Wildflower in the wind

missing this heavenly kitchen...

2010-08-10T13:34:00.002-04:00

I am missing this view... It was such a wonderful sight to catch while I was in the kitchen during our week in Maine. Heavenly. A nice breeze coming through the door was one of the perks. Although if the back door of the kitchen, opening to the clothesline area, then the cross breeze blows put the flame on the gas stove... Kind of a pain, but tolerable. The accoutrements in the kitchen are, at times, lacking. Who really needs a baking pan not crusted with years of food anyway? That said, I love cooking there... Many people, always clamoring for what I've made.... Figuring out how to make do with the things we have... Fun, good energy. I miss it all year. What a wonderful kitchen to be blessed with.

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away too long.... and back from Maine

2010-07-31T16:02:00.002-04:00

I miss blogging. It has been too long, and I need to start writing again, and taking good photos. I have just come back from a week in Maine that was glorious. The weather was exactly what I needed. The weather in CT has been unbearable for me this summer: mostly over 90°F for weeks, and very humid. Ugh. I must be part polar bear, as this type of weather makes me miserable, unproductive, and wanting to be indoors all the time where it is cooler.

So, Maine, where the days are warm, and the nights are cool for good sleeping.... wonderful. A large group of people gathered, that I can make food for... happiness. A kitchen where the view out the door is beyond compare. The scenery and backdrop for photos is spectacular, and makes one appreciate the natural beauty around us, and keep fresh in our minds that which is truly important in the scheme of things.

the view from the house... standing on the back deck

I took many photos, as usual, but this time relied on my new-ish phone to take the photos. An 8 mega-pixel camera... they look pretty good, but now that I have loaded them all onto my Mac, I see that they are not up to snuff at all. They are grainy, and the definition and lighting isn't quite right. So, never again, will I rely on that for quality photos. But, alas, I must live with the consequences of my actions, and settle for the only photos I took.

Buried Treasure

2010-05-28T19:15:00.003-04:00

Finding treasures.... The other day I came across an amazing journal. It was written in 1805 and was kept on a journey on a boat from Ireland to an island south of there. Reading through it, and the descriptions is what was brought and even what they kept track of.... completely intrigued me.

pond juice

2010-05-26T10:22:00.004-04:00

this "Pond Juice" drink was fabulous and it's the 'signature drink' at a local tavern. It is huge, and quite tasty. Doesn't seem like you are having a "drink" so it is kind of dangerous, although it wasn't strong. It reminded me of having the HUGE drinks of Long Island Iced Tea when I was at school in West Virginia, and we used to go out dancing at "the Stables" and would get blitzed! yeah... I was 19....

Wonderful Wisteria

2010-05-06T20:40:00.000-04:00

I walked out of the barn today and was confronted with the most heavenly scent! I turned to the right, and found that it was coming from the beautiful vines that drape and envelop the little seating structure next to the entrance to the barn. It is so rustically beautiful. It always seems very grounding. I love this little, almost hidden, treasure at the barn.. which is so impeccably appointed This seems so incongruous....

I love it, and snapped off a few tendrils to enjoy the scent on my drive home.

wonderful skiing

2010-03-10T15:17:00.001-05:00

It was breathtaking every time we came around the corner and saw this windmill... This photo does not do it justice. It was majestic and beautiful. Jiminy Peak was a great place for skiing the other day. I played hookey from teaching skiing at Sundown, to ski with my friend Sarah at another mountain. So glad we drove the 2 hours to spend the day here! The skiing was great, it wasn't crowded, and it was nice and warm. and because I teach at Sundown, I was able to get my ticket for only $15! yay!

Apparently much of the power at Jiminy is from this windmill. They are very 'green' there. I will definitely be going back here. I loved the slopes and had such a wonderful day! It is nice to hear (from a few people in the last few days) that I seem to be a "graceful skier". I absolutely love skiing. I am very happy when I am skiing. I forget everything else, and just concentrate on what I am doing, how my body is moving, how much fun it is to ski, and how beautiful are the vistas from ski areas. I love mountains.

Emmett's karate

2010-02-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

Emmett has been doing great at karate. He is really dedicated and has been going 4 days a week for a few months now. He is learning respect, focus and discipline. Fabulous!

Almost 2 years later....

2010-02-06T21:21:00.001-05:00

It's been almost 2 years since my bunion surgery. I am so glad I had the surgery! I find it interesting that many of the hits I get on this blog are from people hunting things about bunion surgery.

People had told me it hurt (or asked me if it did)... well of course it did!!! They cut my foot open, hacked away at bone, did things to it that I don't want to know details about, and sewed it back up again. It hurt like mad! but, that said... I was hobbling on it within a week, and putting enough weight on it and walking well enough, to have the other done 3 weeks later. And yes, I used meds to keep from being in pain. Pain meds were my friends. They got me through and now my feet are great.

I don't regret it for a minute. And more than that, I am soooooo happy that I did it! My feet look like normal feet, I have no pain, and I can wear great shoes without any problem. I don't have full range of motion in my right toe, but that was the second foot that I did, and I ran out of patience with doing physical therapy. Hindsight, I would have been more vigilant about it.

Anybody debating whether or not to have the surgery? Do it!!! don't wait any longer! I have had other friends use my same doctor, and they have been happy too. The foot surgeon I used was wonderful. His office does about 300 bunion surgeries a year. They know their stuff! Ask questions about that to your doctor. How many they do a year. Are they a podiatrist? or a surgeon?

And then get it done! One foot at a time. Your recovery will be easier, and you won't ever be totally incapacitated by not being able to walk at all. At least with one at a time, you can hop when it is really painful in the beginning. And you can put weight on the other foot, and gradually put more on the 'new' foot :)

You won't regret it!

Skiing in Maine

2010-01-17T21:03:00.001-05:00

Took the boys up to stay at my cousin's house in Maine. She has offered in the past for us to use it. I finally took her up on it, and the boys and I were treated to a weekend near Shawnee Peak. We could basically walk to the lodge from the house.

The house itself was great to stay in, had a big screen TV for the boys to enjoy, and also foosball (which I apparently stink at). The hot tub n the deck was wonderful, and the boys and I cranked it up to be nice and warm, so we could sit out at night, in the freezing cold weather, but be incredibly warm in our bathing suits! We could hear the people on the slopes, and see the lights on the trails.

great farewell lunch

2010-01-13T16:21:00.000-05:00

great lunch at Toshi... before sending them off back to Florida. It was a wonderful week. Can't wait to see them again!

Visit for days....

2010-01-10T15:56:00.001-05:00

My old friend came to visit. We hadn't seen each other in 18 years. We had a huge fight back then, and hadn't spoken to each other since. She lives in Florida now, and has 3 kids. Facebook brought us back together, and she and her 3 kids came and stayed with us for 6 days!
Amazingly... 5 kids who have never met, in the same house, for 6 days, only one tiff! fantastic! we went sledding, they did video games, went to the movies, saw fireworks downtown on New Years Eve, and more... was so much fun! Emmett was so sad when they were leaving. He wanted them to stay!

they had so much fun in the snow. when you live in florida... snow is a blast!

yummy cheese log

2009-12-23T17:02:00.000-05:00

I had this at a party last week, and got the recipe, as it was soooo good that a friend and I could not stop eating it!

1 scallion, the green part only- sliced (or use kitchen scissors to snip into rounds)
1 block of cream cheese (neufchatel), room temp
2 Tbsp crushed pineapple
1/3 cup pecans, chopped - to mix into the cheese
2/3 cup pecans, chopped - to roll the log in afterwards
1 box of Wheat Thins. MUST be wheat Thins!!! this makes a huge difference. trust me.

chop the scallions (with a knife or with kitchen scissors)

mix just the green part with cream cheese and pineapple

mix all together

chop 1/3 cup pecans

mix into the cream cheese mixture

mix well

blob onto 2/3 cup chopped pecans

and sprinkle some on top also

put your hand inside a sandwich baggie and carefully roll in the pecans

ayyyaaaa!!

2009-11-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

It is loud, and the kids love it! Emmett started karate and is doing great!
He seems to be singled out frequently to demonstrate good form. He's into it!

Sarah's... I'm in heaven

2009-10-28T15:30:00.001-04:00

I love being at Sarah's... life is good there. I love being around all of the animals, and the natural beauty around the area. Virginia in the fall....

notice the pig in with the horses? (his name is cheetah)

I love this... peaceful puppy....

damn it was fun!! just all out cantering along the pond!

2009-10-27T15:16:00.001-04:00

Visited an old friend from Meredith Manor.... hadn't seen each other in more than 20 years!!! We've been in touch on the phone a few times in the last few years, but this was so much fun to actually see each other. Her daughter was at a horse show in PA, and I drove to meet her there.

me and Val

I had forgotten how much "bling" there was with western riding! The gaudier the better.... crazy! was interesting to also see how many of the riders now wear hard hats in the show ring... but as soon as the class is over.... on go the western hats!!

Amazing Barbeque!!!

2009-10-26T15:25:00.001-04:00

It was truly a delicious stop! It was one we couldn't pass up as we drove by. and thank goodness we didn't! The onion rings were to die for. The best I've ever had, with a dipping sauce that was delicious and unique.

and the sampler of meats was the obvious choice...

Reading

2009-10-20T22:08:00.002-04:00

I love that he has started reading on his own finally. Both of my kids just didn't want to, until they were ready... and now he is!!! love it!!! lying in bed at night, a good book..... yay!!!

house to flip

2009-10-14T21:47:00.003-04:00

I am thinking that I'd love to flip a house. I've wanted to do it for many years, and I think maybe now is the time.
I found one that I looked at today, which seems to have good potential, as the kitchen is horrid and needs an overhaul, and a new layout.... and the bathroom upstairs is terrible too.
But the house is sunny, and bright, nice hardwood floors, good area, and I liked it. I think the problems are fairly easy to fix, and hoping I can figure it all out, do it, then sell it and make some money :)

writing

2009-10-06T11:41:00.004-04:00

I'm trying to write for an article about personal organizing, which I happen to be REALLY good at. Why is the writing part so hard for me when I've been doing it here for so long? I can go into someone's home and help them overhaul and organize, and move furniture around to make it work much better. So why is it so hard for me to write about?

I just did it over the weekend at my parents cottage, (which they don't use, but instead mostly just store things in it). The bedroom was virtually unusable, and had twin beds piled high with boxes and more. When you walked in the door, all you could see were beds with boxes, bags and boxes filled with "stuff" all around the room, and basically utter chaos. (ok, and I forgot to take a "before" photo... again)

Now there is one corner that now has boxes piled high in it, but is hidden from view when you first walk in. So when you first approach the room, and enter it, you see a beautiful king-sized bed, a comfy chair for reading, a "tiny tim" piano in the corner with a table and chair beside it. There are a few prints on the walls, and some treasured items creatively placed around the room to enhance it. There is a sense of peace now in the room, and it is enjoyable to sleep in!

I know I am good at this, why can't I figure out how to make money at it? I know I do better with "company" so it would be great to have a business partner. I need an income. I need to work and feel useful other than what I do in my own house. I seem to always struggle with this.

I have an opportunity to apply for a job writing articles about organizing. I am struggling with writing the one to apply for the job! Aargghhhh. I will keep trying, now that I have vented about it here.

O-AT-KA weekend

2009-09-10T08:45:00.001-04:00

We went up to Friends weekend at Eli’s camp. Every year, Labor Day Weekend, they have the camp open to people who are affiliated with the camp in some way. You book it ahead, and each family, or group, has their own cabin. Many activities are open, the waterfront is open, and there is good food. A fun weekend. You bring your own bedding and pay only $30 per person for each of the 2 weekend days. So for $60, you stay Friday through Monday, and have fun.

We brought a friend of Eli’s with us this year, so there were more bodies in our cabin. We had a waterfront cabin this year, which meant my bunk was about 20′ from the water. Heaven.

We did alot of riflery, some swimming, kayaking, woodworking (making pens), and I hennaed for about 4 hours. There was kareoke one night, and a hike one day to Douglas Mountain, where the views are fantastic!

Eli and Cameron on top of Douglas Mountain

Cameron making a pen on the lathe

me making a pen on the lathe

Eli at the riflery range

chai and homemade cinnamon bun!!!

Emmett sleeps like a rock.... even the morning sunshine didn't wake him!

Basically, we had fantastic weather and everyone had alot of fun. We drove home on Monday, and we were exhausted!

school....

2009-09-04T09:23:00.000-04:00

I am already tired of the school, and it is only day 4. Emmett is in 2nd grade, and I am so unimpressed with school in general. He has far too much academics, far too little playtime, far too many helicopter adults. And he hates it. How can you hate school at such a young age? They have already ruined his experience.
I am intently reading Free-Range Kids, and it is fabulous! Every parent should have a copy, and should really learn from it.

dinner and TV

2009-08-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

Emmett had BLUE ice cream! and pizza. in that order. We didn’t have any ice cream when he asked for it, so I made him fabulous homemade vanilla and cinnamon ice cream…. which he wanted to be colored blue. So it was. Then he had good organic pizza.

This supper was followed by watching TV in his preferred position…..

Blueberry Pie

2009-08-21T09:25:00.000-04:00

From the Wilson Farm Cookbook. The absolute best blueberry pie recipe!

1 qt. blueberries, (4-5 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 pie crust- for top and bottom

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Mix berries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
3. Spoon into bottom pie crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and seal carefully. Cut vents.
4. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until top is brown and juice starts to bubble through vents. Serve warm.

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

2009-07-28T09:28:00.000-04:00

from The Whole Scoop. This ice cream is sooo damned good!!!! it is an incredibly rich ice cream with a little bit of tanginess to it from the sour cream. It would make fabulous ice cream sandwiches on cinnamon graham crakers, as those would be like the crust of the cheesecake!!!

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup light cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 heaping cup blueberries, mashed

in a mixer, beat the eggs. Then add the sugar and beat until stiff.

Mix together the sour cream, light cream, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth. Then add this mixture into the egg/sugar mixture.

stir in the mashed blueberries, and pour into an ice cream maker.

YUM!!
Enjoy!!
Makes about a quart, but hard to tell, since we snitch it while it is churning!

more riding

2009-07-10T09:27:00.000-04:00

I do love riding this horse. He has made so much progress in the last few months. I started riding him in November, and he was in a double twisted snaffle before he came up to the dressage barn. We moved him into a much gentler bit, and gave some good consistent riding. He is pretty much the only horse I ride now, and I have loved it! I wish we had video of how he was going when he first came, because he has improved sooo much. I would like to think that at least a good portion of it has been my riding

Wordle... totally fun to make!

2009-07-04T07:59:00.002-04:00

This was so much fun to make! go to wordle.net and create one!

horses in Virginia

2009-04-30T12:28:00.004-04:00

I was lucky enough to visit my friend Sarah, from college. She lives in Virginia about an hour west of Alexandria. It is BEAUTIFUL horse country there. rolling hills, miles of fenced pastures, many horses and barns. heaven.

It was summery weather, and we rode through the trails along the properties, where there is a right of way..... for miles! we galloped and went through streams, swam in the pond with the horses, rode at the 'community barn and rings, and jumping field'. so much fun. I could be there in a heartbeat. I just am so happy when I am around and on horses!

red velvet cake, and a drive

2009-04-16T20:25:00.001-04:00

Had the treat of having a fabulous Red Velvet Cake from Magnolia Bakery in New York City! It was Trish's birthday, so we had a feast in the clubhouse at the barn. Tyra, who rides at the barn a few days a week, owns the bakery..... so every now and then we get treats. Trish requested this cake for the party. I couldn't believe how fantastic it looked when she cut into it!

It looked amazing in the sunlight in the kitchen.....

Then Trish drove me all over the place on the way to her house for the night. I love driving with Trish. It is always an adventure. We drove around Dutchess county where the scenery is mind boggling!

pizza adventures

2009-04-15T17:40:00.000-04:00

Over vacation with the boys, I wanted to do something fun with them. They were tired of alot of stuff though, since they had just come back from DC visiting Adam's mom with him. We went for pizza the first day back, and I thought it might be fun to go to some fun pizza places... so we decided to have "Pizza Adventures"

Bohemian Pizza in Litchfield...

this kept us busy while waiting...
Emmett wanted to play 'hangman'

amazing pizza at Randy's Wooster Street Pizza....

this one was soooo good!
believe it or not... white pizza with mashed potato, ham, garlic, and olive oil! amazing!

chicken that is so good!

2009-04-10T21:36:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking about this recipe lately, and need to make it sometime soon. I've made it for many years, and it is always good. I even used to make it in my dorm room in college using an electric wok, and making the rice in a hot pot!

Chicken Dijon

3 Tbsp butter
4 split chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth (or boullion)
1/2 cup light cream
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

1. Melt butter in a large skillet, add chicken breasts and cook until done and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken to a warm serving plate.
2. Stir flour into drippings in the skillet and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken broth and cream. Stir and cook until the sauce thickens and bubbles.
4. Stir in the mustard.
5. Return the chicken to the skillet, cover and heat for about 10 minutes. Garnish with tomatoes, and serve with rice.

Zulu

2009-04-07T14:02:00.002-04:00

I love this horse....

beautiful view

2009-04-05T19:18:00.005-04:00

this stunning view is in New York on the way from the barn to the grocery store! simply stunning! I had to pull over.

(click it to see it bigger... it is so beautiful!)

and this is just a little up the road from that!

spring skiing solitude @ sundown

2009-03-18T19:01:00.000-04:00

there was hardly anyone at the mountain.....

from the top.....

and from the bottom...

...and Fred and I peacefully basked in the sun while waiting for line-up

Trish's Frog

2009-03-12T19:18:00.002-04:00

I am staying at Trish's house ...
and she honored me with reciting her first poem from when she was in 3rd grade (or so)

Apparently it is no longer on paper, so I decided it should be posted here to have others enjoy such wonderful child's prose.

My Frog

my frog is green with spots of brown,
he learned to swim so he would not drown.
to my surprise it is his wish,
to swim around with my goldfish.
in Africa where they are found,
you will not find them on the ground,
but in a pool real deep and cool.
will you stop in and see him soon?
I got him when he was just new,
and if you like him, like he likes you,
you might like him, like I do.

Trish Helmer
1961

tree skiing

2009-01-25T17:14:00.002-05:00

I had so much fun skiing in the trees with an old friend from high school!!!
We reconnected on Facebook, and discovering our mutual infatuation with skiing, we planned a girls weekend. We went to Mt. Snow and she got me hooked on skiing in the trees, which I had never done before.

If you look closely at this photo(click on it to enlarge it), you can see the tracks in the snow from people skiing around the trees. Now I am a junkie for skiing in these great glades! and it was so beautiful in there too. The trees looked like meringues! There was less wind, and more fresh powder. Since the temp was -15°F at the base, in the trees, away from the wind was good that day.

Skiing makes me happy.
And the quote of the day from Sheila... "which way is downhill?" duh....
(we laughed alot... and had sooo much fun!!)

lucky food

2008-12-12T00:14:00.000-05:00

This was AMAZING!!! the lemon bundt cake from Magnolia. I am lucky that I had the opportunity to have some of this. Tyra brought it to the barn for our lunch. It was the BEST, hands-down, lemon cake I have ever had.

great pie

2008-12-01T10:14:00.001-05:00

While the dinner in the restaurant at my parents new place was surprisingly good, the desserts were horrid. They seemed like they came from a huge industrial box, which I am sure they did. The menu at the restaurant was inspired, and it was a disappointing finish to have bad dessert. Bummer.

So I needed to make one of my thanksgiving standards that weekend.
Sour Cream Apple Pie with a Cider Cinnamon Crust. So damned good, and worth making! This pie is a little different, and everyone seems to love it!

Sour Cream Apple Pie with a Cider Cinnamon Crust

from The Silver Palate. I’ve changed it a little bit, but not much. It is really good! The crust is really tasty and really easy if you mix it in the food processor.
Crust: 2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
5 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
8 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
4 Tbsp shortening
4-6 Tbsp. apple cider (or apple juice)
Filling: 2/3 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
5-7 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Topping: 3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1.Mix together dry ingredients for crust in food processor. Add butter and shortening. Pulse until it resembles fine oatmeal. Add cider 1 Tbsp at a time with machine running, just until it all holds together. Then take it out and chill it in the fridge in a baggie for at least 2 hours.
2. Mix together the first 5 ingedients for the filling. Add the apples and toss well.
3. Using about 2/3 of the dough, roll it out and put it into a pie plate. Fill with the apple filling. Mix topping together and sprinkle evenly over apples.
4. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut small decorative shapes (leaves, apples, whatever) and place on top of pie. (There will probably still be extra.)
5. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes.

Metronome

2008-11-25T17:57:00.004-05:00

This is Michelle riding a fabulous horse last week. We had a metronome going to help her keep the pace. This horse moves beautifully and Michelle rides her so well! The arena is a fabulous 200' x 90' area, with shredded rubber in the footing. oh, it is heated too. (spoiled!)

It is Trish's voice you can hear working with her to get this horse moving so nicely. I had my lesson and am sooo lucky to have Trish be my trainer and to get to ride horses like this! Makes me really happy.

herding sheep

2008-11-08T09:17:00.001-05:00

I had the opportunity to go watch some sheep herding the other day. I jumped at it! I had never been, and thought it sounded fun. Trish has an Australian Sheep Dog that is about 2 years old. The breeder lives nearby and has a beautiful (and huge) farm with many sheep, fabulous horses, etc. So, the other day after my riding lesson, Trish and I went to the farm, and I watched her practice with her dog to herd the sheep.....

By the time we left, the sun was going down and the sky was glowing behind the trees. It was wonderful fiery fall colors, that the camera did not even come close to doing justice.

moving on

2008-11-01T20:44:00.005-04:00

My parents are moving to a retirement community. What a huge project. I have gone down several times to help them, which I know they need and appreciate. It is tiring for me, so I know it is exhausting for them!

They live an hour away, and are moving to a place that is another 1/2 hour from them. It is alot of moving, which is the least of the undertaking. They have so much stuff, that it is an overwhelming task. They need to part with soooo many things, which is very hard for them. My mom wants to find loving homes for each and every item, which on one hand I understand, but on the other, just be done. I have had to take on alot of it, as, of the four siblings, it is me that the task is falling on mostly for several reasons.

That said, it is inspiring me to rethink my house, and 'things' and life. Yes, I am going through that mid-life thing anyway, but this has made me open my eyes even more. I need change on many levels. I need income on a larger level for so many reasons. I need horses to stay back in my life. I need to do a better job at not keeping 'things'. I need to be more free of all of the clutter of my life. Need a catharsis. ( the tag sale I had today helped alot with that!)

I don't want to end up with my possessions possessing me. I went down to their house last Saturday morning, expecting to be a few hours. Mom wanted me to look at silver, silverware, and linens. I ended up not leaving until the following evening... so much to do!

I loved sleeping on the big old velvet couch... and decided that I really DO want to have that after all as a result of sleeping on it! There is very little that I want to keep from their 'things'. Apparently now the big velvet couch is one of them. And I have no idea how I will get it into my house!

Heavenly riding lately

2008-10-25T22:43:00.001-04:00

I have LOVED riding again! I knew I missed riding, but hadn't really realized just how much, until I started doing it again. I am really rusty, but it is slowly coming back. I have been lucky enough to be able to ride again with Trish Helmer. I rode with her at Meredith Manor 20-ish years ago.
The barn she works out of now is about an hour and 20 minutes away from me in Pawling, NY. We are working on getting her website up and going. It is ShintoFarm.com and will be great in a month or so!!

Even the drive is beautiful, especially this time of year!

The farm/barn is beautiful to say the least. I am lucky to go to such a facility! I have so much fun there that I usually ride from about 10:30-11:30, and then hang out for hours afterwards. I sit with Trish in the arena, and listen to/watch her teach... and chat with the other women who ride there (who do the same as me). It is hard to leave.

The farm is beautiful and so nice to be a small part of. I arrive and my horse is tacked and ready for me! :)
I ride in a wonderful arena that is huge (the hunter/jumper arena is down the hill), has shredded rubber in the footing to make it nice and cushy, and has garage doors all along the side wall (on the left in the photo) as the windows. very cool.
After I ride, I cool my horse down, and then when I bring him out of the arena, a groom takes him from me, and I can go and enjoy the company of my barn friends! Heaven!!!!

If only I could afford to go more often...... ;)

Halloween costume

2008-10-20T22:41:00.001-04:00

Emmett got invited to a halloween party early, which means he needs a costume ready way before the actual date. We don't buy costumes. We make them and get creative. I allow them each to have $10 to get anything necessary for them.
Emmett is Anakin Skywalker this year. The one from the episode where it is just before he becomes Darth Vader.

After we made it and he was dressed for the party, I found a costume like it online for $60. go me!!!
He has on... my brown sweater over his black shirt, and black long underwear. Funky leatherette fabric ($8) that I cut up the front and hot glued back into place (about 5 minutes worth of work). On his belt are silver spray-painted wine bottle corks and a camera case... hot-glued into place. A pair of Adam's black socks, and a fingerless ragg wool glove. I used face paint for his scar.

scary......

2008-10-06T08:48:00.002-04:00

I just can't even imagine.
I just went to the CNN website and looked at the polling map of who is ahead in which states.... as of last week.... scary as anything!

McCain looks like he has alot of states. I can't imagine what this country will be if he is the president. I can't imagine this country and what the implications will be for that. And what it will be for women if Sarah Palin is in even the slightest bit of control. yuck.
I will want to move to a new country.

Emmett's party

2008-09-21T14:34:00.000-04:00

All he has wanted is laser tag. He has been planning this birthday party for... oh, about 10 months.... he has held steadfast for laser tag ever since he went with a friend to play it.

So, we sucked it up and bought into it for him. I must say, it was a fabulously fun party!! The kids got to play three rounds. The grown-ups went in and were on a team for each round. the moms all were on a team together for round 2. We had sooo much fun!
the kids all had a blast, and we walked away trying to figure out if we should be opening a laser tag place near us, since there isn't one nearby! I am thinking we don't although I am also hoping that someone else does!

the dock...

2008-07-28T17:36:00.003-04:00

the cove was great for a few days. We had a feast of lobsters the first night. There 16 people, including 7 kids. we had a dozen lobsters that we got for $60!!! yum!!! I was just starting to feel like wI could settle in to being there on the third day, when we had to leave. too short this year. will have to make up for it next year! :)

you can see the boathouse in the distance across the cove to the right. Was so nice to have stayed there last year.

Best blueberry pie

2008-07-22T00:04:00.000-04:00

Luz Zulema, my little niece, decided she was going to be my helper to make a killer yummy blueberry pie for dessert. She became my constant sidekick from then on, and was so cute! She chose the pattern we cut for the top of the pie.

It's the best damn blueberry pie.... not too sweet... just right, and fabulous with fresh whipped cream.

Blueberry Pie
From the Wilson Farm Cookbook. The absolute best blueberry pie recipe!

1 qt. blueberries, (4-5 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 pie crust- for top and bottom

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Mix berries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
3. Spoon into bottom pie crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and seal carefully. Cut vents.
4. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until top is brown and juice starts to bubble through vents. Serve warm.

mom to boys

2008-06-01T22:47:00.004-04:00

why is it they can't just smile for a photo? they seem to need to be gross too. I had to take about 15 photos to get one of them smiling!

Glad I am a "boy mom" though... not sure if I'd be as good a "girl mom". I can handle all of their 'boy-ness' and things they do better than I think I would deal with girls being catty, and also glad our house isn't overrun with dolls and stuff. Doesn't really matter though. I am a mom to two boys. It is what it is, and I like it... most of the time. :)

great back

2008-05-28T22:36:00.000-04:00

Did this cool tree for a girl the other day. Beautiful on her. I thought it came out great and it was fun to do something so different. She loved it.

before and after

2008-05-16T22:33:00.004-04:00

I am amazed, impressed, and happy. To look now at the before photo of my feet and what they were for so long, it is strange, and gross! I am so happy that I had the bunion surgery. I am 6 weeks from the first surgery, and three weeks from the second. My first foot is doing great, and the second one is getting there- still tender and not really flexing, but slowly but surely it is coming along.
I am looking forward to wearing some nice shoes, without having to compensate for ugly bunions- nice sandals, and more. I will be getting my ski boots tweaked alot to fix them for the new shape of my foot. Skiing should be alot less painful next winter. Yeah!!
I am certainly happy that I didn't get swayed by all of the horror stories of bunion surgeries! Great surgeons exist, and my physical therapist is really wonderful too. How nice to have a good base to stand on.

best friends

2008-05-09T22:50:00.000-04:00

I am sad that Emmett will not be going back to his school next year. His best friend of the last three years will be sad too, but he doesn't know yet. His mom doesn't want to tell him yet, as she knows he will be devastated. They have been best friends for the last three years, and in their short lives, that is half of their time here, and most of their memories.

Emmett knows he will be going to the public school nearby, but I don't think it has occurred to him the impact that it will have of being away from his hard and fast bonds he has. He is also not happy about the prospect of having homework next year. I agree. First grade should not have homework. He needs time to be a child. He will get home at 4pm, and he heads up to start his bedtime routine (stories, etc) by about 6:30. That is not much time to play and just be a kid.

I have enough issues with the amount of homework that is given to his brother in 5th grade. I certainly have issues with homework in 1st grade! I think the whole schooling system in this country is not focused well, and there is far too much teaching to the testing. I don't really have any alternative where we live, so it is off to public school for my kids. I often hear people say, "oh, you have such good schools in your town"... I always respond with "what does 'good schools 'mean?... the test scores are good?" so what. Does that really mean that we have fully educated our kids? It doesn't mean the kids are well rounded or confident or able to express themselves on different levels. it just means that they have had certain things drilled into their heads, and can spit it back.
I also have issues with the fact that our school district teaches the "everyday math" program, which has been shown to be detrimental in the long run, as the kids don't really learn the breakdown of how and why they are doing things. And the other thing I have an issue with is that they have to learn cursive. To me this is archaic. As my older one said... "why do we need to learn a different font?" hmmm... doesn't that just sum it up a bit? More on that some other time.
In the meantime, I am glad that both of my boys got the good base in their early years. I am sad that it will no longer be part of their day. Things will change now on many levels.

little cozy ones

2008-05-03T10:47:00.004-04:00

they like to all sleep together in a lump. Eli found them like this inside his comforter the other night when he was ready for bed. They really have been such good pets for the boys. So glad we didn't get hamsters!

These little ferrets have been more than entertaining for almost 2 years now. It is so good for kids to have a pet (or a few). I grew up with such a menagerie- cats, kittens galore, a dog, pet mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, and even my horse (although that isn't really a pet, but she was right out the door). There was always a plethora of four legged things at our house. I like having the boys learn to be kind and care for something that can't care for itself.

post-op

2008-04-29T14:53:00.001-04:00

Four days post- op, this foot looks better than the other one did at the same time. Notice the left foot, which is now 3 1/2 weeks out, is looking pretty damn good! My physical therapist is encouraging, and says my left foot is making good progress. I have no pain in it, and can walk pretty well, with a slip on sneaker. My right foot however, is still quite multi-colored, and is painful. If I don't stay off of it, I need to take more pain killers, and it feels like there is alot of pressure in it, and it throbs... painfully. I have most of the sensation back in the first foot, but have not got much in the right toe at all.
overall, I am happy with the whole thing, but now going stir crazy with not being able to drive. I bagged using the crutches 2 yesterday. was just 'done'. I am still wearing the surgical shoe though. and still tired alot.
can't wait to have the second one feeling as good as the first one now does!

henna party

2008-04-26T13:12:00.003-04:00

I did a fun party and hennaed about a dozen women. They chose really diverse patterns, and it was fun to be there for 3 1/2 hours.

3 weeks out

2008-04-24T11:52:00.002-04:00

Looking pretty good after 3 weeks. These photos are just before leaving to go get the right foot done. I'm feeling really good about walking on the left one now, and have some great mule sneakers that I have been wearing for 3 days now! Yeah!!! but then will be out of commission for a few days again.
Hoping the progress for the second foot is equally as speedy as the first. My Physical Therapist says I am making really good progress and that the swelling has gone down a bunch since last week even.

inspired...

2008-04-12T16:18:00.001-04:00

I was asked to join another henna artist at an event in a few weeks. I checked out her gallery and loved her work! I am inspired to practice some of the designs she has done. I also love that she photographs her work so well, and that I need to work on this aspect. She has beautiful backgrounds to set off her work. I would love to indulge in more silks and things to use as backdrops for photographing my work.

bunion surgery progress!!

2008-04-11T11:16:00.006-04:00

okay, I am a week out from surgery, and must say... totally impressed! the swelling is almost gone, my foot is still a little discolored and bruised in a few places, but overall fine. I can hobble along pretty well no crutches, and can put weight on most of my foot- not on the bunion site though. I haven't needed pain meds for several days now, except for once 2 nights ago, and just a mild one. I am wearing a surgical "shoe" which is a black velcro-ed on shoe. It is shaped underneath to make me stand on my heel. I also have a little white pad that velcros around my foot to protect it. I will post a photo of that next time too.

here are the photos of my foot.

from day 5:

and now, day 7:

So glad I didn't pay attention to all of the horror stories I read on the internet, or to all of the people I asked and had heard about. I do think I may have had a different experience due to going to a foot surgeon, versus a podiatrist. The podiatrist I had gone to previously told me 4 years ago that I would be laid up for 6 weeks for each foot. ugh. happy I didn't have him do the surgery!

one down, one to go...

2008-04-07T21:56:00.005-04:00

this was what they looked like on Friday morning.....and this on Monday afternoon.....

I had one bunion done. I had a chevron bunionectomy. So far, so good! Totally happy with and impressed with my doctor. The time was right. I have known for years that I will need to do this surgery. I found this doctor a few years ago, and he was highly recommended. Now I found out that he is retiring from surgery in 2 months. yikes! so I just needed to go do it. He says I will be in running shoes in 2 weeks, and then I will be doing the other foot in 2 weeks from now so I will finally have decent feet! yeah!
Partly I am posting this on here, since I had such a hard time when I hunted for things on the internet about bunion surgeries, and people's experiences with them. But mostly I found the bad stories. So hopefully here will be a good one, which is what I am feeling. :)
I went in on Friday and had the surgery, and yes, took lots of pain meds over the weekend. But I woke up this morning with it feeling much better. I had taken it really easy for three days, and had been really good keeping it elevated. It paid off. Today was great.

emmett with me at the post-op visit this morning....

Dad turns 85!!

2008-03-31T21:52:00.008-04:00

we went out to lunch with him....

me, Dave, Dad, Sue, Sandy

Dave, Sue, me, Sandy

(ugh! not wearing that sweater again! I look 20 pounds heavier!)

this is all of us from 2 summers ago... (Adam wasn't there)

back: Sue and John, Eli, Mom and Dad, Sandy, Kate, Robby, Dave
front: Emmett, me, Charlie, Grace, Janey, Vicki, Jack

A reuben to remember....

2008-03-28T16:59:00.006-04:00

I started thinking about a reuben about a week ago. Then, I started obsessing about having one. Having a really good one is just worth the time and effort to find all of the right ingredients. You need to have just the right... everything.. to make it really memorable. I don't eat them very often, but when I do, I want it to be a kick butt sandwich. Grilled just right, on good rye, with good homemade Thousand Island dressing, and tasty ingredients.

So, I set about it yesterday, and I must say, it hit the spot. At the deli, I got good corned beef, and some great tasting swiss cheese. I like it on well-made seedless rye with just enough sauerkraut.

I like to put swiss on both sides of the bread, spread one side with some dressing, then layer a few slices of corned beef, the sauerkraut and then another slice of swiss. Put the sandwich in a cast iron frying pan, and slowly cook it until the bread is just toasted, the cheese is melted and the meat is warm. Serve it with some extra dressing to dip, and yum! It is best with some warm potato salad. I didn't have the time to do that yesterday, so I guess I will be having another in a few days.

Reuben Sandwich

Ingredients:
2 slices rye bread (I use seedless)
butter
swiss cheese (sliced)
corned beef (sliced)
sauerkraut (drained)
Thousand Island dressing (see recipe below)

1. Lightly butter the bread.
2. Place the swiss cheese on one slice of bread. Spread some dressing on it, then lay some slices of corned beef on top of that. Follow this with some sauerkraut, another slice of swiss cheese, and the second slice of bread.
3. Grill the sandwich in a pan until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
4. Serve with additional dressing on the side.

Thousand Island dressing:
2 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 tsp relish
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Swiss Easter Cake

2008-03-21T22:23:00.006-04:00

in a shop window

at the Schweizerhof Hotel cafe in Lucerne

my easter cake

I want to make this fabulous easter cake again. I made it a few years ago when I got back from visiting friends in Switzerland. These 'cakes' (more like tarts) were ubiquitous and only available at Easter. I indulged in them several times in the week that I was there. Always a good experience. I made sure to get the recipe from my friend there.

Here is the recipe from her mom with measures in both metric and US

Swiss Easter Cake
Elsbeth's recipe book identifies the following under the title:
"Osterkuchen"-"Gâteau de Pâques"

SWEET DOUGH (like for fruit pies):
250 gr flour
100-150gr butter
to be blended by hand until smooth
add:

60 gr sugar
1 egg
1 pinch of salt
1-2 spoons of water
to be stored at cool temperature and rolled out to line the cake tin (mold)

FILLING:
60 gr semolina or 100 gr rice (1/4 c. semolina or 1/2 c. rice)
0.6 liters of milk ( 2 1/3 cups)
1 pinch of salt
to be cooked over low heat until soft, then to let cool down

prepare seperately:
50-80 gr butter (5 Tbsp)
70 gr sugar (1/3 cup)
1/2 peel of lemon
3 egg-yolks
to be beaten to become light and foamy, and then mixed with the cold semolina- or rice-mush

add to this mixture:
50 gr sultana(golden) raisins (1/3 cup)
50 gr minced or sliced almonds (1/3 cup)

add and mix-in:
3 egg-whites beaten until stiff

bake with good lower heat (325-ish) about 30 minutes to become golden-yellow.
After it has cooled, use powder-sugar to cover the top.
(and try powdering it with a cutout of a bunny on it, as is the custom!)

PS: 1 gr (gram) is equivalent to .035 ounces/ 1 liter is 1.057 quarts

busy during yoga

2008-03-14T17:34:00.002-04:00

What happens when you bring a little one to your yoga class and you let him play quietly in the prop room while you take your class?......

he had with him some crayons, paper, my laptop with a movie in it, and my camera.
I heard something tumble down, then heard a little voice say "I'm okay". When I went to see what was up... I grabbed the camera, as he rebuilt what he had made and stood back up on the blocks.

Then I went back into the studio, while he kept taking photos of his creations.....
(can't seem to rotate this...) it's a robot:

a robot

Level 1...

2008-03-12T21:21:00.000-04:00

I passed my Level 1 PSIA instructor exam.... yeah!!! what a great season this has been on so many levels. I went with 4 others from the class that we took and skied in every Tuesday night for the last 10 weeks. There were 10 people in the exam, and the four from our mountain, shined. It felt good. We knew our stuff, and skied well. I know my skiing improved tremendously this winter.

from the lodge at Mohawk Mountain

The two days of skiing were brilliantly sunny, although not warm at all. The ski area has definitely felt the effect of the rain and warmth lately, as you can see. I hadn't skied there before, but they had many trails that were long, smooth and good for working on skills with students.

The weather has turned warmer lately and rainy too. ugh. not good. The programs have all ended and I have chosen to make this the end of my ski season this year, thereby ending it on a really high note! Can't wait to start again next year. But this is good for my ADD and my need to switch to something else. Henna will be ramping up soon, and I may take another short term job in between.

skiing with boys

2008-02-15T08:36:00.001-05:00

been hanging out and skiing alot with little boys :) some cute ones in particular (yes I am so biased!) I've been teaching a group with Emmett and his friends from school. Today was the last day of all of them together. Some had made huge progress to catch up to the level of the others.... they are fun to ski with! and at the end I felt like the pied piper with them all behind me in a clump like this....at the top of one of the runs, all trying to stop and not go flying down the hill.... we did some skiing through brush gates and had fun.
later in the lodge......

and one a little bigger :)

what we see

2008-01-29T22:55:00.000-05:00

This is all we see of Eli lately. The child is consumed by several things......

his Nintendo DS...and his books (he devours them)...
luckily we see this too...

fabulous bathroom

2008-01-25T22:20:00.002-05:00

This is heaven.... (which is such a wonderful change because showering in our old bathroom was really unpleasant).

The first photo is looking into the shower area to the right, into the tub area....
the second photo is looking into the shower to the left, but it only shows one of the shower heads. There are two shower heads. So nice.... showering and bathing are now a luxury in our house.

and there is one more sink to the left of the one you can see in the photo below, and the doorway to the toilet is on the right.

almost done

2008-01-07T22:03:00.000-05:00

with the bathroom... yeah!!! tiles have all been put in, even added some beach glass into the floor hidden amongst the rocks, as it is in Maine. Even our tile guy had fun picking out pieces to put in!

The light is great in the new space and I love it. I can hardly wait to actually use it. The plumber is supposed to be here next Monday to finish it, then hopefully it will be totally usable by Monday night! YEAH!!! now we just need to wait for the carpet to come in for the bedroom before we can move into there.

henna for the new year

2008-01-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

I wanted something under my ski mittens.......

what a way

2008-01-03T23:54:00.000-05:00

to start the new year......

I spent the last day of 2007 and the first day of 2008 on the slopes for 8 hours each day! How great is that?!

Sunny on the last day,
(the ski patrol shack at the top)

and snowing on the first...

(view out from the lodge during my lunch break- not much of a crowd)
I must say, I am loving my new job. The pay kind of sucks, but the perks, both physical and mental, are fantastic.

great evening

2008-01-01T23:05:00.000-05:00

new year's eve... in Hartford for early fireworks with the boys. Meg and I took them to the 6pm fireworks.... then home to have great meat fondue with neighbors. It was a nice change since we usually make cheese fondue in my beautiful swiss pot.

I made a good variety of sauces for dipping. I had fun planning it out with Meg too, who then ended up missing out on the supper. I was bummed as she is my best friend and I had thought she was going to stay. ... but my neighbor friends made me laugh harder than I have in ages. What a night!

trying the tub

2007-12-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Everyone who comes over lately is coming to see the new bathroom. It is really coming along. Our tile guy, Ken, is slowly and meticulously working on making it a fabulous "wet room". The tub and shower area looks better every day. It seems that every night we are in there, after the tile guys are gone. I sat in the tub the other night after I was at skiing all day (and wishing it was working already!), and then made my friend Meg sit in it too. Adam snapped this photo of us hanging out.

colors galore

2007-12-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

tried out a bunch of colors for the walls....
I like the darker tan.... but I think I am over-ruled, and we will go with the lighter one. The blue and the green didn't look right. The carpet will be a mossy green berber.

working with emmett

2007-12-22T22:47:00.000-05:00

I got to ski with emmett on thursday. It was so much fun to work with him, and use my new skills as an instructor! Yeah! He did great. The mountain was really deserted, as you can see. You can also see, in the background, the little conveyor for beginners, where I will spend some time, before hopefully moving them on to more varied terrain.

We have had enough great snow already to really enjoy it this year!

new windows

2007-12-14T22:06:00.001-05:00

they did the window change. so glad I pushed for it. It makes the room way better, in so many ways. It feels bigger, it is cozier, and also has a better place to put the bed.

sea of orange

2007-12-10T08:11:00.000-05:00

I was just one in a sea of orange jackets. There were probably 100 of us or more doing our ski instructor training this weekend. 8 hours each day on skis, makes for one tired, but content, me at the end of the day.

There will be a repeat performance next weekend too. Then I will be able to fall into a regular schedule during the week of teaching while the kids are at school 3 days a week. so psyched for my skiing to get much better too!

beachy and beautiful

2007-12-07T12:03:00.001-05:00

the tiles for the bathroom. I LOVE them!!!

the rocks will be on the floor of the shower/ tub area, the blueish green on the walls, and the beach glass in the alcoves. The area by the sinks will have a light bamboo floor.

need to fix

2007-12-05T00:13:00.000-05:00

okay, here is the new master bedroom, and I don't like the windows.

They had to be put in low because of the roofline that needed to be matched. but it means I need to look at the neighbors' crap.
I don't want to have a great new addition, and not like the view. I just want natural light and maybe a good view of the cliffs behind the house. We have a pretty view of the lake out front. I just told our builder and now I am going to hunt for a few smaller windows to put up high. Then we can use the space below them better too. He said the fix should only cost about $500 to reframe. I think it is totally worth it to fix what could be a huge mistake.

This is the view in the bathroom....
I would like three windows across like this in the bedroom too....

the bathroom..... one big box, with seperate 'rooms' within. a 'wet' room that will be shower and tub (where the windows are), a room with a sliding door for the toilet( on the far wall), and a room that it all connects from for the sinks....

change in bedrooms

2007-12-02T12:08:00.000-05:00

our room, now is divided and the new smaller bedroom will be here, with a closet, and then shelves sunk into the wall to the left of it. The room will finally be square with no more crazy angles. The boys have decided that emmett will have this room. Eli thinks their existing room is bigger, and he wants that!

chilly!

2007-12-01T11:51:00.000-05:00

they cut a hole through the wall this morning!! brrrrrr!!!!! it is only about 20 degrees, so we are keeping a sheet of plywood over it. Oh, yes, they also turned off our heat on the same day they chose to cut through. They had to so they could work on the plumbing. Totally worth it. We finally have a shower with enough pressure to take a real shower. YEAH!!!!

the rest of the house is chaos. everything is out of the room, so we have our queen sized bed in Eli's room, emmett is sleeping in the tiny guest room (previously the tea room), and clothing is everywhere. we can't even try to store things in the basement as the guys need to work there for the furnace and plumbing. ugh. but totally worth it!!!

walls going up

2007-11-30T11:39:00.000-05:00

the framing goes so quickly.... yeah!!! so cool!

room for the little porch off of the room, so we can be outside, and see the lake too!
this is the view....

I think we will need to take the tree out that is weird and scraggly looking though!

starting the work

2007-11-22T07:20:00.001-05:00

finally! amidst the first snowfall of the year (YEAH!!!!) the guys ripped off the roof of the garage, and started work.

They have the floor down now, and will be building walls tomorrow. I climbed up the ladder to stand on it, and see where we should put the windows to get the best views. It was great because we could also see where to cut down some little trees to be able to see the lake. And also to leave up some trees we were going to cut, so that we don't need to look at the neighbor's houses!
I LOVE doing this stuff!

surgery again

2007-11-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

been having some excruciating pain in my abdomen. finally got in to see my doctor today. I had called her at home last night, and she scheduled a CT scan for me this morning. Then I saw her this afternoon to find out that I have an internal hernia and I will need surgery to avoid having some serious repercussions. sucks.

building

2007-11-08T07:19:00.000-05:00

I worked on making most of this so that we can store things from the garage during the building process. I liked that I did alot of it by myself. I did need help on a few places, and Adam used the brute force that I didn't have to drill the anchors into the ground on the corners.
The garage is completely empty now and it feels good to have had a reason to go through all of our 'stuff'.We have lived here for 8 years and it is great to overhaul. We are using it as an excuse to overhaul most of the areas of the house, as we rethink our living space.

sunny morning

2007-11-05T22:35:00.000-05:00

the lake we live next to is so fantastic to look at in the mornings when we drive by on the way to school. On mornings like this one, I just have to get out and take a photo....

new office

2007-11-03T17:22:00.001-04:00

Adam got a bunch of stuff from IKEA and spent a few days building it all. It went from a chaotic and messy room, to being awesome and very presentable! yeah! all for about $1500. It is now a great space to work in, and even to have a client meeting.

and even the boys love their new flat screens to on their side of the desk.....

addition soon

2007-10-24T18:31:00.000-04:00

yeah!! I love building and designing, and all that is involved in it. it is very good for my ADDness, and my love of hunting things down, and finding the "just right" thing, and creating good useable space.

We are building straight up from the garage, just adding on as a second floor. We desperately need another bedroom, and a second full bath will be great. I want it to be a really nice one, and to be able to fit it all in the things to make it that way.

(click this image to make it larger)
the slanty part on the bottom of the drawing is the existing part of the house.

The garage was built at a weird angle to it, and that is why it is so odd.

I did go to school for Interior Design for a year and loved parts of it. I will be drafting out the plans for the addition, but to start with, just used this old kit I had from when I was 18 (yes I loved planning space back then too). It is fun and easy to rearrange stuff on, as it is just plastic overlays and easy to move everything around. Now that it is decided, I will draft it out for the builder. We will start next week.

Someday, I do want to build an entire house on a great property. I guess this is good practice.

nice butt

2007-10-14T22:13:00.000-04:00

I really miss these.....

There was a horse trial going on and it was a beautiful fall day. crisp, sunny, pretty foliage, and so many nice horses. I miss them, and being around them, and how I feel when I am around horses.

I love the big soft eyes they have.....

tibet festival

2007-10-01T16:42:00.000-04:00

Eli and I went to a Tibet Festival that was intriguingly different and a huge sensory treat. There was music and a ton of vendors with so many things that Eli and I needed to explore, either visually or otherwise. There was jewelry, scarves, singing bowls, prayer wheels, intricately inlaid shells & boxes, mala beads, and so much more. We browsed a ton, and bought just a little.
I bought a scarf that was beautiful, and two silver pieces that are so pretty around my neck. One is a silver medallion of the buddhist mantra. I like it in many ways, on many levels.

Eli trying a singing bowl. (this one was beautiful, but could not justify spending a hundred dollars on a singing bowl.)
Eli wanted me to try this on:

birthday morning for emmett

2007-09-20T12:23:00.000-04:00

in our house, I like to have my boys wake up to a party.....
(and apparently when you are only turning 6, it starts just after 6am)
and yes, we have cake for breakfast!

emmett is so cute in the morning
(but my hair at that hour- yikes! a bit big looking in this photo!- it looks way cooler than this usually)
more Star Wars LEGO stuff!!!!
and even more! this was... "this is what I've been wanting!)
Eli helped emmett figure out how to use his "PokeBall" for Pokemon....

just a little excited......

and the next morning, they are working hard first thing in the morning before school!

dirt cupcakes

2007-09-19T09:29:00.001-04:00

I made these cupcakes for emmett's birthday snack at school:

They came out great, and were not hard.....
frost with chocolate frosting,
sprinkle the top with finely smashed (crushed completely) Oreos,
stick in gummy worms (I cut them in half and pushed them in with a toothpick)

The way the kids eyes grew when they saw them this morning was priceless. Made me happy.

birthday new things

2007-09-19T08:35:00.000-04:00

I had a fantastic birthday this year. Mostly just that my head was in a different place and it was a good place. I felt hmmmm.... sunny and good and happy.

I got the brand new iPod that had just come out the day before. so cool. I have music and photos and even video on it! I have felt so out of touch with music for a long time, but it is back in my life, and it makes me happy. This is my first iPod, and I am loving it! I got the cool green one, and now will get a dock and more for it.

I also got a new haircut. Last year I did too, and let it go kind of curly and wild, and was feeling that way. This year, I got it cut two days before. I hadn't really been going for a new look, but then the woman blew it dry in a whole new way, and I felt so great, sexy, and beautiful. I had her teach me how to do it, so I can keep the look :) It is long loose wavy hair, straight-ish, with big loose curl at the bottom. I get compliments on it like crazy. The first day taking emmett back to school (the day after I got it cut) I had so many compliments, I felt fabulous. So many people loved it, and I did too! Will post a photo soon.

It was a great birthday and I felt like I am changing, growing, and coming into my own. I have both kids in school full day now, and that changes alot for me. I am even looking toward teaching skiing this winter! Yeah! Still doing henna, and loving that, and still drinking tons of tea. Wish I could figure out how to do my tea business, but for now I need to let it go. I will get back to it at some point when it is right.

birthday

2007-09-07T21:34:00.000-04:00

I saw a quote about a caterpillar turning into a butterfly the other day. Can't for the life of me remember it (damn mushy old brain), but it generally was about how when the caterpillar thinks it is over, is just when it becomes a butterfly....

that is how I feel today. I am psyched to open my wings and start flying soon! yeah!

a sparkling island week

2007-09-03T14:30:00.000-04:00

This is the view when sitting inside(!) in the boathouse. We just spent a week in this little slice of heaven. and yes, the ocean is as close as it looks in the photo below! -about 25' away at high tide!

the view from up the hill from the boathouse. the sleeping cabins are to the left of the photos (out of view) ...

just about sunset , taken from the other side of the property... with Camden hills in the distancethe boys on top of TipToe Mountain... looking across the FoxIsland Thoroughfare, with NorthHaven in the near distance...
Our friends that came and stayed with us for a few days....
fabulous blackberry bushes all over the place.... these gathered from just beside one of the sleeping cabins....
our campfire one night at low tide....
super beach glass finds!
the best shower... EVER! the wall comes to about neck height (on me) and a view onto the cove, with tons of hot water to keep you warm..

packing to go

2007-08-25T10:24:00.000-04:00

we are off to "the boathouse" tonight in the middle of the night, so we can catch the early ferry there. Vinalhaven is our destination......

I am really excited to go this year, more so than usual. We are staying in the boathouse, which is my favorite of all of the dwellings we stay in up there. It is the most rustic, and has the most personality... a heavenly shower (the wooden attachment on the left of the building) where the wall comes to neck height and you look out on the cove and have tons of hot water. fabulous.

the inside is kind of comfortable chaos and is one big room with everything....

sleeping is done in two other 'cabins' which are just small structures with beds. there is a flush outhouse up the hill a few steps.

when hanging out in the boathouse or on the porch of it, the water, at high tide, is about 25 feet away. so the doors are typically thrown open and it is an indoor/outdoor space. the boys will spend time hunting crabs and messing around on the rocky beach. I will do the same with them, and hunt beach glass, and knit, and cook, and hang out with our friends Sheila and Paul who are going to join us for a few days.
can't wait.....

f***ing wasp

2007-08-23T10:42:00.002-04:00

I stepped on a stupid yellow jacket/ wasp yesterday. Unbelievably painful!!! It is almost 24 hours later and I am still in tons of pain. Who would think a stupid little tiny thing can bring down something as large as an adult.

All I can think is that I am SOOOO glad it wasn't one of the kids! The pain was searing for over 6 hours. I put a baking soda and water paste on it within 3 minutes of it happening. And took ibuprofen too. Still- almost as bad as labor pains, only different (obviously). I had an ice pack on it after about 10 minutes, and kept it there all night, changing it out as necessary.

I had been walking around barefoot (as always), doing some yard clean-up in an area laden with pine needles, and quite woodsy. I took a step, and felt a needle-like pain, lifted my foot and saw a yellow jacket with his butt into the instep of my foot. I pulled him out, threw him, swore, and hobbled into the house. My friend Meg was with me, and she helped me deal with it.

I had a hard time sleeping even when I took the Tylenol with Codeine that my doctor had called in, and Adam had picked up. I forgot that it doesn't do much for me. I slept fitfully and have been up for a while now and it is still incredibly painful. A constant ache and throbbing.

And since it wasn't a bee, the stupid little stinker didn't even die, just flew away, while he left me in agony!

old sweater

2007-08-23T08:57:00.001-04:00

I made this a while back....

I don't like it, and for how much work it was, I don't get compliments on it.
SO... I want to rip it out and use the yarn for something that I will love to wear. The yarn is heavenly: a wool and linen blend. I need to decide what I want to knit with it.

dressage weekend

2007-08-21T14:17:00.001-04:00

I went to visit my friends Joann and Trish this past weekend.
It was a good mental health break for me- to get away, have open space, and contact with horses.

Trish trains dressage riders and we went to a huge show in Saugerties NY. The facility there for horse shows is amazing, expansive and heavenly for those of us who love horses. Trish had several horses there at the show and did pretty well. One of her riders took grand champion in the pony division for the east coast.

Watching the Grand Prix Freestyle, musical kur, was awesome. The horses moving to the music, with the riders getting them to step perfectly in time to the beat.... so cool.

see the entire 6 minute ride here:

I scream for......

2007-08-16T21:25:00.000-04:00

Butterscotch Ice Cream!!!

man is it good! it's been hot and been a good time to make homemade ice cream. This recipe is so good, and deserving of the time.
We made it and mixed in some Butterfingers at the very end. It freezes perfectly in the freezer too, as it comes out not too hard to scoop, but rather just right! mmmm

Butterscotch Ice Cream

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup water.
1 egg yolk, well beaten
1 1/4 cup cream
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a skillet, heat sugar and butter together. Stir until sugar melts.
Slowly add water.
Stirring, simmer for 5 minutes.

Slowly stir a little of the hot mixture into the yolk to raise the temperature, then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in the pan.
Continue stirring over low heat until mixture thickens.

Cool and add cream, milk and vanilla.
Chill and stir freeze in an ice cream machine.

hot air

2007-08-12T21:33:00.000-04:00

I woke this morning to the unmistakable sound of a hot air balloon nearby. I love being woken up this way, and will always quickly and eagerly run out to see it.

The boys were already up and playing downstairs. I came bounding down the stairs and yelled at the boys to quickly come with me..... "c'mon... there is a hot air balloon right over the lake... hurry!" they hesitated. I implored "quick!"... they came. the three of us, barefoot, scampering down the road. The balloon was low over the lake, maybe only 30 feet from the water. We watched from a neighbors driveway. They had just gotten out of bed too.

It is always a wondrous sight to me, exhilarating somehow. No matter how many times I get the opportunity to see one up close, it still is filled with excitement to me. I think I have passed that on to my boys, although they don't have so many experiences seeing it, as I did as a child. Growing up, our house was on a well worn path. We seemed to be where balloons headed after taking off miles away. Many of us in the neighborhood, would run out, through backyards, and meet to help them land, often in Carol Anderson's backyard. She had a great landing spot, and the balloonists all knew it. If they missed her yard, they could hit the next strip of land at HillStead Museum. What good morning memories....

Glad if we are on some new flight pattern! I loved it! We did think they were going to end up in the lake, but they were able to keep going for quite a bit longer and off they went.

visiting camp

2007-08-09T10:25:00.000-04:00

Emmett and I drove up to visit Eli at camp. We got there just in time to see him send off his rocket that he had been working on in Rocketry. Then we were able to go with him to see him play steel drums. He helped emmett do it too. The boys seemed like they even had missed each other!

Eli seemed to be very comfortable in his environment there which I loved seeing. It is a beautiful setting and a great place for spending a few weeks. I can see the growth in him already!

Emmett and I stayed in the "Bungalow" which is a big, old-time summer lodge. Beautiful.

Around the great room, is a balcony above encircling it, which opens to about 6 bedrooms, and several bathrooms. We stayed in a small room with windows on 3 sides, letting in the cool evening air. Heavenly to sleep in. Emmett loves playing the piano in the great room.

new digs for Eli

2007-07-23T23:28:00.000-04:00

Eli in his cabin

Eli is now at camp for the next 3 weeks. We helped him settle in yesterday, and left him on the porch playing fussball with a boy from his unit who was there last year.

We can see photos of camp on a website, but can't talk to him until visiting day in 2 weeks! They take photos and post them every day or 2, and he might be in one or two of them. We can send him emails which get handed out at mail call. He needs to write home twice a week to be able to get a candy bar on Mondays and Thursdays, so we might get mail a few times :)

in the car on the way there... my view looking back..... lots of orange!

his cabin... each cabin is named after a castle in England
....the same cabin Adam was in for his first summer at camp!

the waterfront that Eli gets to enjoy for the next 3 weeks. lucky boy.

this is how we left him....
happily playing fussball with another boy from his unit.