This Old House 2 – Page 57 – Middle aged musings from farm & hearth

Three new recipes for the keepers file

We had steady rain all day on the 4th, picnic postponed until later today. So what’s a girl to do? COOK! I tried three new things and all came out terrific. They are also easy to prepare and not horrible for your health either.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries… buy some good sized strawberries.. wash and dry. For the red white and blues…. Melt white chocolate and dip strawberries in melted white chocolate, then dip in blue sugar sprinkles. Place on wax paper till dry and chocolate has hardened again. place on decorative plate and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. This is a fun project to do with kids as long as you supervise the melting of the chocolate.

Betty Crockers Buffalo Chicken Casserole – YUM!!! Recipe HERE

These tomatoes are absolutely delicious and good for you too. Marinate sliced tomatoes with balsamic vinegar for 4-6 hours. Bake at 350 for about 7 minutes or a little tender. (I skipped that step and they were fine). Meanwhile, sauté spinach and garlic with a dash of salt. Put spinach on top of tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese of your choice (I used fresh mozzerella) and broil til cheese is golden!..just about five -7 minutes at most. Delicious!!

Didn’t see THAT coming

Remember the new fountain installation in the backyard?

Oooooooookay then. *sigh*

I’ve been doing a lot of hosing off of said fountain…every.single.day.

Farmers Market and a Wedding bouquet

M & M went to a wedding Saturday…

And brought home this beautiful table centerpiece which her grandmother made…. the ceremony was on the shoreline, perfect theme, don’t you think? Two of my favorite things here.. a ball jar and sea glass.

Yesterday we went with good friends Jeff (our awesome Restoration-This-Old-House guru) and his wife Raven (the Fairy Queen who let me try on her wings) to the Coventry Regional Farmers Market. If you are fairly local, it’s one of the best around and since dogs are welcome, many attend.. some in their absolute best dress. So consider it a dog show too.

It was a good friends, good food, pink poodles kind of day.

Zero Gravity

That’s what the sign said….. a “Zero Gravity” chair… and it was just $38, which would lead me to believe it’s probably made out of crap. However, I sat in it… and.. super comfortable. You sorta feel weightless.. I guess that was the point. Felt very sturdy, even. Easy to fold up and take with you! The headrest is easily adjustable too.

So I got two for me and the Mr.

My son and I sat out here this morning, weightless in our zero gravity chairs…… Perhaps for a little stretch of time we were also weightless in other ways as we took in the rolling hay fields, the flowering pots, the water flowing in the fountain, the vegetable plants, the dogs lazing beneath our seats, admiring how very green and full and filled in the backyard now looks as opposed to just a few years ago. We were quiet for a while, and then he said… “you know what I love most about home? Sitting out here is like being on vacation. “

That’s what it’s all about. Your outdoor space is another way to -feather your nest- make your home an oasis, and you know I chirp about that often on this blog. It’s true the size of your budget can determine just how crazy you can or can’t get with the feathers… but as I’ve said before, you can create an oasis, a place of rest, on any budget. Fill your home (and garden!) with things you love. Perennials can be bought cheap as this season winds down, within a few years they double and fill out. Invest in a few decent chairs – lounge, folding, whatever your style.. a few nice pots.. (I found some big ceramics at Ocean State Job lot for $12.00) ..fill them with colorful annuals or herbs or whatever appeals to you. No shade? An umbrella then. It’s so worth the effort to create those inviting spaces. Life is hectic. Make your space to unwind and let it go, don’t be too busy to sit for a spell….and become weightless for just a little.

Heartworm Disease in Dogs.

When I adopted Frasier and had him thoroughly check out by my vet, it was discovered he had a good case of heartworm, which, if untreated, will eventually kill the dog. The worms suffocate the heart and lungs, etc. The treatment is expensive (about $700.) but necessary. And.. there is a three to five month – Keep the dog calm and quiet – period of time because the dying worms start traveling through their bloodstream and you don’t want them getting caught up in the heart, lungs, etc… causing paralysis or death. Ugh. THAT.. was no easy feat with Frasier.

So, Ben had a skin tag thing on his leg and I brought him to the vet to have it checked and removed earlier this week. While there he had his yearly heartworm and Lyme test. I got the call the next day – both came back positive. WHAT? I do give my dogs heartworm pills, but not during the winter months because mosquitos don’t live here in those seasons. Down south the problem is much more prevalent. This is where Frasier came from. SO… how did BEN get it?…. I freaked a little. Had all four dogs brought back and tested .. all are negative. After a second heartworm test in house on Ben, it was decided the first one was a false positive, especially since he has no evidence of heartworm disease. I’m glad he doesn’t have heartworm, kind of alarming that the first came back positive, falsely. He’s on Doxycycline for the Lyme disease, which is far too common in humans and animals in New England.

Lesson here – always ask for a second test with heartworm if you get a postive test result, because they can be inaccurate and the treatment is rough on the dog and costly. Also, don’t skimp on the monthly treatment… although here in the north where the winters are cold, it’s OK according to my vet to skip the very cold winter months. Not doing so puts you at risk for a costly and difficult treatment for your dog.

Women only – no, really. So if you’re a man, just head on over to the next blog. ok?

You’re looking anyway, aren’t ya.

I warned you!

OK, ladies… let’s talk about bras for a minute, shall we? I hate ’em. And I’m not all that big chested. I cannot imagine how you women who are well endowed manage that weight and the bras that support you year after year. In my younger years I envied you, truth be told. All that attention from the boys on the beach… it wasn’t me they admired with my beanpole figure.. no, it was Lisa or Bonnie standing next to me with their double D’s. But as I get older I really have no tolerance for an uncomfortable bra and now I’m sort of grateful for my smaller bust size, especially because those serious bras are seriously uncomfortable, even in my size.

Now, A good fit is a must, and so many women get it wrong, apparently.

But even so… I still feel THIS….

Or THIS….

And while those underwires sure look sexy and

maybe fill out your clothing with better lines…

no matter how “right” the fit, and pretty the look,

it’s still uncomfortable. For me, anyway.

The point of my post today is to shout out to all of you, jubilantly, that I found an incredibly
comfortable no-wire bra at TARGET of all places. The shoulders are comfortable. The midsection is comfortable. And it does hold your boobs where you want them to sit. (If you’re still reading, guys, it’s no ones fault but your own). The thing is… this bra is supposedly a NURSING bra, although I don’t get it. There is no pocket for nursing pads, no extra anything.. just what you see below. Maybe it’s an easy access thing…

ANYWAY… wow is this a great bra for summer.. easily worn under a sundress or tank top or t-shirt and gives enough support if you’re not super sized to exercise in. I LOVE IT!

Bought at Target, the company name on the bra is Gilligan & O’Malley. They come in pairs and in several different colors.

It’s a beautiful thing.

If you’ve got a favorite bra that you think is super comfortable,
feel free to share a link in the comments section below.

The one about LOVE on so many levels

An update – The story of the couple I posted yesterday is heartbreaking and also inspiring, in that so many people are rallying to their side to help them navigate the difficult months ahead. The volunteer fire company folks are building ramps at the house and already, in just two days time, $50,000. has been raised to help with the huge medical bills they will encounter. I hope to give you an update that includes a picture of Amanda holding her baby in her arms.

*******

My funny Frasier has been enjoying our walks, which are most often along a body of water. He loves wading around and sitting or laying in it to cool off, often with soot or silt stuck to his curly fur as we head back home. I’ve learned to keep towels in the car.

*******

My sister and brother-in-law with my niece,

who just graduated from HS and is off to college in the fall

– Congratulations, S!

Hard to believe our youngest children are all grown up!

*sigh*

Wasn’t this just yesterday?

We’re working on a four day horse show this weekend.

K had to work today so Max has a day off at the showgrounds.

We went for an all black look yesterday…

It’s true that all that glitters, sparkles and spangles, dangles and dances in the light is the “IN” thing in the show pen… but if you ask me, this simple look with a $28. Banana Republic blouse is just as cool and it seems to be coming back in style at the smaller shows. We’ll help it along 🙂

KMax had a great first day at the show with wins in Western Pleasure and Horsemanship. Tomorrow we do it again.

You know…It’s not the wins or losses, and we are familiar with both. These two and their camaraderie are the thing that gets me teary. The old horse that taught the injured girl to work hard toward her new goals, to trust and to be kind and to be patient, to believe in herself again. It’s a beautiful thing, this. Better than any number of blue ribbons.

When Life is Unfair

This is the story of Amanda & Chris – two young people in our community who have just been hit with one horrific diagnosis in what should have been the best years of their lives. I’m repeating their story here because these are two individuals who have been so giving of themselves to others. Now they need help and I can’t think of anyone more deserving.

Colleen K., almost killed in a bike accident when hit by a motorist, flatlined twice while being transported to the hospital. This is where Amanda entered her story, just one of many…… Amanda Bernier from Madison Ambulance Association, helped administer life-saving medical support and then held her hand over Colleen’s heart to comfort her en route to the hospital

*****

ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Amanda Bernier’s diagnosis hit only days after she and her husband Chris received joyous, surprising news: They were expecting their first child, their miracle, the baby they’d wished for during years of working side by side as firefighters and emergency medical first responders. But something was wrong. A runner who had raced only weeks before, Amanda felt her legs giving out as she climbed into a fire truck when answering yet another emergency call from her community. Chris helped support her up the high, metal steps. Nothing like this had happened during the years they’d both served as “Nomads,” volunteers with the North Madison Volunteer Fire Company whose motto is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” ALS had begun to change their lives forever.

And quickly, too. Since that day on the truck, Amanda and Chris have learned she has the most aggressive form of the disease.

What does ALS mean for Amanda? ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes the deterioration of motor neurons. As Amanda’s motor neurons die, her brain will no longer be able to control her voluntary muscle movements and consequently, her muscles will atrophy. She has already begun to lose the ability to move her arms and legs and will lose the power to talk, swallow and breathe. Eventually paralysis will set in and then, death. There is no cure or treatment.

But there is life. That little heartlight inside Amanda is already 18 weeks along, and she and Chris are going for broke for their unborn child, knowing that pregnancy accelerates the progression of ALS. Within weeks, Amanda’s condition has worsened to the point where she can no longer walk and has lost over fifty percent of her respiratory capacity. She is living as long and strong as she can for the sake of “Peanut,” as she and Chris are calling their little girl. (They have just learned the exciting news that Peanut is a girl at this week’s appointment!) What a gift it would be for Amanda to meet Peanut in person, to see her own daughter face to face. She doesn’t know if she will.

Let’s make that meeting happen by easing summertime and their current living situation in ways that make every day healthier and therefore happier for Amanda and Chris. Together our financial gifts can relieve them of their stressors so that they can focus their energies on Amanda’s well‐being and on her living a rich life not only up to that face‐to‐face moment with Peanut, but long after.

Here’s what the Berniers need most:
1) Space. Amanda and Chris live in a 780‐ square foot home. They need space for a bedroom apart from the main living area. Amanda will need a hospital bed, a Hoyer Lift, a commode and additional medical equipment. Presently, she cannot fit her wheelchair through the bedroom or kitchen doors. The tiny kitchen will also require modifications providing space for more than one person to prepare meals and for wheelchair accessibility.
2) A wheelchair van. Otherwise Amanda will be homebound.
3) Funds for future medical bills. The bills will be astronomical. Amanda is still working as a scientist in a biotech company despite being unable to walk and breathe easily. Chris is the Chief of Madison Emergency Medical Services and serves as a Deputy Chief with the North Madison Volunteer Fire Company. As hard as they’re working, they can’t make nearly enough to pay for the expenses ahead.

Both Amanda and Chris are known for helping neighbors on their worst days. They do it for no reason other than because helping others feels right. It’s in their blood. They come from long lines of firefighting and first‐responding grandfathers, father, brother and uncles. Saving others is what they do, what they’ve always done and what they know. Amanda and Chris have consistently been the ones who appear; they’re the ones who have shown up gentle and skilled and caring in our dark nights to help us when we’ve called for help.

And now they need us through the days and nights ahead.

A few weeks ago Amanda turned 30. Let’s make her birthday last. Let’s help her live well; let’s help Chris help her; let’s see them through to the day when they count the fingers and toes of that baby‐girl heartlight all the world can see. Let’s put our hearts together and be with them on the road. For what you do for them: Thank you, because you do it for all of us. And may your kindness come back to you in love, gratitude and joy for every day on this earth. Shine on.

_________________________________________________

GoFundMe account HERE

If you prefer sending a check, please make payable to Christopher Bernier and mail to,

Christopher Bernier
c/o Barb Minges
50 Bradley Corners Rd.
Madison, CT 06443

Lets save 100 more

We’ve got another adoption event planned and if you’re local and looking for your newest family member, I cannot express the cuteness in this particular crew. Well yes I can … just look at these faces right here…

THOR – a great little dog – corgi lab mix who’s owner got into a new relationship and apparently a dog wasn’t acceptable to new person. I say the new person wasn’t acceptable, but that’s me. If I didn’t have four, Thor would be coming home with me.

FRANCES – young girl pulled from a kill shelter down south – beautiful Aussie mix. Great with dogs, kids, people. Just under a year old, needs good food and love.

CHARLIE – Adorable happy boy, who could dump a little guy like this?

Details below…

And if you are NOT interested in adding a new family member, come join us for a fun night at the Madison Beach Hotel in Madison, CT. The concert is free, but donations in any amount will be accepted. Dog Days takes no money from the rescues who bring their dogs to our events. The only way we can hold these events is by serious volunteer effort and donations.

HOORAY FOR THE UNDERDOG!!!!

www.godogdays.org

Misty Morning on the Farm

I am thankful every single day for the animals and farm that grace my life. This morning I walked around with camera in hand and gratitude in my heart.

… even for the mouse family I discovered in a large bucket in the tack room, since relocated.