I am, I think, I know….

I am: ..still searching for that perfect job that combines my love for helping animals and people, includes an outlet for my creative abilities and brings me enough income so that I can  help more animals and people and form more outlets for my creative abilities.

I think:  …about those heart shaped  peppermint patties that are sitting on the counter way too often.
I know: … I’ve still got so much to learn about life, but baby, I’ve come a long way….
I want:   Peace on earth. Everywhere.  In every. single. corner.  
I have:  ..what I need, and it feels so good to finally realize it.
I dislike:   Mean people, they suck.
I miss:  playing in a band, and hearing all the nuances of music… hearing loss has robbed most of it from me. 

I fear:  The list is too long….

I feel:  A little disgust that I have allowed myself to gain some weight this winter, and it doesn’t feel good.
I hear:  …bells, whistles and crickets 24-7.    Hearing loss is a handicap my family and I live with on a daily basis.
I smell:  the winter candy apple lotion I applied this morning….
I crave:  a fresh almond butter croissant, gluten -free diet be damned.

I search:  constantly.. for the next chapter.
I wonder:  if our political climate in the US will ever straigten up and fly right.
I regret:  not having pursued a better education when I was younger and not hearing impaired.
I love:  My children, my husband, my animals, my life.  Is it perfect?  No… but I love it all.. and that’s  all I need to know.
I care:  I do… and most who I come into contact with know it.
I am always:  Right!!   Ha ha.. just kidding.  most of the time.
I worry:  about everything!!  WAY too much!  It’s my biggest problem… the worry.
I remember:  The horrible pain, the belief that meaningful life was over, when my first serious boyfriend and I broke up.
I sing:  Yes I do!.. in the car, in the shower… but you’re glad never in your presence, it’s a gift from me to you, believe me.
I argue:  More than I should.

I write: … it’s therapeutic.
I lose: …when I argue too much.
I wish: … for peace, good health, and a long life of happiness for my family and  all of us on this planet.
I listen:  … but I don’t always hear.  In more ways than one.
I don’t understand:  Why the people of this planet can’t learn to live together and apart, with respect for each other’s different ways of life, different beliefs and without wanting to do harm. 
I can usually be found:  At the barn, at the computer, at the kitchen sink, huddled over laundry, walking the beach or country roads with the dog(s).
I am scared:  aren’t we all.  It’s something we all have in common.
I need:  …one of those peppermint patties on the counter that I really just bought for the kids.  Really.
I forget:  More than I used to, thank you very much perimenopause.
I am happy:   Just that.

If you’re so inclined.. please copy and paste, fill in your own blanks…and let me know if you do , I’d love to read it.

Come … sit…

… have a cup of coffee with me and lets talk about stuff.

 It was 7 degrees this morning when I walked out to the coop and barn to feed and clean.  Holy frozen fingers, Batman.  The horses aren’t much bothered by the cold, blanketed as they are. The minis have a thick winter coat that keeps them insulated. It takes until summer for it to fully shed out.  The chickens?  They looked at me when I opened their door to the run and said emphatically, NO.  So I closed it back up. They have a heat lamp in their coop that keeps them comfortable.  I gave them their morning oatmeal and leftover salad greens… spoiled, they are…and they don’t even know it.

Donald Trump is trying to buy the New York Times.  You can read about it HERE if you’re so inclined.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand the man. He is the most arrogant, rude, conceited, pompous, selfish, self-righteous idiot I have ever come to dislike.  I guess he’s not a complete idiot, though, because the dude has a lot of money.  And.. I can’t ignore the fact that there are still enough people in the world who like him enough to validate his ginormous ego. 

My husband and I don’t quite see eye to eye on the subject of Big Money People… I’m referring to the ones that aren’t all that generous.   I’d never make a proper Big Money Person, I’ll admit it.  I couldn’t live the Big Life and not feel terribly, terribly guilty about it.  Five houses?  Staff at each home to take care of the places you’re not  living in?  a Fleet of Cars? Chauffers!  Multi-Million dollar boats with paid crews  wearing matching outfits and your boat name that you might use 10 times during the year to entertain? Helicopter launching pad at your Hamptons residence just so you can get into the city a little faster and avoid all that traffic.  Do those people every really enjoy all that stuff?  Don’t they worry about it when they’re not around?  After all, you can’t be five places at once.  How can they not think about ALL that MONEY going to waste, … just to indulge their occasional whims? I think of all the homeless people, the disease research, the animal shelters, the community centers, etc. etc. etc…. that could benefit from some of that extra cash wasted on “waiting on“.  

I realize this is a charged subject. Mike would say “Hey, if they were smart enough and worked hard enough to make all that money, they’ve earned it and deserve to spend it however frivoulously they choose to”.     And it’s true. I don’t feel I have the right to dictate what should be done with someone elses money, I’m just saying… well, that wouldn’t be me.   And Mike would then say with a half-hearted laugh.. “You’d die a poor woman”…      Maybe, but a fulfilled poor woman at peace…. because  I was not just a taker while I occupied this world, I was a giver too. 

In getting to know so many of you here in blog land, I see that none of us are the Trumps of the world.. but we are all givers in one way or another, regardless of what we have or don’t have.  I’m glad you stop by here now and then and we get a chance to share and commiserate. 

My dogs are following the sun as it moves through the house on these very cold days…

..and I bought this at the grocery store for $5. to cheer my chilly self up.  
Reminds me of my grandmother, she loved everything china blue and white. 
I’ll plant the bulbs in the ground come spring thaw.

Stay warm, all – I think I’ll go make another cup o’ joe.
Light, no sugar.

A Gift.. it is….

….How very lucky we are
to have the ability to form these awesome relationships
with dogs.
When at the beach the other day, I met a woman
out for a walk with her cattle dog. No leash required..
he was at her side without it.
If you pay any attention at all…there’s no question, the intelligence of dogs.
They are far more forgiving than humans.
Love… unconditional.
Breaks my heart that so many are abused and mistreated
as if they were throw-aways.
These two had such a bond.  Just a look from his person
and he understood.. come this way…lets go over there…
stand with me and marvel at this vast ocean of life…

12 degrees

It got down to 12 degrees overnight here in CT.
 That’s a big drop from the 40’s and ooooh how my bones feel it.

  My husband is always talking about that log cabin up on a hillside in the Vermont woods. He comes back to this same fantasy now and again…     and to be honest we both love the countryside. Vermont and it’s people have a certain laid back vibe….we savor the whole idea of sitting by the fire eating pancakes with fresh Vermont Syrup while gazing out over a snow covered  mountain off in the distance (probably full of skiers).  It’s definitely appealing… but reality bites.  We’re not skiers, and as we get older we’re not tolerating the cold as well as we used to. It’s colder there than here.   And my thoughts always return to this…

1. We’re not the Rockefellers.

2. We don’t go away very often at all.   When we DO get away, wouldn’t it be nice to see new places now and then?  If you’ve got a second home, even a little cabin, wouldn’t you always feel obligated to go THERE instead of anywhere else?  Because, you know.. you’re paying for it anyway.

3. What would I do with the dogs, chickens, horses?  Bring them all? Even for short overnight stays?  Oh, I know you can hire people to come take care of your animals, but how often are you willing to do that?  And at what cost?

4. We’re at the stage of the game where the kids are grown up and almost grown.  They don’t want to hang around with mom and dad, and most likely will stay home more often than not to be with their friends, blah blah  whiney blah.

5. We’re not the Rockefellers.

SO… on this very cold morning as the Mr. is putting on his layers
 to head out to the job site, he mumbles…
“Forget Vermont. It’s too f-ing cold.”
I might have sent up a silent prayer of thanks at that very moment. 

The Real Deal

 From the time I was very young, I absolutely adored Charles Kuralt, an american journalist widely known for his long career with CBS.  How many of you remember “On the road with Charles Kuralt”? Charles would get in his RV and travel America in search of interesting people, the everyday Joe or Evelyn, living remarkable and seemingly unremarkable lives.  He’d tell their story in such a way.   Oh, how I loved that show…and getting to know such interesting people, living out of the spotlight,  doing great things big and small. 

  If I didn’t have such a strong urge to be a mother, wife and homestead keeper, I’d have liked to do just what Charles did.    *If I could take my dogs.  For a while here in town I was editor and publisher of a  small monthly publication, and I took that opportunity to play out my dream just a little bit.  I wrote a column highlighting one individual a month who was contributing in a positive way to our community.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if newspapers and newscasts were 80 percent -made of THAT stuff- .

  Why am I talking about this? One of my favorite publications is YANKEE Magazine.  I’m drawn to it for two reasons… I live in the region, obviously, but also YANKEE does a little of what Mr. Kuralt did.  It does not generate big income for them to highlight Rusty the plow operator for the town of Cabot, Vermont.  They gave him a full spread anyway.  The folks at YANKEE still have their finger on the pulse of the REAL America.  The people who get up and go to work every day and get the job done, doing it with pride.  The ones who make the REAL world go round with their own contribution…. minus the fanfare.   

  I could give a rats *ss what Kim Kardashian’s boyflavor of the month is…. 
 tell me Rusty Churchill’s story any day and you’ve got my full attention. 
To read his story, click HERE


I loved this.. Rusty’s playlist when he’s out on those country roads,
sometimes at 4am…
Rod Stewart.. Maggie May
Queen… We Will Rock You
The Police … Spirits in the Material World
Led Zeppelin … Ramble On
Roy Orbison … Oh Pretty Woman
Supertramp … Goodbye Stranger
David Bowie… Fame
Bachman – Turner Overdrive … Taking Care of Business
The Eagles … Lyin Eyes
REM  … Losing my Religion
The Romantics … What I Like About You
The Kinks … Lola
Bon Jovi … Wanted Dead or Alive
Dire Straits … Money or Nothing
Santana … Low Rider
Pink Floyd … The Dark Side of the Moon

You’re singing one of those songs now, aren’t ya….

 

Oat Crusted chicken and maple sweet potatoes

Seems I’m all about food lately, doesn’ t it?
Has nothing to do with why I’m a little chubby around the midsection,
I’ll just keep telling myself that.
Anyway… this is a heart healthy recipe I found in Family Circle..
made it last night…
and it’s absolutely delicious, my family approved whole heartedly.

Oat Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Maple Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
(I doubled this recipe for a family of four, using chicken cutlets)

1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
1 1/4 tsp of salt
1 cup of old fashioned oats
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1 tbsp of rosemary
1 tbsp of thyme
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 egg
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)  ( I used thin cutlets, we like them much better)
2 tbsp of olive oil
Arugula (optional)

Place sweet potatoes in a medium lidded pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain, return to pot and mash. Stir in butter, milk, maple syrup and 1/2 tsp of salt.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine oats, garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper. Pulse several times until all ingredients are roughly chopped. Pour into a bowl and add parmesan. In a second bowl, beat egg with 2 tbsp water. In a third bowl, blend flour and 1/4 tsp of salt.

Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Coat each breast on both sides with flour. Dip into beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off chicken. Finally, coat with oat mixture and place on baking sheet. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 of the chicken breasts; cook for 4 minutes. Flip over and reduce heat to medium; cook for 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 chicken breasts.

Top chicken with parmesan and, if desired, drizzle with warm maple syrup. Serve with sweet potatoes, and, if desired, arugula.

Hypocrite

 I’m posting for a second time today… only because I am absolutely flabbergasted at what I saw just a little while ago when I stepped on the scale today.   HOLY FLYING HORSES, the number was just disgusting.   And right here on this blog I’ve been blabbing on about eating healthier, making dietary changes.. the walking.. the yoga….blah blah blah blah.  

 WELL.. it’s time to WALK THE WALK.. all the way.  Two of you commented on the LOSE IT! app… it’s free and it’s fun, says you.   I said.. heck, let me try it, even though I don’t have all that much to lose… HA!!!!… no, more like a hysterical HA!!!!!!!!!   ….and maybe a  holy sh*t how did I gain that much?! (we’re not talking 10 lbs.)    So I feel like i have to come clean here.

  It doesn’t really do the trick to just eat pretty good and work out some.  You have to work out consistently and control those freak’n portions!! Too much of a good thing is REALLY TOO MUCH.  I hear Joey’s “I told you so” right now. Just hush.

 Do I sound hyper-maniacal?   I feel it after stepping on that cursed scale.  Hopefully.. the LOSE IT! app will help me get back on track.  Meanwhile, I’m cooking for the crew tonight.. but I’m not eating anything more than air laced with water droplets, the mist off the soup pot, the dew sliding of the mint tea leaf.

 *sigh*