Tag: life

Things Change

For the 25 years we’ve been married
Mike has always had a bike.
First it was a rice rocket. Yuck.
Then came the Harleys.. one after the other.
As a recreational rider,  he’d take the bike for a ride mostly during the summer,
and only every so often.  Sometimes with a friend or two,
sometimes with me on the back.
It made him feel a little free of all the responsibilities he carries with family and business.
I totally understand the need.
I used to enjoy tagging along on  a warm summer evening..
riding down by the water with the salt and wind in my hair
or winding down a country road where old barns still stand watch over green or plowed fields.
Something has changed though.
This year it doesn’t feel right.
We took a spin on Sunday night and the entire time,
I felt vulnerable.  Mike is a responsible rider and he’s got the experience
of all these years to keep us safe.
But you never know.  And I felt so exposed to that pavement and the other drivers.
Yes.. things change.  I just don’t think I’ll be riding behind him on that bike anymore.
Funny, last night he said this..
“You know, getting on the bike just isn’t so thrilling anymore.  I used to love it. Now it’s just
another form of transportation,  I might sell it”. 

*sigh of relief* 


 

Randomness in the Rain

 Good morning all – I’m doing what I’m good at.. procrastinating before diving into the housework that’s begging for my attention.  What better way than to purge the many thoughts I have whirling round in my head.

  Ready?…

  Rain is a beautiful thing when you’ve got a hundred or so plants in the ground that have just weathered a string of hot humid days.  My hose nozzle clutching hand is thankful.

Knock out roses – the rose for people who want minimal maintenance and maximum show.
It’s a beautiful thing.
*******
Going from pretty to ugly…
I see that J*ran Van der Sl**t is to be married in jail within the next two weeks.
Remember that creep?   Murdered not just one but two young women.
Serving 25 years in a peruvian prison for the proven murder of one.
The other case is still unsolved, but the circumstances are pretty clear.
He’s actually found a 28 year old woman willing to marry him.
What is wrong with this woman??.. 
Seriously.. is she F-ing nuts???
A bigger question is… why is this man allowed to marry?
Once again, the convicted heinous murderer gets to live a life
while his victim(s) lie dead in the ground.
My solution?  Put him and Jodi Ar*as in a cell together and let them have
their way with each other.  With luck, they’ll seduce each other to death,
as they’ve done with their previous victims.
*******
Cleo is sitting contently in her nest this morning..
had to wash those thoughts out of my head, bare with me…

*******
I have been served with a Jury Duty notice.
First of all, with the way I feel about our Justice system,
I wouldn’t be a good juror.
Besides that, I long ago submitted a doctors note that I am hearing impaired,
which excuses a person from jury duty because…you really can’t hear what’s going on. Kinda important.
So I called and asked what has changed, because I still don’t hear well.
“Has your hearing improved in this period of time, m’am?”
“um, no. It’s gotten worse as I age. That’s what happens with all hearing impaired people
but hey, if you people have found a solution, I’m all ears! Literally! “
long pause and hold on the other side of the line..
and then an “OK, you are excused once again. You can disregard the notice“.
*******
Jean Stapleton, who played Edith Bunker on that beloved obnoxious show
All in the Family, years ago, has died.  I loved her, I think everyone did.
 When I see those old reruns it always brings me back
 to those sleep overs at my grandmothers house when we’d watch them together. 
 Elsie and Al would light up with laughter
at the antics of Archie and Edith, Gloria and Meathead. 
Seeing them outright giddy was a magic I can’t describe.  
Simpler times, you know?
*******
My quarter horse friends all made it out of Oklahoma safely and are on their way home.
I feel so badly for the people who have lost loved ones or a home in that mess.
They are brave to continue to live there.
*******
As you know from yesterdays post I had a gluten feast yesterday and
I feel crappy today.. I call it the gluten hangover.  I am not a celiac, but there is no doubt
gluten and I have a rocky relationship.  To the naysayers who don’t believe in the gluten sensitive
theory  and think it’s just a diet fad, (my  ex-GP in particular), you are wrong, simple as that. 
 When I eat it, I feel crumby. When I don’t, I feel years younger,
very little arthritic pain, blood pressure stays at a good number, my stomach issues clear up,
my headaches go away.   I believe it’s because the wheat our ancestors thrived on is different
from the GMO (genentically modifed ) wheat of today. Our bodies are rebelling.
It’s time I listen to my body.  I’m done with gluten.
 *******
Laundry and vacuuming await…I should really just shut up and get moving here.
I’ll get no help from this lot….
As always, I appreciate that you take the time to stop by here and
especially when you join the conversation and  leave your thoughts on any particular subject.
I apologize for removing Anonymous comments once again,
too much ugly spam, and I do mean perverted ugly.
It’s a new day, all.  I hope you have a great one.

Whats Growing in the Gardens of This Old House

  I saw a picture of a glass mushroom garden on FB a while back, and decided to put something similar together in a bland area of our perennial border.  So… I went to the junk antique places along the shoreline and found a bunch of old glass bowls and vases to construct my own “mushroom” garden.

Do you spy the oddity?
Come closer….
I crazy-glued the bowls to the upside-down vases and then “planted” them about an inch
into the soil.
This one is my favorite, I love the edge on this pretty bowl.
$5. at the thrift shop.
My husband thinks it’s tacky, but I love it.
A really easy, cheap, simple way to dress up any corner of your garden in a unique way.
Lets take a walk in the drizzle….
Now in it’s third year, the perennial borders around the backyard are really taking hold
and multiplying. This spring I added a rock border as an edge to clean it up some.
I’ve potted some plants at the door to the shed…
and the rose bushes and peonies around the little greenhouse are thriving.
Connie… should I be cutting these rose bushes back some or let them go wild?

I had to treat the peonies for ant infestation, for some reason ants love peonie buds.

The greenhouse is empty now that all seedlings have been planted outdoors…
Mike has given the tomato plants much more room to grow this year.
He’s learning as he “grows”… I am so very proud of the farmer he has become.
When I met this man, he wore pristine white sneakers and gold jewelry,
having grown up in the city of West Haven and then a preppy suburban town on the shore.
On our very first date, it was May 5th, 1987, I don’t know why I remember that…
I saw those perfectly clean white sneakers, his perfectly clean Z28 and that gold jewelry
and said to myself…
 uh  oh.
HOWEVER… as time rolled on…
 I like to think I countrified him.
 His love for growing things and enjoying and working the land
has made my love for him grow deeper.
Who woulda thunk it.
If he’s reading this, he’s looking a little incredulous right now
at my blatant display of  unabashed and public affection, right dear? 
In the background of the above picture are onions, lettuce, basil, parsley, oregano and garlic.
These are my Italian Ice tomatoes… they are white!
I’ll let you know how that goes.
Out in the big garden we’ve got tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumber,
and string beans, peas in the background.
We learned the hard way that raspberry bushes produce every other year.
So the pruning we were doing was ruining that years crop.
Considering four years ago we took this old house down and put her back up,
we’ve come a looong way, baby. The yard is starting to fill in again, and look lived in,
it’s a beautiful thing.
Starry night Viola I have near the birdbath… it’s one of my favorites.
The knockout roses around the foundation of the house are very robust this year.
I over-fertilized them last year and almost killed them.
We Learn as we Grow.
Hopefully we Grow as we Learn.  
Isn’t that the truth in all things life-related.
Bailey and Frasier agree.

*sigh*

Too many things I find discouraging today..
a Jury that “can’t get along” in the J.A. case?
Seriously?  OMG, people.. the money spent already…
and they knew the job ahead of them six months ago!
AND COULD THERE BE A MORE CLEAR CUT CASE??
They oughta be ashamed if they can’t come to a unanimous decision.
Ashamed.
While they are squabbling, she is still giving interviews, still smug,
(laughing and flirting with the court guard yesterday!)
still making excuses, still trashing the victim and his family. 
UNREAL.
Yet another heartbreaking natural disaster… 
have you counted the frequency of these events in the past two to three years?
If you’re not scared yet, you should be. 
I don’t know if it’s global warming or the natural order of the cycles of the earth,
but it’s trying to shed us in one way or another. 
Scary indeed.
I have been good about exercise,
terrible with the ban on crap food.
If there is a cookie in the house, it’s not safe with me around. 
*sigh*
WHY.. am I so crappy with this one particular thing?
Any advice on curbing the extra eating would be appreciated. 
I eat plenty of the good stuff  – veggies and fruit.. that’s not the problem.
I’ve got a horse show to get ready for today, there’s a barn bake-off on Friday night
and I’m making red white and blue cupcakes to bring along.
(and I won’t eat a single one …lie…) 
I’ll leave you with this picture of Bailey..
When Ben goes outside he usually leaves a rawhide on his bed.
The little ones take this opportunity to steal it and drag it to their bed.
They pretend to enjoy it immensely for about two minutes..
because HA!!.. I got Bens Bone!!
And then they just sit with it and guard it from each other
until he returns.  Then I have to pry it from them because he won’t,
gentleman that he is.
Like little kids, they are.
It’s a new day, people.  Let’s make it a good one.

Random Thoughts on a Wednesday morning

 I’m full of them today… are you ready?

 
  I’d really love a magnolia tree to plant in the yard as a mothers day gift.  Do you think the family will read my post? 

   Do you know, the least likely people to read your posts if you blog, will be your family?  My mom is a writer, a reader, a supportive mother, and a computer user.  Other people in town tell her the latest recipes and stories and pictures of family I’ve posted on the blog.  My husband walks into the local breakfast place and a favorite resident of mine will tease him about the latest silliness. And yes, silliness lives here.   That same favorite resident friend also knows more about my family than an Uncle whose family I lived with for four years when I was young.  Perhaps it’s redundant… after all, they already know you, right? 

  I’m maybe a little bit horrified that the jury in the Jodi Ar*as trial is still deliberating.  Really?  Do they really need three days (so far!)  to figure this one out?  It’s kinda cut and dried information they were given, no?  Actually… stabbed!..27 times, slashed throat, then bullet to the head…and left to ferment in a shower stall naked for five days…  that kind of cut and dried.  If they come back with anything like a hung jury, a mistrial, an aquital… our system is shot and millions of dollars have just been wasted on this waste of a human being.  She’s selling T-shirts and artwork and tweeting online… that’s disgusting, after what she’s done.  How is this allowed?

this is her MUG SHOT… seriously?

  Amazing and also horrifying, the story of three woman and a child held captive and God knows what else for 10 years, all living within two miles of where they were abducted.  By three brothers.  That means three brothers all agreed that this was an acceptable thing to do to these women and the child.  And they did it for ten years.  TEN… YEARS…. of those young lives, spent locked in a basement and God knows what else.    Long road to recovery for them, so glad they made it out alive.

   I just noticed I’m starting to sound like Nancy Grace 🙂

 
 The Monsanto Protection Act – Anonymously added to a recent budget bill, the controversial rider would protect U.S. biotech companies from litigation if their GMO seeds turn out to be dangerous. GMO means Genetically Modified Organisms.  GMOs are created by Monsanto and other biotech firms. While there’s no hard evidence that GMOs can harm humans, some worry about undiscovered health risks and the possibility of manmade genes spreading to wild plants, potentially wreaking ecological havoc.  

  That’s bull.  If you’re gonna mess with the food supply, you better take responsibility and be held accountable.  Producing GMO’s is a huge money maker… that shouldn’t have anything to do with jeapardizing your health, and yet it always does. 

  Here’s a link if you’re interested in reading about the bill on the table to label our foods GMO if they contain genetically modified ingredients.  It also explains why some are opposed.  MONEY has everything to do with it, not your health.

http://vtdigger.org/2013/05/07/gmo-labeling-bill-positioned-for-action-next-session/

  I want my food labeled, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.  At the very least, I should be able to make my own decision on whether I want my family to ingest GMOs.  It is believed by many that so many people are now having trouble ingesting wheat (you are probably aware of the Gluten-Free issue.. not only for celiacs but others who are finding they feel a heck of a lot better when they don’t ingest things that contain Gluten).  WHEAT… (gluten) is a big GMO crop. Modified to be more disease resistant and grow faster, heartier.  Perhaps that is why the wheat of years ago, before GMO, was a main stable and not the serious allergen that it appears to be today.

   
 It’s gonna rain today, I’m doing a happy dance.  I can’t tell you how very dry everything is here at This Old House.  Bring it!

   After the horses and chickens are fed and let out and barn is mucked and gardens are watered and laundry is switched and folded and put away and the dishes that piled up in the sink after this morning’s breakfast are cleaned and stacked,  I’ll be working on my found treasure – that old dollhouse I told you about.  Why do I feel guilty about that, I ask you?

  It’s a new day, all – make it a good one!

Letting it Go

       I like people.  I like to get along with people.  I really don’t want drama in my life if I can keep away from it…most of the time I’ve been successful, but not always.   The way I see it.. we only come through this life once.  We only get this one chance to live our best life.  Negativity, jealousy, meanness, attitude,  drama, and all the things that go hand in hand with it… shouldn’t be given any valuable space in a person’s life. 

     I struggled with a relationship that for a long while left me frustrated and hurt.  I knew I was extending myself to try and grow it, but it just wasn’t taking.  And occasionally there were obvious slights or a coldness or I heard remarks of disapproval.  And that would hurt too.  I looked for what might be done differently on my side of things to change the outcome, but I knew that I’ve always had good intentions, so what could I change?

     I am finding that one of the gifts of aging is having the ability to see things more clearly as you go, appreciating what  is good and nourishing in your life and recognizing what is simply toxic.   I was trying to forge what I thought was an important relationship with a person who just wasn’t interested.   I believe now it’s as simple as that. We’re very different, not much in common. She would never choose the path I walk and I would never choose hers.  Nothing wrong with that.   One more revelation –    I didn’t need her approval and I’m still not sure why it bothered me  for so very long that I didn’t have it.  It doesn’t matter the reason.

    And so I’ve stopped trying,  I’ve accepted that it is what it is, and I believe I have finally let..it..go.  There is a peace in doing this, give it a try if you find yourself in a similar situation.   

“95% percent of the time, whatever the crap is you’re being handed by someone that is totally perplexing to you… really has nothing to do with you. “

” Why grieve over a relationship that never really was? What exactly do you think you’re missing? “

And.. LOVE THIS…

Holding on to anger
is like drinking poison
 and expecting the other person to die. 

Just sayin – Amen.  

It’s a beautiful thing

Forgive me for this boast, ok?
I am brimming with happiness this morning
after an awesome weekend with my girl and her horse.
Our senior boy, Max, was an absolute gentleman.
and K?… did fantastic, remembered her patterns in horsemanship
and even managed a few blue ribbons at her first QH show.
And I’ll share something with you.
I don’t know if I’ll ever stop welling up with tears
every time I hear her name called over the loudspeaker for a placing.
It must look ridiculous to others.   
Sometimes the tears come just because I see her smiling out there
enjoying life and riding that horse.
Still fresh in my mind is the picture of that same person hooked up to
life supporting machines with the question of whether
 there would ever be life again at all.
Remember this… should God Forbid… you ever find yourself
in a horrible situation that might look like your worst nightmare…
There is always hope.. there is always the possibility of recovery,
and life will go on. Sometimes better than you can pray for or imagine
in those darkest of hours. 
Proof below.  
These are just some of the crew from the barn.
Truly, they are like family… so good to share the experience with
such a nice group of people.

It’s all good.

Hearts for Hounds

Yesterday a box arrived from still-snowy Nebraska.
There was no chill in this box, however…
more like a brilliant ray of sunshine.
made these by hand to be worn by our next group of
rescued shelter dogs who will be available for adoption
in May… see link below for more info.
Not only did she spent time putting these beautiful heart tags together,
she thought of me too….
A beautiful mug and my favorite tea (how did you KNOW?)
and… a camera necklace that I’ll be wearing today..
never seen one like it and I love it..
you all know I’m a shutter bug.
I wish THIS kind of thing..
an act of kindness… were in the headlines on a daily basis.
It’s what really makes the world go round.
Thank you, Nancy.
Thank you.

Suspect in Custody – but…..

  Those were awesome words sprawled across the CNN screen last night.  SUSPECT IN CUSTODY.    Relief absolutely.  No one else was hurt or killed, the city of Boston can return to life as they usually know it.  Suspect No. 2 is now in custody and hopefully will survive his injuries to face judgement day.  People were literally cheering in the streets, chanting USA, waving the American flag.

 Inspiring as that moment was, there is little consolation for the families of the victims.  What’s done is done. The losses are permanent and lives are altered or erased forever.

   For what?

   Here’s the big problem. That was just one pair of extremists.  There are many many more.   Is that what they were? We don’t even know yet, do we. I think the 19 year old was dragged down into his brother’s dark world of Isl*mic extremism out of some loyalty he felt for his brother.  Sad, this.

   As the nation watched, riveted to the images on the screen, the endless (ENDLESS!!) banter of hyperventilating newscasters giving us minute by minute verbal vomit about every detail over and over again…. I was thinking about what might be running through the mind of that 19 year old on the run.  Just a kid, really.  Did he even know or fully understand or BELIEVE in whatever the reason is going to be for this hideous terror act he and his brother had committed?  Now that Brother was gone, and hey, he ran him over in his hasty retreat, that’s not gonna be an easy pill to swallow…  what was left for him?  Did he feel he accomplished something? and what would that be?  Was it worth giving up the good education, the quality life he was building here in the good ole US?

  For these extremists, there is no sense to their brand of violence. So we’re never going to find it, or make them “see the light” and reverse their radical ways. They use their religious beliefs to justify their actions.  As Suspect No. 2 said to a friend.. “it’s not terrorism if the cause is justified”.    How do you reason with that line of thinking? 

   You can’t.

   And so this issue isn’t going away any time soon.  As much as I hate the idea of racism or ethnic profiling, those who are radical extremist Musl*ms have made us all weary.  Trust.. it’s like a piece of paper. You can hold the piece of paper fresh, crisp… then crumple it into a ball in frustration. You can open up that piece of paper again to give it another go, but it will never be the same… the inevitable lines and crinkles will remain.

 When you heard about the bombing, what was your immediate thought as to who might be responsible?  And when you first saw the pictures of the “persons of interest”  what was your immediate thought then?  Exactly.  And I HATE that I felt that way but it’s not because of my own closed mindedness or ignorance.  It comes from experience, lessons learned.

 I love the idea of a world where all can live together peacefully – practicing their own set of beliefs, living their own way of life…coming together in areas of need and working together when necessary. It’s totally possible.   I don’t ever want to judge a person by the color of their skin, the slant of their eyes, the prominent nose or their freckle pattern, the God they worship.  We are all inhabitants of this earth with a right to live by our own ideals.

 But the as*holes of this world have tainted our ability to do so.   And yeah, you better believe I am wary and weary of  the followers of a religion that states we are all deserving of death if we don’t follow their leader.

Excellent article in the Boston Globe I agree with whole-heartedly can be found  HERE.   Thanks Susan.

*sigh*