All the rain we had in the month of May has produced incredibly rich plant growth. Our hay fields are abundant, the border gardens are lush and blooming, and anything I planted within the last two years has doubled and tripled in size.
As I look around this farm, which has come such a long way in the past seven years, from falling down around itself to a completely new life story – I am so deeply grateful for the time we get to spend here. As is true of any homestead , whether it’s a city flat, a town home or country farm – our time here is limited, we’re all just passing through. In this particular place I’m reminded that I’m gazing out over fields that were also cherished, worked and cared for by several generations before me, almost 200 years worth – and I feel blessed.
Dappled willow and knockout roses alongside the porch…
New Dawn roses along the dog yard fence and over the Arch to the side gate… If you’re looking for easy roses because you’re lazy like me in the rose care department, these two varieties are your friend. Rosa Rugosa is also very easy and hardy. We’ve put four of those at Stella’s waterfront, their fragrance is divine on the salty breezes.
Spirea…
Need to look this up.. it had soft white blossoms which are turning to this dusty rose…
Peonies, such a lovely bloom, short lived, messy, and a little heartbreaking to see them topple over as they get top heavy with full bloom. The avid gardener stakes them up, that’s not me.
The Lantern babies are growing fast… (purple finch)
Meanwhile, down by the sea… we have been enjoying Stella since the sun has reappeared…
The kids have gone clamming…
and we’ve enjoyed a few evening meals with family, too.
As I’ve mentioned here before, for many years we’ve dreamed of owning a second home, a little place somewhere in one of the locations we love so much – the Vineyard (MV) and Vermont in particular. Both locations are just approximately 2.5 hours away. The Vineyard real estate market has gone through the roof with it’s ever growing popularity, so we eventually let go of that. Vermont is still attainable, but… what we’re finding is Stella was truly the right choice.. .just 17 miles from the farmstead and doesn’t take longer than 25 minutes to reach from here.
We all lead busy lives and getting away is hard to do with large animal care and business ownership responsibilities. Both kids now have living quarters and jobs of their own to manage. We’ve always known that having a place so far away would be difficult to keep up alone, and a lot of work each time we did manage to get there. How often would we really get to spend time there with all we have going on here..and RELAX? Because Stella is so close, we can head down there after work, sit and relax and listen to the water lap the shore, watch the boats come and go, the clammers digging for dinner, take a walk around the community. For all these years we were looking for the best little respite spot, just not in the right places. Good things come to those who wait.
The icing on the cake is.. family can join us easily too, as they are also nearby.
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen… I made those oatmeal cookies for the kids just because.. and oh wow, just really incredible. I highly recommend this recipe. It’s easy and fun to make, and these Oatmeal creme pie cookies are so freak’n delicious, it’s pure happiness in your mouth. Link to recipe HERE. Just scroll down that post and you’ll find it at the bottom.
One more recipe to share with you.. found it on FB, looks delish and healthy – win win.
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tbsp. oil
- Juice of 1 lemon, divided
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 4 slices provolone
DIRECTIONS
- In a small bowl, combine oil, juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons), 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and Italian seasoning and whisk to combine. Transfer to a large re-sealable bag along with chicken. Seal and chill, 30 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a preheated grill and discard excess marinade. Grill chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes on each side.
- Meanwhile, combine diced tomatoes and remaining juice from ½ lemon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. While chicken is still on grill, top each breast with 1 slice Provolone and cover grill until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Top chicken with tomato mixture and serve.
*recipe and photo found on DELISH site
So much going on in the world, hard to ignore it in search of peace of mind. I’ve been steering away from watching any news programs lately, not even Anderson Cooper, whom I admire on several levels. Seems like the wheels are coming off the bus in Washington, where that leads, no one can know right now.
The shooting in DC could have been so much worse. What I am hoping is that it brings the parties together in some way that will stay with them. Of course an ass like Newt points fingers at a party affiliation, not the nut job that actually did the deed. Those inflammatory people need to just go away, they only add fuel to the raging fire and contribute nothing of value. Given his history, a bit hypocritical, just about anything that comes out of his mouth.
I want to hope that the powers that be in Washington will remember how we are all humans, all vulnerable, all in need of unity to get through the obstacles of life. At the end of the day, it’s not a party thing, it’s a humanity thing. If anything good can come out of events like this, let it be this. A coming together. Why does it take a horror show like 9/11 to bring it out in us? Can’t we learn from the past so that it is not repeated?
It’s a new day, all… *sigh. Let’s make it a good one.
