Tag: life

Romaine Tenney

    I visited the site of my sister’s soon-to-be homestead recently… a lovely six acre plot where she and her husband will build a house and barn for her horses and I’m guessing, his chickens and a cow or two if he can get away with it.  It’s a farmstead they’ve both dreamed of for some time now, located in a lovely town full of big old homes from the 1800’s and farm land that stretches across the landscape very comfortably, as it has for hundreds of years. Scattered here and there  are  dilapidated old dairy barns no longer in use, which  always saddens me.  It’s clear that a rich agricultural way of life has all but vanished in this beautiful place.  Development is imminent.  The lot my sister will build on is in fact part of a development that divides up an old dairy farm .. the barn still standing, although empty.

   Inevitable?  I suppose.   Progress! … after all.  And Hey… my husband is a home builder…we are able to own this farm because he builds houses for a living.  What a hypocrite!    But is it always  truly progress? Are we losing more than we’re gaining in some of these instances?  I, for one, believe this to be true.

  I read a piece the other night that will not leave me, the man and his story I will never forget.  Writer Howard Mansfield wrote a heart wrenching article in Yankee Magazine about Romaine Tenney.  If you’ve got the time, I urge you to read this article,  click HERE.    I wish I knew the man.  I wish I could have helped.  This should not have been allowed to happen.   And yet it’s happening again, all these years later in a project called  Northern Pass …. you can read more about that HERE or in the current Yankee Magazine.

Picture taken just a week before the end of Romaine’s story.. 

 In the telling of the story of old man Tenney, there is always present that ominous word… Eminent Domain.  What gives any one for any reason the right to take away the life and livelihood, the roots, the history… the love of THEIR land, land their family has worked and cherished and lived on and by…   all in the name of progress?   When we treat people in this way, we regress substantially. 
I’ve traveled I-91 into Vermont.   Several times we’ve tread just inches over the ghost of Romaine Tenney and his farm… unknowing.  Next time, I will stop the car and step off the highway at Exit 8 and pay silent tribute to the man who loved that land… and tell him how very sorry I was to hear of his demise …. how much  his life mattered, how his way of life is not forgotten, and how maybe, just maybe someone important will read his story and finally HEAR him…. and  LEARN from it. 

It it me?…..

   Or does everyone have a little difficulty with this concept?   When the manchild got his license…. well, let’s just say I’ve been hyperventilating over this eventual occurance since he was two.   He’s been talking about getting his license since he was two.    Ofcourse,  the license was acquired as soon as the appropriate age was achieved (like, the very next second, I’m pretty sure)  , and he’s a free man….child.   It’s been months now, and he’s been really good about texting me when he gets to school ( he’s got a 25 minute ride and it includes a highway) and when he gets to the gym… ditto, in opposite direction. 

Until two days ago.

Mom….. I’m not texting you when I get to school.  No one does that anymore, I’m the only one.  I’m not doing it anymore, it’s silly.  

But.. But….. it’s raining!!..could be ice!… I need to know!!!

I’ll call you if I have any trouble.  See ya this afternoon…

It’s been two days of no texting when he arrives at the school or goes to the gym.
I’m still here.  

I made this lemon blueberry pie today to cheer my silly self up…
Delicious! and easy.
RECIPE HERE
I used frozen organic blueberries instead of blueberry jam on top…
This would make a great addition to an Easter menu..very refreshing.

Not again….

  I don’t know if this Connecticut story has made national news – Last night as I was watching a movie with my daughter, an Amber Alert was issued and flashed across the screen for quite a while.  The situation, apparently, was dire.  Sadly, there was a relatively quick end to the search…  and not the ending people were praying for.  See story HERE…  for more indepth details.

   In short, A 47 year old grandmother with a history of mental illness, bipolar disorder, etc.etc.   picked her two grandchildren up from day care,  boys ages 2 years and 6 months… and brought them to a remote area where she shot them both dead and then took her own life.

*sigh*

Two things come to mind…

Why is a woman with a history of mental illness in possession of a gun?  Was she issued a permit?  Did anyone do a backround check that would include history of mental illness before giving her that permit?  I’m sorry, but I don’t care if that would violate her right to medical privacy.   It should be mandatory.  Perhaps it was the gun of a family member.  Well, time to wake the fuck up.  If you’ve got a member of your family who has a history of mental illness… ANY mental illness, whether it’s depression, severe anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism,  etc. etc. etc..  there should not be guns  in any location that they can have access.

 Case in point – Sandy Hook.   What was that mother thinking?!.. she knew her son was autistic and suffered depression and did not get along with his peers.  So.. take him to a gun range and teach him how to use assault weapons?  It’s the reason I don’t feel sorry for her tragic demise.  It was probably a blessing, because I don’t know how she could have lived with the knowledge that her son had done such hideous harm to all those innocent children with the gun she had taught him to use.

Why is a woman with a history of mental illness allowed to pick two very young grandchildren up from daycare in the first place?

My thoughts this morning are with the mother who will have to find a way to go on without her two precious sons, knowing they died at the hands of her own mother.

MENTAL ILLNESS needs to be addressed even more vigorously than gun control in my opinion.  It’s the mentally ill that are doing the most harm.  I don’t mean this as an assault on those who are afflicted, they didn’t ask for their illness any more than a cancer patient wants their disease.   I, too have suffered from anxiety issues.    This nation needs the same consideration for the mentally ill, we need facilities that are equipped to properly treat these people,  we need treatment that is affordable to all, we need to  humanely house those who can’t live on their own safely.  It’s for their safety as well as the rest of the population.

 A woman with bipolar issues had a problem with someone blaming the bipolar conditon on this tragedy.   She said she is bipolar and she would never commit those crimes.   Well, SHE apparently has her illness under control, but there are no guaranties.  I don’t think she should ever possess a gun given her diagnosis.

 Another sad day in Connecticut, and we don’t have to ask WHY, in my opinion. That’s not the question.  WHEN… is more appropriate.  When will we wake up?

  If you have a different opinion on this subject, I welcome your viewpoint in the comments section. I only  ask that you keep it respectful.

A very dreary, rainy, windy, grey day, this is…. in more ways than one.

Skinny

 I used to be a bean pole.  Then I grew up.  There was a decent figure for a long time, even through the childbearing years!  Then the middle age spread.   Muffin top.    More like pound cake.  And oooh, how I love food.. all kinds!    I’ll never be one of those folks who can restrict their diet in extreme ways, I don’t think that’s good for you anyway.   I know  some people who obsess over their aging bodies, obsess over what they’re eating, restriction, regiment, weighing portions, total elimination of this or that, sometimes frustrated over why they aren’t getting the results they desire through the methods they’re following.  Honestly, I think it all comes down to simple common sense that we all possess.   I know when I get to my heavier self, I haven’t been eating well or wisely.  I also know that my 47 year old body isn’t going to look like my 27 year old body, and I can honestly say I’m comfortable with it.  As we age, in order to do it gracefully and with peace of mind, there needs to be some acceptance too. For some… there-in lies the rub.

  Right now I’m heavier than I’d like, not because someone is telling me I’m fat, but because I just don’t feel as well as I should when I eat the crap that gets me to this weight.  So here I go AGAIN.. on a quest to get back to that healthier place, after falling off the wagon through this coooold winter.  I’m not beating myself up though, life will do that to you without your help, I know you know what I mean.

 My friend Lynn just sent me this link… and I really like it so I’m sharing it with you.  Common sense rules. This is pretty much what I’ve done before and it does work without deprivation or strict adherence to something that won’t last long term. No Fads, no fanaticism.  Do-able.

This and That

   We’re still snow covered, but it’s all just part of the scenery now. 
Had a few more inches the other night, just enough  to pretty up the dirty snow. 
That’s do-able. 
The middle hay field…
Right here is where I stand on a warm summers day
to catch the occasional ocean breezes, which come from the right of this picture…
or the smell of fresh cut hay when it’s harvest time.
Two of my favorite scents – if only they could be bottled.

The girls are not fond of the snow,
puts a damper on their free roaming ways…
but they’re still laying eggs, thanks to the red flood lamp I have in their coop.
Hens like a certain amount of daylight for laying.
Keeping them warm helps too.
My chickens eat very well too – they get their normal balanced feed,
and also table scraps – like pasta (they LOVE spaghetti) and oatmeal
and yogurt, cottage cheese, grapes, strawberries,
and whatever else is starting to wilt in the refrigerator.

A few simple changes have made our bedroom
alittle less wintry.. I needed some LIGHTNESS..
I don’t ordinarily decorate with blue accents..
but this hue, almost a robins egg, was calling to me.
Scratches and chips add to the charm, don’t you think?
Just a glance in her direction, and the tail begins to wag…always.
On my nightstand –  The Thirteenth Tale – a great read – thanks Kate.
I did try those two recipes in the previous post…
they are awesome!  Give them a try if you’re looking for something healthy and delicious.
It’s a new day, people.  Make it a good one.

Sharing the Love

 Normally on Valentines Day I make a big chocolate cake or big fluffy cupcakes for the family. Heart shaped cookies and chocolate hearts too…. This year, slowly but surely, I’m making changes. We’ve all been more conscious of healthy eating recently, even my  almost 17 year old son. SO.. there will be no chocolate cake after dinner tomorrow night.   I do have heart shaped cookies on the counter and there’s also a smattering of dark chocolate hearts (good for you in moderation, don’t ya know.)

 Dinner this week will also be more health conscious recipes… these two links below are on the menu, as long as I can find the ingredients at the grocery store.  (Still no school today due to snow removal efforts!)

Buffalo Chicken Salad
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/buffalo_chicken_salad.html

Italian Wedding Soup
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/italian_wedding_soup.html

Two of my dear blog friends are in need of prayer and encouraging words.   If you’re so enclined, visit their blogs and  leave a comment   – share some love, some light, some encouragement …



Do you plan anything special for Valentines Day?
I’m not big on the grand displays of romance,
not that there’s anything wrong with that.
But I do take the opportunity to do just a little decorating
and show my husband and kids in little ways that I love them.
On display at the breakfast table on V-day morning, I have always gotten the kids
each a new bathing suit and a big box of chocolates.
The bathing suit was a reminder that these grey New England winter days
would soon morph into Spring and then Summer.
Now that they are older, they want to pick out their own bathing suits,
and so I find fun T-shirts instead.
The husband loves chocolate dipped oreos and that chocolate cake! ,
but this year he’s getting a T-shirt too 🙂 
I’m showing myself the love by eating better and exercising more. 
The best gifts a girl can receive? … good health …and self acceptance. 
Self appreciation, self love.
 and I don’t mean that in a narcissistic way.
That’s been a work in progress for me. 

I have decided to stick with love.
Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let us always meet each other with smile,
for the smile is the beginning of love.
Mother Teresa

Can miles truly separate you from friends…
If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?
Richard Bach

White, but with SUN!

  You can see the difference between this morning (earlier post) and this afternoon – the storm has let up and blown away. I suspect we’ll be cleaning it up for days to come though.  No one allowed on the roads but emergency vehicles and plows…  Looks like we ended up with 36 inches in flat areas and four foot snowdrifts where the wind kicked in.   

 Has a chicken coop ever looked more beautiful, I ask you?


The boyz got the bulldozer from the back shed and managed to remove
enough so we can get around and feed the critters, etc… 

K and I gave Opie and Max some OUT time
(this is boarder Max, not K’s horse Max, who I’m sure is stuck inside for the day)



yours truly…. pass the Advil.

Coady can smell horse cookies miles away…
I feel sorry for my guys, who will be out in this all day… now that they’ve
gotten us cleared out enough, they’ve headed off to other jobs and family too…
All I can do is keep the fire going and have plenty of food on hand.
The fire chief may or may not have stopped by today after a certain someone
caused a little grease to burn after cooking cheeseburgers, tripping the alarm.
That certain someone DID give the correct password when the alarm company called.
However, a certain OTHER someone changed the password
recently and so the alarm company didn’t believe I was who I said I was and sent
the Chief our way despite my protests.  *sigh*
I did offer him a cheeseburger.
It is what it is.

Sunday Snapshots

 The beginnings of a wicked good pasta fagioli

This dog was a teddy bear in a former life, I’m convinced.

 Our favorite tavern
Western show shirt fitting…
Have you ever tried an apple martini?  (appletini) 
I’m not a drinker, but wow these are good.
I found dandelions blooming  in the fields!

Pizza Balls!  OMG good.. practically  inhaled, they were!
And so easy and fun to make.
recipe HERE.

LOL.
That was one weird superbowl, just sayin. 

 

Humbled

 One of my blog friends posted the following in reference to THIS POST a few days back…

___________________________________________________________________

“Karen, there are billions in this ole world who, if they knew you, would say you *are* living The Big Life. And, they’d be right because they don’t have as much of anything as you have.

It’s all relative. I’m grateful to live in a country where, so far, hard work is rewarded and we can each spend our money the way we see fit.

Another thought…all those homes, cars, boats, etc. require staff and that means a paycheck to a *lot* of people. That money isn’t going to waste just because it’s not going to animal shelters, homeless, etc. That money is keeping people from being homeless, going hungry and, more than likely, being sent “back home” to help out there. A job and a paycheck aren’t small items, especially to the blue collar crowd.”
__________________________________________________________________

  Well, I’ll be honest with you.  When I first read those words above, I was a little put off.  My thoughts went immediately to defending my meaning in that post.  But when I read Sandras words again.. I saw another side to this discussion, one that holds water.  And once I let the walls down and truly -heard- what Sandra was saying..any negative feelings were put aside and a broader understanding took it’s place.

It occurs to me that this is something the world needs to do… to be able to have discussions about issues, to be open to a broader understanding, whether it’s personal or national relationships, gun control or solutions to poverty, unemployment,  nuclear arms or government spending.  It applies to everything.

Humbled a little today, I am.  And believe me, I’m not living so large that I think I’m too good to say it here.