This Old House 2 – Page 70 – Middle aged musings from farm & hearth

Finding your Bliss

I finished the old red barn painting recently

and while my work will never grace the great galleries,

I am loving the process…. and isn’t that the point?

When I was young and picked up a brush, I was so self conscious

about the mistakes I was making and the lack of quality in what I was putting on the
canvas compared to the true artists work I had been admiring.

That’s such a silly notion when you take that thought apart and analyze it.

Anything you imagine, work on, build, create… is a

work of art. It is your individual expression, unique to you.

The process in itself is rewarding as long as you are not

a harsh critic to yourself. And why would we ever want to

criticize ourselves for the act of creative expression.

Who needs another judge, anyway?

Our “self” is kinda like that canvas.

Don’t hold your personal self up to someone elses life or expectations.

Oh boy, I am guilty of that.

Don’t be afraid to express your own style – be the true you -and embrace it.

Now that I’m older (and wiser! Hey, there are benefits!) and don’t give a flying F

what someone else might think is poor work on my easel,

I am loving every minute of it.

It’s not just the gift of being able to put a picture on canvas…

it’s most importantly the gift of allowing myself the freedom to do it.. and enjoy it.

So the red barn is done, and I came across a photo on the internet of this

snow scene in Vermont. The photo is a black & white, but I’m attempting

to put color in mine.

I’ll let you now how it goes.

A Sand Tart by any other name

…wouldn’t be a Sand Tart.

However… all Sand Tarts are not the same, I have discovered.

When our friend Tim G. gave us his mothers personal recipe

for Sand Tart cookies last year, I think it was my favorite gift.

This is definitely an heirloom cookie.

It’s like no other recipe I have googled… and I did some googling because

I had never heard of “sand tarts” before….and OOOH MAN

the ones he brought over for us to sample were out of this world.

What I found on the internet were recipes like this…

and they tend to look like this…

All, I’m sure, are delicious. But none are quite like Mrs. G.’s

Yesterday we got that lovely snow/slush/rain storm and the dogs and I

spent the day in the kitchen making Mrs. G.’s Sand tarts.

There are no nuts in this recipe…

a whole lot of butter, sugar, flour –

and a whole lot of steps to get there.

I tripled the batch and it took me four and a half hours from the mixing of dough,

to the chilling, rolling, cutting out, baking cooling, making the icing and dipping in sugar.

Ah, those final steps are the secret to these particular Sand Tarts…

and I’d give you the recipe, but then I’d have to kill you.

Frasiers already had too many cookies, wouldn’t ya say?

The men are all out shoveling and plowing…

The girlchild and I just came in from barn and coop chores and it sure is messy out there.

One more batch of cookies today and we’ll have a really nice mix
to put together for friends.

Are you a christmas cookie baker?

What’s your favorite kind? Feel free to share a link to a recipe in the comments section below.

It’s a new day, All – Stay warm and make it a good one –

Snow Scene

On most days I love doing what I do for the critters that live here.

Even when the snow flies… the chores aren’t a “chore”…

Unless the temps dip in the teens and the wind blows…

then it just sucks.

But oh, the beauty of the white stuff –

In my youth I proclaimed I shoulda been a Floridian.

As I’ve matured I have come to appreciate and embrace the seasons

and I don’t think I’ll ever go where there is no snow.

I also embrace Christmas Cookies…

…some things never change 🙂

Recipe HERE

About those Christmas Newsletters

I have received them… those newsletters that highlight all the wonderful happenings and successes, exotic trips and school acceptances, insert GAG. I’m not sure why they are so abrasive… after all, we can assume the writer of the letter isn’t lying. Maybe omitting just a tad. Something about that type of letter, especially if it’s a mass mailing, seems… impersonal and maybe a little braggarty. ( Is that a word? I haven’t had enough coffee yet to look it up this morning.)

Well, I did something yesterday I’ve never done before. I wrote Christmas letters to two of my older relatives and included a collage from picmonkey of photos of my family and my sisters family over the past year. Not surprisingly, many of the pics include horses and dogs. What I didn’t do was highlight all the awesome things we experienced this year… and part of the reason for that is… it wasn’t a bad year, but it wasn’t awesome either. And I don’t like the bragging deal, regardless. I also didn’t want to talk about the negatives… Merry Christmas! I’m deafer than I was last year, my daughter is realizing that the job market for college grads really really sucks right now, my son doesn’t want to go to college and hey, Mike’s business is really slow and our health insurance was cancelled thanks to the new Affordable Care Act! And I thought it was a great idea!

That would just be a downer. So I talked about how much I appreciate all the family gatherings both relatives hosted for the entire extended family when I was young and how those memories have shaped the person I am today. Hopefully that doesn’t make them cringe. I told them I have appreciated their love and guidance over the years, even during times when we didn’t see each other often because we live states away. I also mentioned their departed loved ones and how they have not been forgotten, how they are still missed and remembered especially at this time of year.

It’s just my opinion here, but that kind of newsletter isn’t a bad idea. It doesn’t cost more than a few sheets of paper and a stamp or two. The recipient will probably appreciate the reaching out in a personal way and connecting with family near or far just feels good, reinforces what we’ve had since birth, a part of the foundation we are built from. If you’re estranged? What better way to bridge the gap.

have you seen this? Now that’s keeping it real. LOL
I do find the picture humorous, however the fact that this is close to reality
is a sad and growing trend. Unplug yourself and live your real life, ya know?

A Kiss is just a Kiss…

…unless it’s dressed like THIS…

I am definitely making these for the holidays!
Recipe found below. Simple ingredients, easy to make,
totally doable.

http://picky-palate.com/2010/12/20/kiss-pies/

These are my PEOPLE!

The first time I took my son to the city where he was old enough to absorb the atmosphere, he peered out the restaurant windows in Times Square.. stared long and hard at the scene, and proclaimed “THESE are my PEOPLE!” He loved the chaos, the hustle, the variety of different KINDS of people.. the artsy – noisy – food everywhere – TALL building vibe.

Wax Museum…

Central Park carriage ride…

where I wanted to rescue every carriage horse from the perils of city living.

Saturday he went with his girlfriend and another young couple for his first trip without the ‘rents. Well pass me the Xanax and I will survive! was my mantra for the day. They did too…. Taking the Metro North into Grand Central – about a two hour ride – where my son was in awe. It is a cathedral, if you’ve never been.

Then, as they headed out into the throng of PEOPLE… it was wall to wall. The walking was slow going, as the crowd was so thick it was more like a shuffle. Hailing a cab was an olympic event, impossible for those

still green behind the ears of city life and not accustomed to pushing people out of the way and whistling, hand waving, taxi cab saluting more vigorously than the 2000 other people also doing the same on the curb surrounding you. What they finally managed to do was grab a Bike Taxi… (ever been? It’s a little hairy, espcecially in NYC traffic) … and that driver was able to get them to the Empire State Building.

The view from the Empire State Building at night is amazing…

And then they were hungry. Very.

Back into the throng.

Two hour wait anywhere they went.

So, they found a vendor selling noodles and that’s what they had for dinner in the Big Apple.

Their initial plans to skate at Rock Center weren’t happening, as it would take too long

to GET there from where they were and they had a train to catch.

Turns out, they picked the most congested day of the year for tourists

visiting the city dressed in it’s holiday finery.

I’m still sad that they didn’t get to see the tree.

But hey, he got to see HIS PEOPLE!

A sleepy crew arrived at my door around midnight,

and I promptly fell asleep. We all survived 🙂

And while the boychild did NOT take many photos (and he’s my son!)

he did bring home an ornament for Mom.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Cousins

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying…

you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose family.

In the cousins department, I’ve been a lucky girl.

Although most of us don’t live near each other, states away, actually…

when we do talk or get together it’s just like old times,

those young kids swinging around the support poles in nanas basement

or trying on the old wedding dresses laid to rest in trunks.

Riding ponies up a dusty road, now paved, of course..

Pillow fighting and cookie tin raiding, the list goes on.

Nowadays we commiserate with each other about the raising of children,

the care of aging parents, the care of OUR aging bodies,

sharing laughs and tears as well.

My kids are lucky to have cousins nearby,

and they occasionally get to spend time with those far away too…

Last night I witnessed and truly appreciated the bond

my children are lucky to have with their cousins,

a relationship that is never really matched in life, unique in it’s own way.

A gift, it is. I hope they know it and always hold each other close,

regardless of any miles between them.

Chill

I’m heading up to the barn and coop to close everyone in for the night..

The news tells us we’re about to experience an Arctic Chill

throughout the United States.

Are you feeling it yet in your neck of the woods?

Tonights sky….

The Gift of Giving

I’ve got much of my gift buying done, the “made for” gifts as well… most wrapped too. As I look at the pile of things I’ve accumulated to give to family and friends I realize how lucky I am to be able to give. For me, that’s the biggest gift of all. This year we can’t do as much as we have in the past – our main source of income… the building trade, has diminished tremendously in recent years, new homes sit uninhabited for more than a year. Truth be told, I think that part of our life is winding down and new endeavors must take it’s place. The stress my husband is under to move forward in the best possible way is a heavy weight and the holidays add to that stress in more ways than one.

Many in our country currently find themselves in a difficult financial situation for various reasons, which makes this time of year a little less than joyous when the pressure mounts to BUY SPEND GIVE GET. The truth is, we don’t have to bend to that pressure. We don’t have to carry that weight. This doesn’t mean you can’t give – it just means you can change the way you do so. Home made gifts of the useful kind have more meaning than anything store bought. The act of donating items that you no longer have a use for but are still functional can lift your spirits and those of the recipient.

Ideas:

If you live on a property where there are many winter “greens” – make wreaths.

Do you knit? hats, scarves, gloves… enough said.

Like to bake? several batches of different Christmas cookies… mix them up and assemble on plastic trays you can get cheap at the dollar store.

Coupons for a job around the house of an older relative or parent. Rake leaves. Shovel snow. Cook Meal. Dust and Vacuum. You get the idea.

Donations:

Old blankets? Towels? – donate to your local animal shelter

Clothes in really good shape that you just aren’t gonna wear? – donate to local homeless or women’s shelter.

Volunteer to cook or set up for your local church functions. Work the Soup Kitchen.

And if you’re looking for a new puppy or kitten to join the family for the holidays… please visit your local shelters, don’t buy from pet shops. Puppy Mills are a horrible existence for the breeding animals (the parents of those adorable puppies)… please don’t support their torture.

Ideas of your own to add to the above list? Put them in the comments section below, I love to hear your ideas –