. wrrrrr…rrrrr….rrrrrrrr…..wrong? Just swap that word out for Vaaaaaaa…v aaaaaaaaa..a…..vaaaaaaa……cation.

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The husband and I are trying to avoid gluten, so in the following recipe I will swap out regular pasta (woe is ME!!)… for the gluten free variety. I have yet to find a gluten free anything that tastes as good as the original stuff, but I have to admit I feel so much better when I don’t eat it.

Anyway!… this looks great for a cold winters eve, don’t ya think?

Chicken Bacon Pasta

Recipe HERE

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How about that Superbowl!!!….

I’m a Patriots fan, so it was not my most favorite. Here are my thoughts.. I don’t like extremely cocky players, for me that kind of behavior takes away from the game. Not all agree with me, and that’s OK. SO… I think Cam Newton and his team played outstanding this year and deserved a spot in the Bowl, but there is big attitude in that camp and lots of unsportsmanlike behavior in my opinion… and so perhaps they were knocked back a little and reminded they are not Gods with this loss. Newton certainly appeared rattled, blowing a little tantrum as he lay in the field at one point.

It was a weird game… kinda reminded me of preschool in some ways — there were players with what appeared to be pacifiers in their mouths, some pattycake play, a temper tantrum or three or four…

(pic from another game, but here it is.. the new in-thing, the pacifier! )

As for the poor behaviors – the excess celebratory gestures for even the littlest things, the pushing shoving stomp-on matches,.. the temper tantrums… See, here’s where I think these athletes need to be held responsible for their behavior. They have kids and grown adults looking up to them, idolizing them… they’re paid a ridiculous amount.. so why can’t they be held to a certain standard of behavior? They aren’t curing disease or saving lives, they play damn good ball, that’s it. So .. at least set a good example or pay a hefty fine.. too much to ask?

This guy likes to do the Superman Gesture …

To me the measure of a true athlete who deserves the worship is one who behaves well even in defeat. Sorry, Cam.. Superman, you ain’t. Not because of the loss, dude, everyone loses sometimes…

GOod article in the New York Times about this very thing…. HERE

The Broncos – also not their best, having many opportunities to pull ahead and yet not achieving them. Their defense was stellar, and deserved the win. In the end they managed it, and I’m happy for Peyton Manning.. who is or isn’t retiring after this win.

Weird Bowl for sure.

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I love this tee shirt, decided to order it today from the Sundance catalog… my favorite “shop”. HOwever, they’ve gotten so expensive I don’t order much from them anymore..

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I’ll close the post with a picture of the two sisters who arrived in CT yesterday afternoon – now known as Daisy and Dolly…. Their mom was an aussie, not a lab – I had that info wrong. Dad was probably a rotti, me thinks. These two are adored already – life is good!

Snow and a tale of two sisters…

Ah, the lovely snow we’ve accumulated in a sudden storm that was going to be “just an inch or two”… they said. “not much at all”… they said.

Poor Frasier gets snowballs stuck to his fur…

I’m debating pulling out the clippers this afternoon.

My new neighbor, who lives in the cabin on the hill behind This Old House, is on her way home from Pennsylvania right now with not one, but TWO puppies she adopted from one of our rescues down there. It’s a beautiful thing… these two sisters will get to grow up together here in Connecticut, right up there on the hill. Their mom was a lab and their dad is unknown. Mom was pulled from a kill shelter, pregnant… and cared for by our friend, an ACO who helps with our adoption events. Mom wasn’t particularly fond of being a mom in the beginning, and these girls and their siblings had to be bottle fed for a while until she figured things out. Or accepted her new roll?… Anyway.. she will be spayed and these two girls are the last in the litter to be adopted. All is well that ends well.

I hope I get to hug them a little later today…………….

Soaring

Bald eagles can be seen at the mouth of the Connecticut river during winter/spring months. There are several Eagle sight-seeing tours available in our area. One shoreline town about 15 minutes from here has a nesting pair in a tree not far off the road and down by a yacht club at water’s edge. Many photographers flock to the site and some folks fret that there is too much commotion and all the attention will disturb the birds. I hope not, so far all I see are respectful folks who don’t pester and the birds are far enough away that they don’t seem to mind.

This is the distance from the road, where people stand to view and photograph….

There are several of these….

This is the best shot I was able to get from so far away… there is a mom and a dad in the nest, hard to tell from this angle… they have returned, the same pair were here last year.

My friend Lillian was able to get this shot… magnificent…

In all my years of Connecticut living I have only spotted a bald eagle twice before.

So, these encounters so close by are inspiring –

As is the water and the shore’s inhabitants…

I could never live very far from the sea,

this I know to be true.

Rocking

Meet Galadriel (I wonder if any of my readers will know where that name comes from)… The Horse was originally sold in a Whitney Reed catalog in the 1890’s through 1915. I’ve never heard of a Whitney Reed Catalog, have you? Sound like a Sears and Roebuck. This particular horse could have been made anywhere in that time frame. I contacted two experts in the field of antique rocking horse restoration, and they both agreed it was a great find, but definitely the antique value degraded because it had been painted over and most of the tack was not original. SO, that meant I had free license to do what I pleased with it as it would only increase in value with restoration work.

I decided to leave the base as is, it is original, and I used only the medallions from the tack that he was found with, as they are also original. His eyes are what he was “born” with too. The rest was acetoned and painted over with Amitha Verma chalk paint, several shades of grey, with a wax finish also sold by that company. Painters tape was used to help me create the dapples. I ordered horse tail hair on line for the mane and tail and leather swatches from Amazon to make the new “tack”. Some upholstery tacks were used for attaching the new leather.

This is how I found him… oh, the joy of the find….