Family – This Old House 2

54

Today I am 54 years old. Fifty four. Five four. 54. Wow. Seems like yesterday I was a lot younger. Time flies, my friends.

I will continue to cherish every day and hopefully every year I am allotted on this earth and I will take a lesson from my aging Dane, Ben. He’s a cardiac and arthritis patient at this point – has his good days and bad. Dogs have the great gift of not knowing their mortality. They only know the good days and the bad days. They celebrate the good by just being, doing, enjoying the moment, whether it’s a good meal, a warm fire, a romp in the tall grass or splash in the beach waves with the warm sun on their back. Bad day? Rest. No worries for them about the future or mistakes of the past or even relationship or finance woes. They just live in the day, and make the best of it without a thought for the rest of it. Wouldn’t it be grand to have the freedom to do just that. We CAN do some of that if we allow ourselves – and so I will.

So I missed being a leprechaun by mere hours. My mom made my favorite birthday dinner last night – the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal… It was divine. And while I may not look it, I have some Irish in me. On this day it’s all in. 🍀

L-R – Mom, Rex, Daughter K, Son’s GF and my other girlie, M, and Me

I hope you had a good day yesterday and wore a little green, celebrated with some merry in your step and perhaps your mug too. May we all take a lesson from dogs and find more ways to enjoy life, less ways to fret over it.

My favorite Irish blessing –

Till soon, friends xo

– Karen

About that Window

It’s been 9 years since we put This Old House back together – and the most admired item by blog readers and visitors in this whole project has been the big window at the back of the house in the family room. There isn’t a day I walk into that room that I don’t admire that window myself – even though the cold does seep in on those chilling New England nights and we have had to board it up with plywood during hurricane and tropical storm events, hoping it wouldn’t come crashing in.

If you look real close you’ll see Sally’s nose smudges on the bottom panes… and the sun setting over the hill.

The big window often reflects glorious sunsets as the fireball itself melts over and behind the hill….

Our sunsets lately, when the rain clouds lifted on the rare occasion…

have been glorious.

This one below was taken last week by a professional photographer

in our cove where Stella resides…

with the Thimble islands off in the distance.

He captures some remarkable scenes and wildlife.

We finally have seasonal temps, sometimes in the teens at night. Oddly, no real snow falls, and while I love the beauty of it, I don’t like the work it makes for my guys and even myself as I make paths up to the barn and coop and make a bathroom path for the dogs out in their yard.

The whole family came for dinner the other night, the moms and the kids and their significant others. Mom was wearing a necklace that caught my eye immediately… take a look…

I asked her what it was, exactly…. it’s a pendant that represents the Glass Ceiling – sold at Uncommon Goods.. in support of women’s achievements everywhere – I just love it.

Meanwhile. up at the barn, I’m missing my Opie, he’s left a hole. The other horses still look for him… and just a few days ago at feed time a sound on the wind made Max think it was Opie calling… (may have been a neighbor horse, but I can’t hear so don’t ask me) …. he looked up and started pacing his paddock fence, and began calling all over again for his missing buddy. Broke my heart, tears were flowing aplenty. Ugh.

Some happy news at the BIG barn one town over – K and Miss Leah are getting along fabulously – gearing up for another show season this Spring. Leah is from Texas, and she’s let us know this cold is for the birds! She’s double blanketed when not being ridden.

We often have the ring to ourselves in the early evening. K works during the day, so this is the time we can set aside for practice. I go with her when no one will be around – smart horsemanship – never ride alone. It’s chilly and quiet but time spent in the company of a good horse is never a waste and good for the soul.

I hope all is well in your neck o’the woods – I peek at the news now and again, wondering how many shoes have to drop before 45 is held accountable. This piece below? I’ll share it again and again and again.

Time well spent

In my last post I shared with you our glorious fall weather down at our cottage by the sea. Back here on the farm I’ve been walking our little trail system with the dogs almost daily. The sweet scent of fallen decaying leaves is just as intoxicating up here. ( jeez, you just can’t use that word “decay” in any way that it doesn’t sound like death.) Anyway! … The trail may not be a super long one, but it has monster hills – a good workout indeed. This weekend my kids were around – My daughter to ride the horses and my son worked on his lot up over the hill where he will some day build his home. When they were done with their “stuff”, they came to sit by the fire with mom and dad and the dogs, and then we went for a woods walk to work off those grilled smoked Gruyere cheese, tomato and thin sliced deli ham sandwiches. We had calories to burn (damn it) !

This is a very large tree down at the edge of my son’s lot – it’s twisted and split,

and depending on a much thinner tree to remain standing.

Bailey doesn’t come on my long walks, as she’s older and would have a hard time keeping up. I warned my son that this was the case, but he wanted her along (she was his dog from the start, and they still adore each other all these years later) and so he ended up carrying her a third of the time. At one point she belly flopped right into the stream, that’s when we knew she needed a rest.

Now…

and

Many moons ago…

There is a thin stream running through the little valley at the back of our property, where the old spring is located. The farmers who lived here before used to bring water up to the house and barn from this stream and spring. The water runs cold and clear, and we do find the occasional fish, although it’s a rare occurrence. The stream dries out if we have a very dry summer.

Today I watered and fertilized the houseplants. This isn’t exciting, of course, but tucked among my christmas cactus (beginning to bloom) and the too-big-for-it’s-pot Violet, sits the lone geranium I brought home from Stella by the Sea. This little gem isn’t aware the seasons have turned and she should be brown and shriveled. Pink pedals stretch and leafy stems reach out to touch the warm rays of the sun through the windows. She’s content enough to bloom where she’s planted.

Instead of discussing the election (Voters showed up in record numbers to the polls! More than 100 women elected to congress! The House brings back some balance… woohooooo!) and instead of regurgitating the most recent false news rants and diplomatic failures of the twitterer in chief, I’m going to share this simple image. It caught my eye for my age old love of the characters and the action depicted…. and it’s powerful message in these simplest words.

Till soon, friends……

Woodstock, VT 2018

We just spent a few glorious days in Woodstock, Vermont, staying at the Woodstock Inn. This is our fourth visit and much of the same staff were in attendance. You know a place treats it’s employees well when they stay on year after year.

We also spent some time just up the road at the Billings Farm and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park, touring the original estate mansion. (the main large home you’ll see in the photos below). We stopped briefly at The Vermont Country Store- do you get the catalog? So fun to browse the old fashioned clothes, soaps, candies, flannels, pj’s, blankets, dishwear, natural remedies of days gone by (that still work!)

I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Vermont Country Store, Rockingham, VT

Jenne Farm, Reading, VT – the most photographed farm in the country – google it!

The Woodstock Inn

Town of Woodstock

The Billings Farm

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion Tour and Grounds

Ladybird Johnson slept in this room when visiting, having been a friend of the Billings-Rockefellers at the time.

The pool house, with greenhouses behind it.

It was a wonderful, peaceful, easy-going kind of weekend. We consumed ridiculous amounts of really good food, (good thing we did a lot of walking) some good hearty laughter and some drink, enjoyed fantastic fall weather and good company, mom and our son and future DIL having joined us. It’s a beautiful thing.

I hope all is well in your part of the world – thank you for stopping by. 🍂🍁

Purple Mushrooms

Did you know there was such a thing? Purple mushrooms? In all my years of trudging through the woods on horseback or with dogs, I did not. A local friend who goes mushroom hunting on a regular basis posted a few pictures recently, and I was amazed! Purple Mushrooms? What?

The bullshittery that is occurring in Washington has me (and a zillion other people) on edge lately, and the best way I know how to get away from all the nonsense is to get out in nature – put my face to the wind on the water or take a hike in the woods with the dogs. Yesterday I left the dogs behind to avoid their tread on what I was looking for, and went exploring in the woods behind our farm – in search of the elusive Purple Mushroom. I knew the odds would be in my favor after the recent 8.5 inch rainfall in our area. I kid you not – local roads were flooded, some caved in due to rivers run amok adjacent to them… driveways washed out, a local restaurant with a river alongside it had water on it’s first floor, water coming in the windows – it was that crazy. ) Seems our weather is becoming more extreme with each year – this past winter brought unrelenting cold, then the summer held unrelenting humidity – and now crazy amounts of rainfall as autumn slides in.

The hunt!…

And the discovery.… for me it was almost like finding a unicorn

out there in the forest… and yet apparently, they are fairly common.

I was downright giddy.

I also spent a little time with my face to the wind on the water

with my niece, S. on Saturday.

If you love the water but have never tried Kayaking,

I highly recommend it. The practice is a soul soother –

you can go at your own pace –

a lake, a pond, a river, a cove, the ocean – any will do.

The typical boat does not cost a fortune, can be stored in a garage

or out near the woodpile and will

last you a lifetime with basic care.

My 74 year old Aunt still enjoys it, too . With a little planning

and practical caution the practice is ageless and the exercise

is good for you, body and soul.

I hope all is well in your neck o’the woods –

🍁Happy Fall!

30 years and 6 blueberries

The Mr. and I have been married for thirty years as of today, with a little speed bump we muttled through four years in. Not a lot of people can say they’ve been married twice… to the same person, but that’s what we did. The first time around we were married young and still had some growing up to do. We jumped ship but then climbed back up the ladder. Long story shorter – I am grateful and blessed to have this man and beautiful family to share life with, good times, bad times, mistakes, do-overs and all.

We have our differences, still, sometimes BIGLY – YUGE even… some of you will get that drift. Sometimes we can get on each other’s very last nerve for the stupidest thing, and then finger that nerve like playing a one string guitar…

For example… just last week on a work morning at 5:30 a.m. I finished up a batch of blueberry pancakes and set it before him with plenty of extra syrup and butter, which he likes. What came out of his mouth instead of thank you was “How many times do I have to explain I want just six blueberries in my pancakes, not a whole handful. Seriously, is six such a hard thing to remember? Six blueberries?” Now, you gotta laugh at such OCD foolishness, not to mention the rudity. Laugh I did, only to irk him more… That one string guitar, ya know. And then I told him off. Because seriously?

So do those stupid little things still put a little wedge between us now and again? (and I surely have my own stupid moments) … You betcha. But when I come home tired and filthy after a long drive and a long week of horse show and he’s cleaned the kitchen and fed and cared for my dogs for five days and rubs my aching back and thanks me for all I do when I am home, well, like I said above – it’s those important things, the love in little ways.. and family – that are the tie that binds, the glue that bonds.

I bet you can guess what I made him for our 30th Anniversary breakfast this morning.

Fall Classic

That was the name of the horse show this past weekend…The Fall Classic.

Well.. on Thursday? It felt like anything but Fall. We were sweating like menopausal women in a steam room, all day, I kid you not. Of course, some of us WERE menopausal women, but even the kids were dripping. It was YUCK. BUT… my girl pulled up her big girl boots and chaps and hat and jacket and went out there and wowed us – even got a third place in several of her classes. Leah was a trooper, too – such a kind and good minded mare. Amen.

By Saturday, when the husband had to fill in for me because I was running an artisan market here in town with a fantastic co-manager, the temps had dropped enough that people were wearing light jackets…

We’re home for a week to catch up on work and house cleaning and laundry and bill paying and then we’re off to another show in Syracuse for five days. After that we’ll take a break and practice at home until next April. Amen again.

Meanwhile.. I’ve been harvesting the last of my little garden plots – the Zinnia seeds I was gifted by Hilary of Crazy as a Loom produced a stunning array of color, still going strong. The artichokes that we left on the vine have blossomed – have you ever seen artichokes bloom? WOW! They’d be a great accent in borders! My purple pepper experiment was a good one – the sweet peppers are gentle on the digestive tract and so pretty – ending up in a variety of colors. I’ll grow them again next year, I loved adding them to the fry pan, sauteeing with onions, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes and sweet italian sausage. Alittle S & P, oregano, butter in the bottom of the pan – delish!

After a few fall-like days, the humidity has returned, most likely due to the storms out in the Atlantic. Wishing all in the storm’s path safety and no damage to properties, hoping it is not as bad as they have predicted. Our storm surges down at the cottage have been big already, and it’s not even hitting us directly. We’ve pulled in the kayaks and seat cushions and umbrellas and closed all windows. This picture was taken yesterday after a rain shower – Stella (our cottage) is just under the rainbow’s end on the left, tucked in the trees. Notice Filbert the flamingo, now a little droopy – still out there to weather the .. weather.

I’m admiring the tenacity of this lone sunflower too. The pot sits beside the gate to the horse barn, and this one flower decided to stretch for the sun as tall as it could muster, as the pot is mostly in the shade.

As I published this, the skies opened up and it’s pouring,

with lightening and thunder added for excitement.

Sometimes I love a rainy day…

sometimes, like when I left the horses out in the fields,

not so much.

Out I go…

Till soon, friends –

Thank you for stopping by….

Friendly Firepits

I was going to write about The Orange Scream today, not because I think anyone out there needs one more opinion piece on the subject or that I’ll turn anyone’s thinking around should your opinion differ from mine… but because personally I find writing therapeutic. Let me just say this, cause I gotta be me – DJT is mentally ill, I’m convinced of it. There is no defense for this brand of leadership that encourages violence and the divide of our citizens, using false narratives time and time again. By ignoring what is right before our eyes, we are selling our souls for monetary gain, trashing the planet and our humanity along the way, awful thing. I’m sad for all of us.

On to the friendly firepits. ….

We’re in the middle of yet another heat and humidity wave here in Connecticut. I’ve got fans on the horses, a fan on the chickens and bunny too. I get the barn chores done early before the sun reaches out over the barnyard and the dogs are outdoors only for bathroom breaks.

We’ve been visiting the cottage as work and weather permits… The fire burning below was the evening before the humidity returned. What a gorgeous night it was.

There is a tradition on Island called Friendly Firepits – Once a year on a specific day, fire pits around the community are lit and the host of each firepit serves refreshments. All members of the community are encouraged to join any or all of the firepit gatherings and enjoy conversation and snacks/beverages with the hosts. I think we need Friendly Firepits installed all around the nation, don’t you?

This is Stella’s friendly Firepit. The Pink Flamingo float in the distance lives on…. we learned his name is “Filbert”.

The scow below is a neighbors – and I learned it’s story when I posted this pic on our community page. This beautiful old blue boat is used to ferry people back and forth to a bigger boat now, and was the very first boat of it’s now 60- something owner back when he was a young lad summering here on the island. The “boy” and boat have been together for a very long time.

Meanwhile… we’ve got a horse show coming up… or not. Miss Leah currently has a small abscess in a hind hoof wall. Such is the unpredictabity of horse show life. Depending on how fast it blows out and heals, we’ll either have a show next weekend.. or not. Either is OK by me – a healthy rider and horse is my first concern.

Speaking of that rider – her show jacket has been taken in where needed, she’s ready to rock’n’roll. How’s that for bling??..

Two friends introduced me to some fun apps recently – flightaware24.com – a flight tracker that also tells you where the plane currently flying over your house is headed – and yeah, we don’t really need to know that, but still, it’s kinda cool.

The other is skyview… point your cell phone up to the stars, and it tells you what you’re looking at and gives you some descriptive information, even maps out the constellations for you. So much fun. That bright red star I had been looking at out over the fields is actually Mars! That bright but much smaller white “star” out in the big distance is Saturn!

That’s all for now – thank you for stopping by

this little “friendly firepit”.

Vitamin Sea

We’ve heard sad news about a neighbor down at the shore. This was the man who rented his cottage to my mom for a few weeks each year until we acquired Stella by the Sea. Cancer is a cruel disease, and in this case even a doctor can’t cure himself if the damned thing decides it’s not letting go. Residents of the island have been known to say the waters and the quiet, simple island life are the reason we’ll all live long. The Dr. proves us wrong, as he is as fully emersed in the salt of the place and loves it as much as anyone can. I am so sad for his family, his young grandchildren, his wife and sons. Just a few weeks ago I was chilling in the now deceased float (unknowningly with 2,000 barnacles and crabs attached just inches below me) and he and family passed by in their little boat – waving, smiles.. sea spray, sun, salt and happiness. That was the picture I saw, I wish I could tie it to an anchor and buoy so it would hold fast and steady and stay.

Stella remains a respite for us all – we come and go as time and weather and schedules allow.

That’s mom out there! – Having been raised during summer months at a tiny cottage just like Stella on the shores of Staten Island many moon ago, she’s known the healing powers of salt water too. Now that the railing is in and the steps painted that lovely blue hue (boat bottom paint)… entry into the water to swim and kayak is much safer for all of us and she’s joined us in the pursuit of refreshment from the sea.

One of my favorite weeds grows along our sea wall.

Queen Anne’s Lace.

Meanwhile.. up at the show barn… K and Leah continue to bond…

What a sweet mare, we are blessed. Their first show in just a few weeks..

😬

Saw this recipe shared by Hilary of Crazy as a Loom..

made it.. LOVED it.

Right now native corn and zucchini are abundant..

This is an awesome meal all by itself, or a perfect side.

Serious YUM.

Recipe here

I hope all is well in your world..

Till soon, friends…

Welcome Leah!

So I’ve got some happy news to share – And I’ll take you back a little so you understand my surprise when hearing this good news myself.

Taking you way back – I’ve had a horse since I adopted one at the age of 19 (the horse was around 28-ish) . I had no business adopting a horse, as I was still going to college, didn’t have a pot to piss in other than the loving homes of family to live in – and should have been saving money instead of spending what little I made with part time jobs on an old horse. But wild horses couldn’t drag me away when the opportunity presented itself, and in fact that horse came to Connecticut with me as I began my new life here.

We’ve had a small horse farm ever since. Some horses we’ve brought home have come and gone on to another owner once their job with us was complete, some have stayed. Currently, Max and Opie and Coady and Lacey are living out their senior years here with us. Max was my daughter K’s show horse on the beginners level of the American Quarter Horse circuit until his colic surgery and retirement from the show pen at the age of 22. He had done his job well and we figured he deserved to retire in style after that surgery ordeal. When that happened, we pretty much decided we were done with showing. K is saving for her own home with her Mr. some day, and so she was contented to ride Max here on the farm and continue occasional lessons at the show barn she used to ride with.

I’ve never been big on showing – I’m more of the love ’em at home kinda girl. My daughter, however, LOVES to show. And she missed it. Her father, who bankrolls the whole endeavor, told her if she gave big Max to another person, he’d buy her a new show horse. Well, you know how we love our old boys – Max wasn’t going anywhere. So It’s been two years, she remained content in the care and keeping of her old boy, Max, and we assumed we were hanging up our show hats.

Recently, the husband and I were watching she and Max go round the ring, and I explained how proud I was of the rider she had become. Always kind, firm with cues, a gentle rider with a natural seat that I envy. Somehow in that moment of conversation, something clicked in M’s head, and he called our old trainer not long after, of which I was not aware.

I got a text a few weeks ago.

” W has a horse I want you to go look at. Don’t say anything to anyone, just go see what you think, and don’t tell K. “.

what?…….

So, a bit stunned, I went to the barn, where W and I briefly discussed our shock at the fact that M contacted her and told her to find K a safe, sound horse so she could get back in the show pen. We were all under the impression we were done with it. Afterwards he told me what spurred him on –

For those who haven’t been reading here long – my daughter was in a car accident at the age of 16.5 and after weeks of coma and years of recovery, she has lived (and thrived!) with a traumatic brain injury ever since. Horses were a big part of her recovery. So M said – “Our daughter has come a long way – she loves working with the horses, she’s dedicated, she spends the time and really cares, plus she’s become a good rider. I don’t want to hold her back from following her dream of showing in some of the bigger arenas”. I think I loved him up another notch just then.

So up at the show barn – W pointed to a stall where a very pretty dark bay mare stood blinking back at us. She was tacked up and ridden for me, and I could see she had the training, talent and the quiet/kind disposition we’d want if we were really getting back in to the show arena.

Then the big test. We told K the next day that W had a show horse that needed exercise until she was sold, and wondered if K would like to be the person to ride her while she was for sale. Heck yes, of course! We set up a time for K to ride the mare with W, and that first ride went really well. It was clear they were a great fit immediately, and so we broke the good news to her right there and then.

So, do you like her? You think you’ll enjoy riding her until a buyer comes along?

K: Are you kidding? I love her! She’s so well trained, and friendly too! So nice of W to let me ride her, this will be fun!

How MUCH do you love her, though?

K: What?…….

And then she knew…. Leah was hers.

Tears and smiles… and here we go again.

Welcome Leah! 💗