Horses – This Old House 2

A beautiful day

When I was younger I didn’t live so much in the moment – always worrying about choices, relationships – the good ones and the bad ones, finances or lack of them, my young family’s safety, health, the list goes on and on. While I’m still and always will be a chronic worrier, ( Heck, I just stopped having “I didn’t do my homework” dreams about five years ago) I have learned with age to live far more of my life in the moment. And… I don’t give as much of a f*ck about trying to please everyone all the time, or even if someone likes me. I have finally come to that place where I know in my heart of hearts I am a decent soul and I like me… maybe even love me. Sounds silly, but that knowledge comes hard to some of us, and maybe you know the woe. This was a day when I sat completely comfortable with myself and content with my life’s direction.

Yesterday it seems everyone in New England was out and about, enjoying the beautiful 🌺SPRING🌸 day – temps reached 61 degrees! On the road, some of my fellow Jeepers had their tops off and down at Stella, island folks were beginning the Spring ritual of opening up and airing out their cottages. My daughter and I spent some time at the show barn with Leah – and I got to take her for a spin around the block a few times myself.

As I watched my daughter go ’round the ring practicing for the first show of the season, the warm sun beaming down on our faces, I was reminded again of all she has overcome, how lucky we are to have these experiences after all.

After time well spent at the barn, I headed down to the cottage where the Mr. was working with two of his crew to replace the split railing we initially installed at the waterfront. When sitting on the blue stone patio, what greeted seated folks at eye level were clunky cedar beams. It was a nice rustic look but took away from the water views. So we’ve installed wire which will keep people from falling over but doesn’t block the view. It’s almost invisible. as you can see in this photo.

We were so pleased with the effect, we decided to take the waterfront railing section of the deck out and replace it with the same wire. We have a lot of summer meals up on that little deck and the view now when seated will be a much fuller waterfront scene. That deck comes in handy as a “playpen” for Frasier and Sally as well – they are safe up there with a gate at the stairs, and someday the same will be true when and if we’re blessed with grandchildren.

We brought some dirt from the farm down to the shore – we’ll spread it in the waterfront part of the little yard to fortify the grass and level the footing some. If you can believe it, M wants to plant a little vegetable garden down there as well as the one I keep here on the farm. The bunnies are prolific on the island-really-a-peninsula, he’ll have to put a little fencing up if we are to eat any of that produce.

Frasier, Sally and I took a walk after inspecting the new fencing… we are on a cove in the Long Island Sound – which you can see in the distance here. The crocus have arrived! And they tell me the peepers too, and while I can’t hear the actual thing, I hear peepers 24/7 with the tinnitus and hearing loss, go figure – 😂

I can usually find at least one piece of seaglass on each walk. This one was a very pale blue, my favorite color.

The water hasn’t been turned on yet so the cottage can’t be given a thorough Spring cleaning, bed linens aren’t re-washed or beds made until April 15th or so, when the water is turned back on. We don’t spend too much time here until then, no toilets! The new gas stove does a fantastic job of heating up the space when the nip in the air needs tucking. Sally approves.

When the chill came in off the water with the setting sun I came home to feed the horses and chickens and clean the new chicks water for the tenth time. Have I mentioned how piggy chicks are? All doing well, by the way. The good weather had us all in high spirits, and it was evident in the people we encountered throughout the day, too. I always hope that kindred spirit spreads far and wide. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a blanket of good will to cover this entire planet – think of all the problems we could solve, what a wonderful world this could be if only. It was a restorative kind of day that I sorely needed. Today I’m wishing the same for you –

Till soon –

Karen 🌷

Heated Exchange

When we bought Stella two years ago, she had been much loved by the previous owner but also neglected. We kept all the rustic charm, she is still a very 1930’s summer cottage, but the things that really needed fixing got fixed and an interior wall was removed so that the tiny kitchen was open to the seating area that looks out over the cove. For more details, search the Once Upon a Tide post labels where you’ll find posts on her restoration.

At the door to the back deck was the only source of heat, a gas operated heating stove, one we couldn’t use because it didn’t vent to the outside and so the odor from the burning gas flooded Stella’s small interior. A few days ago we had a new one installed with a vent pipe that goes through the roof. It still needs to be hooked up, but it will be a beautiful sight to see on chilly spring, summer and fall evenings when we want to take the nip out of the air inside the cottage.

The original…

The new model

The cottage and surrounding island , or what’s really a peninsula despite it’s name, have a different vibe in winter months for the obvious reasons – and the cold inside the cottage is bone chilling. The unmade beds, empty refrigerator and food pantry underline and highlight it. When we began Stella’s re-do, she was infested with rodents – mice droppings fell from the curtain tops and were embedded in the toaster left from the previous occupant. There were nests in the seat cushions. These things in particular freaked the Mr. right out, so he made sure she is now almost airtight, and we don’t have meese in the rafters or the cushions or the toaster anymore.

While the guys were installing the new stove, I took a walk around with camera.

Stella from the road

… and from the waterfront

Meanwhile, we’ve had some glorious sunsets that

I’ve captured with the good camera here on the farm

As I type this, it’s snowy-raining outside and the horses and chickens are waiting for their breakfast – Spring is just around the corner, you can see it in the light cast across the fields at the end of the day, in the diamond sparkles on the water. Just don’t look on the ground, where there’s still some of the white stuff that doesn’t scream spring. Out into that stuff I go…..

Frosty and Sweet

As soon as I open my mouth about bringing Spring things in, Mother Nature tells me to curb my enthusiasm.

Snow falling on Cedars – My chicken coop pictured below with the cedar forest a very philanthropic woman named Elizabeth and her husband Ed planted many moons ago here on this little farm. It was upon her death at the age of 95 about 16 years ago at the estate sale that I first laid eyes on the inside of our 1835 farm house and the surrounding grounds and fell in love. A lot has changed here in the ten years we’ve owned the farm – including the complete resurrection of the house. One thing that is absolutely as it was – are the cedar forest on the left of us and Pine forest on the right, minus a few trees lost in storms. I love them 💗 they remind me every day of the thoughtfulness and generosity of the previous occupants of Grace – (This Old House) We’ve paid it forward, so to speak – by planting many sugar maples along the dirt roads on the property. Someday someone will enjoy the shade and glorious colors and perhaps the syrup made from the the sap of the Mighty Maples we’ve planted. We will at least get to enjoy them as juvenile trees.

Speaking of Maple Syrup – I’ve been collecting the sap from some of our ancient maples when the weather conditions encourage the sap run, and the boys have been dropping the buckets off at the Sugar House at Parmelee Farm. It’s balm for the soul, this community project. Residents of our little town have been collecting sap from their trees to add to the big barrels at Parmelee, helping to fill the distiller, they’ve been volunteering to fill and label bottles, some even dropping off cookies and snacks for the volunteer force to enjoy while they work. The Boyscouts and Girlscouts have visited to learn the ancient art of syrup making, as have science classes from the middle school. All sales of the limited supply of syrup are applied to sustaining the farm and sugar house.

That label being applied is one I designed for the project – I’m no professional, but I think it came out pretty darn good in the -winging it- department.

In these times of truly ugly politics, this community effort for a worthy cause is a beautiful thing indeed. If you’re feeling discouraged for whatever the reason, I strongly recommend finding a project or organization in a field of your interest that is doing something good in the world – no effort is too small, the commitment does not have to be huge, so don’t let work commitments and the lack of free time discourage you. It’s balm for the weary soul. 💗

Till soon, friends…

Fake

Along with some of the stuff around This Old House, I put Spring in my blog header yesterday – just in time for more snow. I’m not complaining, though – as we’ve honestly had very little snow accumulation this winter. While I love the beauty of it, and it is indeed coming down in a gentle flurry as I gaze out my office window this moment, I don’t like the work it creates for me on the farm or my boys on the job sites.

My mini horses, Coady and Lacey, like living up at the big barn now that they’ve taken over Opie’s stall. In the photo below they were begging for peppermints – spoiled kids, they are! We all still miss my favorite redhead, probably always will. Opie was certainly the leader of the herd, and that’s more evident now than ever. The other two Max’s… our retired show horse and my friends horse seen in the pic below, still look out over the fields wondering when he’ll come trotting over the hill. They don’t venture into the upper pasture without him – they walk up to the opening in the stone wall but they don’t go through it – as if they’re wary of what could be out there. Or what’s no longer out there to protect them. Without his leadership they seem a little lost, a little adrift. They don’t particularly like each other, these two old men – and so more often than not, they stand grazing or gazing, far apart in the field, where they used to tag alongside Opie wherever he went.

Coady and Lacey have each other, crying for the other if we separate them for even a few minutes. Animals form relationships, they care about each other, they miss each other when one leaves – don’t ever doubt it.

Every so often, our Max hears something on the wind he must think is a whinny from Opie, and he returns the call, over and over again until finally no answer brings Opie back and he gives up. Breaks my heart.

It does my soul good to give this old man the retirement he so deserves after many years as a faithful servant to several different showfolk. I wish his buddy were here to enjoy that retirement with him. We were supposed to grow old together, me and that redhead – Wouldn’t it be something to be reunited with those we loved and the animals that were also a part of our lives, when our time here is up. I’ll continue to hope.

So why the post title, FAKE? let me ‘splain…. I took a walk on the wild side and ordered the cowhide rug I’ve been coveting for many years. Something about that look has always appealed to me but we didn’t have quite the right spot for it or the appropriate decor and no one else up here in this house approved. One other little detail… I couldn’t get past the idea that I’d be walking on and looking at the actual hide of a cow – one who walked the earth and cherished his or her life as much as I did mine. That’s kinda silly and hypocritical thinking, since I’ve certainly owned leather shoes and jackets, gloves, and I eat meat. Still – I couldn’t do it, go figure.

Until… I saw these on Overstock for a decent price.

( I love the abode depicted in this photo but it’s not very cozy, is it. Seriously… who’s gonna sit in that hard little chair and settle in with a good book or watch a netflix original? That chair right there reminds me of the little desk chairs in grade school that most of us couldn’t wait to get out of)

Fake cow hide rugs! that actually look real… LOVE! 💗 They come in a few different hide patterns, this is the one I chose. Now.. I don’t have the magical touch some designers have where they can through a whole bunch of different elements and styles and vintage and new pieces into a room and it comes out looking fabulous. But.. what I do throw together at least I hope looks inviting, or warm, or interesting, or something along those lines.

It was delivered today in all this snow, and here’s where I threw it. The Wingback chairs were given to us by the previous occupant of our home and have moved around the house periodically – not of their own steam, thankfully. What do you think? I’m still not sure it belongs, but who’s writing the rules, anyway?

Fresh Air

While it’s still definitely winter ’round these parts, and I’m about to trudge out into my “morning commute” in hat gloves, two jackets and boots to prove it, I’ve been freshening things up inside Gracie (this old house). I asked my mom yesterday whether it was too soon to put out the Spring Things – and she said “no, I’ve put away winter already, it gets old, dull”.

So I did just that – and then drove to the nearest crafts store – which is Joann’s Fabrics. Their Spring Things are already 40-50 percent off, so I decided to make a few wreaths for the front double door, and I scored a few ready-made wreaths for my mom and I, too. (Because MOMs… you only get one, and mine is my very best friend).

I’ll share the finished product when done.

My ready-wreath find…

Last week we repainted the bedroom – it used to be a celery green.

Now, what Benjamin Moore calls Cake Batter, a soft buttery off white.

I replaced the bedding too – going for a very neutral look

Belgian Flax Linens – a combo from Pottery Barn and Pine Cone Hill

The lamps replaced a few we’ve had for many years,

now living in the dining room.

Hard to see in this photo, but they are glass wrapped in a light

black chicken wire. Inexpensive finds at HomeGoods,

and I love them.

The drapes – Restoration Hardware – also belgian linen, lined,

Keep heat in and cold out, but they

do let some light in, which is what I was looking for.

They are an investment, I usually go with cheap curtains,

but they’ll last if cared for properly.

Frasier approves.

The painting above the bed I found last week browsing a nearby antiques mall.

It is an original painting by Robert C. Benham…

a New England artist in the early to mid 1900’s.

His paintings usually go for around $300-$400 if you find one,

and this was leaning against other stuff on the floor, dirty, with a chippy frame.

I love chippy frames – and the grime comes off with a good

careful wiping down…

So I offered $170, and the offer was accepted.

These bits of paper are taped on the back.

The painting depicts

“Trail to Burnt Head” – which is located in Maine.

So, while Gracie is sporting a little Spring Bling inside… outside is quite a different story… The view out my kitchen sliders below….

And if you peer out my kitchen sink window, my favorite doves are giving me that look – “What’s wrong with this picture, Karen. Seed’s awful low”.

Notice the maple syrup collecting bag and buckets are empty right now… in order for sap to run, we must have cold temps over night, warming up during the day. If temps remain cold, the sap remains dormant.

So up to the barn I go, to tend these family members…

Coady is sporting new shoes – his soft ride gel boots, which

help him be more comfortable with a condition he’s had for years –

Cushings Disease with a side of laminitis flare up caused by it.

The girls hunting for tidbits in a fresh little hay pile.

Just one more thing…

Have you seen the movie – A Star is Born – with Bradley Cooper and Lada Gaga yet? If not, you must – WOW, do they have chemistry and talent. And I’ll warn you – it is indeed a tear jerker. When she first made the scene, I didn’t like her. Meat dresses? Condom costumes? But.. as she grew into who we came to know, she is truly a decent, caring, honest soul, a real talent on multiple levels. She’s a song writer, a singer, a philanthropist, she’s an encourager, not a breaker-down. (those are real words here anyway…lol).

Wishing you all a good day –

and thank you for stopping by

This and That, because clever post titles are hard to come by

For those who left comments on the Dear 2020 post, thank you for joining the conversation on a difficult topic. For me it’s therapeutic to talk it out amongst like minded people, and even to hear a different view when it’s not laced with hate. I’m not religious, but I’m praying for the mental health and humanity of our society as a whole as history unfolds. What a world it could be if not for our own vices, greed and destruction. If only we could just respect each other’s differences and work together for the common good of all. So simple, so attainable, and yet so far from our reality.

Onward! The frigid conditions here on the farm have lifted – in the upper 20’s as I type, and it feels downright balmy. I tried something that worked during our deep freeze – If you water critters outside during winter months – keeping that hydrant from freezing is sticky business. Stuffing a water bucket with hay, and then flipping that over the hydrant when not in use.. works!

The paddocks where a skating rink after the deep freeze. Thankful my husband owns a sanding truck (for work purposes) and I was able to let the horses out into the paddocks after they made a sweep through with the sand/salt. After losing my beloved Opie, I don’t need another equine loss due to a broken leg. Speaking of which – the mini’s and our boarder’s horse, the very old (32 years!) Max are getting along really well – right now I’ve brought them up to the big barn from their smaller shed. Their paddock is still a skating rink, so they’re sharing Max’s for the moment and with Opie’s passing we have a vacant stall. They really like the new arrangement – it’s like they’ve moved up to the big boys dorm.

In my never ending quest to lose this miserable menopausal weight and make healthier eating choices, I came across this chickpea salad recipe – so easy to throw together, very refreshing, too. Recipe and this photo credit to the Striped Spatula… link below photo.

Recipe HERE

Along with this dieting gig which I have yet to really really stick with for the long haul, I do keep up with at least a minimal exercise routine. Daily I tend to the horse and chicken chores, which is usually about an hour of work, but I also get in some aerobic exercise with the dogs – we walk at least four days a week, most often on the farm, where there are fields, hills and woods and long dirt roadways that make it easy, and hard to find excuses since it’s right outside the door. Occasionally I get on the treadmill, but it bores the hell out of me. Being outside and moving along is more motivation for a person like me, anyway.

Bailey, Frasier and Sally love these walks – I leave our cardiac patient, my Dane, Ben – inside on these cold days. There’s another shot of the big window from afar.

Sometimes we get in the car and visit the cottage (Stella) – where I walk the island – also a two miler IF I use all the roadways there. There is also a state park just five minutes from here with a beautiful roadway that circles a pond and stream and even a waterwheel and covered bridge. It’s so beautiful, I scold myself for not using it more often – free if you walk in!

I throw light weight training in for good measure, just three sets of twelve reps, four different muscle groups, doesn’t take long but reaps benefits of keeping me feeling strong, even when I hurt. I’m no expert, but one of my friends who is an expert agrees – I highly recommend a combo of simple stretching, walking and light weight training for anyone, and especially those who are middle to older aged. You don’t need to beat yourself into the ground or use a fancy gym – just a few light handweights you can buy at your local Target or Walmart and a good pair of walking sneakers, etc. will do the trick. Get bored easily like me? Switch it up now and then with a bike ride or kayak or yoga.

Sometimes the very simplest advice turns out to be the best, right?

Use it or lose it…

Arriving home from the woods walk yesterday, I surveyed the current garden plot situation…

What a difference six months makes, huh? Some shots from last summer below… (My weeding skills could be honed some, tis true.)

Tonight I’ll pull out the seed catalogs and

place an online order.

I’m not paid to say anything on this blog…
If I endorse it, I’ve had success with it.

My favorite seed source is Baker Creek Heirloom seeds..

Link HERE.

I find their seeds to be healthy, meaning they actually perform

if you follow the directions properly, and the plants hearty.

That gorgeous zinnia row to the left is courtesy dear friend Hilary
of Crazy As a Loom. She sent seeds from her garden
last year and they flourished.

I have placed the reply option with comments again – last time I did that, many reeaders had trouble leaving a comment at all. So often I want to thank you or answer questions to comments left, remaining silent seems rude, but had no option when I removed that feature. My comments no longer are delivered to my e-mail, where I used to be able to answer. If you visit frequently, leave a comment to let me know you were able to. Let’s see if I got it right this time.

As always – thank you for stopping by.

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.

Opie

A few days before Christmas I lost my dear horse, Opie. He’s been my equine buddy for many years, been my therapy horse when times were scary or difficult or sad – we’ve seen enough of that over the years. He was in his early twenties and I always believed I’d keep him healthy and enjoying life on the farm until we were both old as dirt. Sadly, in the blink of an eye, it all went sideways and the most humane decision was to get him comfortable and let him go peacefully. (for my horse friends, some how he twisted his gut overnight and by the time I found him at feed time in the early morning, he was in too much pain and poor vital stats to force him through the trailer and surgery to try to correct it. How we didn’t hear him struggling up on the hill in his stall overnight just kills me). I am heartbroken, he was family.

Here’s another thing I want to say – because I gotta be me. His barn mates miss him, they’re still looking for him. Our Max, also an older boy who is generally more attached to Kristen than I, saw me crying yesterday as I looked over to where Opie is buried, and walked over and put his head in my chest and just stood there as I wept. Animals may not have our vocabulary or our understanding of all things, but they know pain, they know loss, they care about each other and for us. If you have animals in your care, they are not a machine, they are not a toy or a trophy or a tool to be ignored when we aren’t feeling like dealing with them or aren’t thrilled with their performance. If you’ve decided to have a pet – dog, horse, cat, farm animals, whatever…. Treat them as you would a family member, with kindness and compassion and the respect they deserve and especially those we ask so much of. When you think of what we ask of the horse, it’s astounding they obey.

Good Bye, dear Opie – you were my once in a life time horse. I will miss you for the rest of my life.

Friendships – the very best kind of gift

Many years ago I bought a young miniature horse from a lovely woman who became a dear friend. We spent years together driving our horses in carts through the woods in Old Lyme near her farm, and visiting nursing homes and rehab facilities from time to time with our mini’s. It was very uplifting to be in the presence of “C”, she was and is at 90 still a force to be reckoned with, a real spitfire, a hardy New Englander, and as honest and compassionate as they come.

When the time came for C and her beloved husband to retire from their horse farm, she gifted me with her beautiful black and white paint driving mare, Lacey. It was a heartbreaking thing, letting go of that part of the life she loved, and as usual she did it with stoic grace. Lacey has been with me (and her side kick Coady) ever since. C’s journey continued to the sunshine state, and then back here to be near family, where she and her husband moved into an assisted living community to get the care he needed. He passed recently, and the loss has been particularly hard on her. C is an example of nine decades of a life full of adventure and love and hard work and compassion and caring for people, animals and for the environment. One of those people you know you’re lucky to call “friend”.

Last weekend two other people I am lucky to call friends took time out of their busy schedule to haul my mini horses, and help me reunite C with her beloved horse, Lacey, for a visit. It was chilly outside but our hearts were warmed by the big smiles and happy tears to witness the reunion.

Thank you to my two dear friends for your big hearts, your generosity of time and effort and caring – a Christmas Wish granted. And Thank you, C, for teaching valuable life lessons without ever intending it, leading the way in all our “mini” adventures, and showing us all what a life well lived looks like.

Snow Day

Under normal circumstances they don’t like each other- they argue over who’s the boss, they don’t always perceive the same things as dangerous or even agree on who’s a friend and who’s a foe. They don’t share well with each other, but somehow the storms change things. Butt to Butt- they weather those storms and find common ground, they find comfort in each other. We could learn a few things from dogs…..

Something I took for granted for all these years- Democracy. I never realized how truly fragile it is, and at any point in history, what we depend on can come crumbling down. Maybe a dividing, lying, egotistical blowhard like Tr*mp had to happen in order to flush out all the corruption, the hypocricies, the bigotry, racism and blind allegiances that clearly still course through the veins of our republic. Maybe all the shortsightedness on both sides of the aisle and the less than stellar motives of some of the extremists, both left and right, needed to be exposed in order to eventually heal what is clearly very broken.

I’m encouraged by the good things that are coming of this collosal mess, people are voting, for one thing. Women are coming forth and getting elected at record rate – Republicans and Democrats are questioning some of the failings of their own parties and striving for something better. In many places We the People are being heard. Amen… and Amen again.

Last night we had our first real snow fall –

This morning it’s all pretty wet, with rain in the forecast.

The green thing in the upper right hand corner is the umbrella I was using to shield me from the wind and drizzle as I fed horses and chickens. That’s the thing about these adorable farm animals. Doesn’t matter the weather, they need their feed. My morning commute …..

Opie, not particularly fond of selfies, waits impatiently for grain.

Fiona says Good Morning! (actually, she’s clucking ” It’s cold – where’s my F-ing oatmeal” . Yep, she swears – I’m a bad influence, I know it. )

I’ve started the holiday decorating inside – not too christmas-y yet because we’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner here. Nothing says disrespect for the Thankful holiday like Christmas up in your face before you’ve even carved the bird.

Miss Sally’s favorite perch …..

Usually I have a coffee cake or brownies or cookies in the glass cake stand on the kitchen island. We’re all trying to watch our calorie intake ( we’re watching it, alright… as it goes in our mouths….) and for some reason I believe we’ll eat less crap if it comes in small wrapped packages… ha ha ha… ha.

Anyway… a few chuckles for you on this dreary grey New England day….

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

Till soon….