Letting Me Go Slowly....

Growing up through the years, we always made appointments for Drs and dentists, for all of us on the same day.  After my husband died, we just continued the same way.  The boys were still with me in the same house, I didn't always have a car to use.  Sometimes it was in the shop, or my oldest's, and other driver, was in the shop and he needed mine for work, or I was just between cars.

My older son could only go at night because of his work schedule, and it is harder for me to drive at night because the different roads have many many different changes in lighting, making it even harder for older eyes that don't adjust very fast to lighting changes these days.  So we decided that instead of trying to keep track of all the different appointments we'd have, when we were doing a routine family visit, we would just do them on the same day together and keep each other company in the waiting rooms, the way we always did.  It was also easier because it left the one car open for whoever needed to do something on my son's day off. 

                                                    

It seems that we all get stuck in "routines" and sometimes even forget what started that routine in the first place.  My sweet son felt almost reluctant to move out and leave us ( but I do have a car right now) after so long.  And of course we know it is necessary for them to go off and form their own family routines now.  And as many family's do, we will always be there for them if or when needed.

But we were for so long a "team of three" since their father died, it was our "routine". 

He worried about my younger son, who does not drive.  He tries to figure out how he is going to get back forth between our houses, or who is going to pick him up for visits or things they do, or just to hang out (they must think I am 90).  His bride said, "oh we'll just kidnap him and he can sleep on the couch over night." (they have a nice couch)

This week we talked about when he moves out, he mused, how is he going to pick us up for the chiropractor and get us all there on time.  I suggested that it didn't make sense for him to have to come all the way over here to pick us up, but since I didn't see that well at night, but do have a car now, I would make an earlier appointment for me and his brother.  His bride said, "And you can make it for the same day, and as the days get longer you can make the appointments later so we can meet there."

The time has come.  They are moving out in a week. (Less actually)  This will be their last weekend here with us.   (But..his wife is going away in 2 weeks, and since we have the tv/internet/games connection he uses right now, and since he would just be alone anyway (he has to work), he tells me, he might as well come and stay here.)

So in just the same gradual way he weaned himself away when he was finished with nursing.....

He is letting me go slowly... 

See you around the corner,

Janie

A Quick Post. A Blog to Check Out ...More To Come..Soon I Hope...

This is just a quick post because it has been a whirlwind around here.  First my son's wedding, they are staying here until their place (a small cottage) is ready, and everything is in turmoil.  No place to even move in here!  And constantly on the go..So once the dust settles, I will get back to posting more often and post pictures.

But I was reading this blog this morning, about seasonal eating, and I thought I would put the link up here.

This blog is actually about foraging, but this article is about eating seasonally, and possible dangers that science tells us to be wary of, and why this is sometimes (or most likely) over kill.

I think eating seasonally is probably a good idea, and eating locally is probably not only a good idea but a healthy idea, but I never thought of it in these terms.

If you have a chance, go on over and read the post.  The blog is Eat the Weeds.

http://www.eattheweeds.com/in-season/#comment-27662

Have to go,

See ya later,

Janie

An Exciting Week!

This has been such an exciting and busy week for us!  Since my son's fiance lost her job she is camping out in the den.  (on the couch no less)  So that makes it extra challenging to do anything without her "knowledge"!

Don't want to write too much in case she is looking at this (I don't think she is)  

Saturday is the big day!  Yay!  The weather is supposed to be nice (thorough she would like snow..the rest of us hope it holds off and I think it will)  Her family is coming from NJ so snow would make it pret-ty hard for travel...

Will up date as soon as Saturday is past (and I recover!)   Hope we have lots of pictures to share...

                                                              
                                                                      
Will see you soon,

Janie

Hey! It's Been A While.....

 Hi there.  It's been a while.  Not quite a year but close!  And what a whirl wind it has been!  I thought my life was changing before but the past 8 months have shown me that changes NEVER seem too stop coming..guess thats a good thing because when life stops changing it usually means we are dead!

Briefly...no recent pics right now, just a note to say I am working on a new, better, schedule to get back to writing and blogging, on a more regular basis... My oldest son's fiance lost her job and moved into the den lock stock and barrel...they are getting married Dec 15th and STILL have no apartment to live in..so guess where they might be for a while..fun!  ...YIKES I need something to wear!  Very small, they will plan a party later..baby on the way...I now have the daughter I always wanted. 

We survived 12½ days with any power, (the whole area) because of Sandy. But we were still in better shape than so many others on LI (and still are!). Fortunately, I like to get ready ahead of every season, for what the seasons weather brings, and since I LOVE weather and keep close tabs on it (I do that because I want to know whats in store for me when I step out the door to take care of the animals) I was following that storm since it formed in the Atlantic.  So we had water, sand, food to make camp style, lots of clean blankets, and we had a big camping stay-cation (is that what they call it?)  More on that another time..LI is still recovering...  We had no internet/phone/tv for 21 days..we all got back into the habit or going to bed early REAL early.  (I was waking up at 5:45am with no alarm) We had to go to bed early to stay warm.   That was the one thing we didn't have....enough of burnable wood.  We had enough for a fire in the evenings, but in the daytime we had to make a fire in the fire pit to cook on...no biggy since we were always campers anyway, but after 12½ days it was getting tiring (I wanted a REAL shower!) and I was starting to think we would have to burn furniture next (joke..but not really) I was thankful for what we did have, and even after a few days, although we couldn't drive to local stores because so many streets were blocked by fallen trees and power lines, we could walk to local strip stores that had generators and partial service so it was nice to be able to have real hot coffee in the morning and a choice of deli, pizza, or Chinese food into the early evenings...  We had no house damage (except the wires ripped off the pole to our house) and although our neighbors tree is still sitting in my corral (an 80+' Oak....he said he would take care of it..still waiting) 

Anyway, I will be writing more next week and hopefully be able to add some new pics.  I see blogger has changed a lot since I was last here so have to figure that out over the weekend.  SO much is going on here, and there is so much commotion and busy stuff going on, I am hoping I can find a spot of time to do that but we'll see...

Our sweet very protective rooster (he is so smart)

                                                                                            

See ya next time...

Janie

Hi There!

I'm still here..STILL lookin' for my "True North"  (which I am thinking is everyone's life long search)

I hope to get back to the blog soon....so many life changing things have happened I had to let several things go because of the stress.  I am working on some funding some new things-a new camera-a new phone-I am still on my sisters lap top and would LOVE to get another desk top but I think that is going to have to get on the bottom of the list.

I still wonder if we should move (cost wise we should, but there are so many obstacles in the way right now) So I am still waiting for changes (because a move in the middle of what is happening now might NOT be the best move).  I think we will know for sure, between now and the next 2 years...

My poor garden tried to produce BUT there are TWO problems in the way of that.  First and foremost is the lack of sun, so if I am staying here I need to have some trees removed (at $800+ a trees, for the large oaks we are talking about, for a job to be done right, might take a few years, to afford it, so not sure it is worth it, AND since we are right up against the wooded park, there is only so many I can take down..we will still be in deep shade come 3-4pm every day.   AND the other problem "might" be, that I added some organic fertilizer to the garden last fall, and combined with manure, and the deep shade it just might be over fertilized. I got lots of growing and flower buds,  early before the trees leafed out and then it was all down hill...

My stove is going, the wood stove is 26 years old and has a crack on the inside, so I really should replace that too, my dryer is going (although I try to use what sun we have, as much as possible, (right at mid day-that's the most sun..and only for about an hour or 2 before it starts to shade..) but in the winter a dryer helps), we had cesspool troubles this summer..what hasn't happened to this house!

We have been here 26 years and the FIRST thing that happened was the day after we moved in, and woke up I looked out the bedroom window and said to my husband.."We didn't have a hole off the deck yesterday did we?"  (we were busy moving boxes in etc)  Maybe that was a clue to we shouldn't have stayed here.  It has been non-stop ever since... and not one thing at a time happens..several things at a time, so when they start to go again, it is also at the same time!

I am on SS now so it is a little bit more of a help... but I certainly don't want to throw it all away on what I call the "money pit...".

So hopefully with the change of seasons, and life circumstances, we can figure out what to do and find out true place to be... oh even the chickens changed (bad encounter with a raccoon a couple of weeks ago...sigh..)

We head into fall, and it feels a lot more like November than October..but....we got off easy last year.

I certainly DO like our location even if the house is a challenge!  So wherever we go, it has to be as good (TONS of migrating birds, spring and fall) or better... and certainly zoned for horses and/or farm animals.  If I can find a place that is less expensive (and I NOW they are out there) I might be able  to get another horse (or 2....)  I won't give up my chickens either!  And I am not giving up my search...if it takes til I am 100 I am finding where I belong... I am, fortunately,and still active,  in good health, so I keep trucking on...

Love all..see later, (HAVE to find time to work on the blog and do some updating but I need a chunk of time to do that!)

Janie

I Found a Nice Blog...And Some Garden Tid Bits.

Just a quick note.  I found a new blog to read.

It is called Re-Location: the Blog.... she moved from NY, to CA, to MA....

 Her name is Mindy, and she is a pastry chef, and has some interesting recipes, like these chocolate cupcakes with "Crispy Magic Icing"..Can't wait too try them...

http://relocationtheblog.blogspot.com/

Here is the cupcake recipe 


http://relocationtheblog.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html


 (I'd put the picture of the cupcake in a more appropriate spot near the blog title IF Blogger would LET me!)

I am still trying to figure out how to navigate this new Blogger, but it is my fault since I rarely have time to sit down and concentrate on it.

The garden is crazy this year.  Plants that did so well last year, had a hard time making it through the winter.  Too mild!!  They are straggly and some half dead.  I lost my Butterfly bush, and the hydrangea in the pot, completely died down.  I thought it was gone, but it did re-sprout but there no flowers for it this year..it too is acting like a new plant.

Yet others plants that did poorly last year, are thriving.

Last year the day lilies came out all at once, and this year, they have been spread out through the summer so far.  Which is great since I am getting very few other flowers!  The Phlox is straggly and thin, with only sporadic flowers, and there is some Echinacea blooming but only as if they were brand new plants, and putting out their first few flowers.   The red Geranium, on the patio, is bursting FULL of flowers, I have kept it going for about 6 or 7 years now.  When it gets leggy I break a limb off an stick it back in the pot..so there are quite a few "plants" in the same pot now.  (that Geranium came from a dear old friend's home after she died...) This is  picture from last year.

My green beans refuse to sprout and also the Swiss Chard..and there was NO sign of Rhubarb, so I will have to replant it next year.

The tomatoes and peppers and eggplant appear to be thriving, and e may yet have a bumper crop of something!
Oh!  I also have NO Marigolds, or zinnias!  This is a first for me since 1971!!  I tried direct seeding, and pot seeding, and transplanting and nothing is working and I can't figure it out...  So I have to be happy with the day lilies and finally, some nasturtiums came up...

The new chickens are thriving and I am seriously thinking of getting some more either in the end of the summer of next spring.   Simply because love watching them and I LOVE looking at multi colored eggs...this is the fewest chickens we have ever had..but..have to be realistic now....more will come I am sure...

I miss my Lass terribly....it has been a year to the day....but hay is just so expensive here I can't afford it right now.  (got a new roof so am paying that off, and I need a car.).  It's been one heck of a year, and looks like it is going to keep going....

That's about it...I am looking forward to getting "MY" camera back!!  (long story)   I have some garden pictures on it, that I'd like to get on my computer.....!  I'll be getting my summer pics on my header in time for winter...LOL!

See ya later,
Janie

OM Goodness!!

Is anyone else having troubles on Blogger?  I have been so busy getting the patio arranged and the indoor plants out, and getting the garden started....and cooking!  Gotta use those eggs!   That I haven't been here in almost 10 days and everything seems different..it took a while to find the link to VIEW the blog itself...  It seemed as if it changed even since the last time I was here!

I am not sure what to do..stay here?   Change blogger engines???   The last time I came here, I did find it easy to change the background to something more spring-y, but still haven't changed the header..I need a block of time to sit down and do that! 


The garden is a whole other issue this year... I started some spring crops in pots..some lettuce and cauliflower, but not much else.  Nothing was growing!  This winter was such a crazy winter.  I am not seeing the flowers we usually get in the spring.  There were little of no garden violets in the lawn.  Last year we had so many we didn't know what to do with them (the leaves have more iron then SPINACH!  And are great in salad (or cooked like spinach!) and the flowers can be used in salads also.).  The plants are there.....the leaves are not as big, or plentiful, as last year but the blooms are far and few between..   Even at our local stores.  Last year I bought a flat of white Impatience..this year no one even has any...  I am beginning to think learning about foraged plants might be a good idea.  (I know a few of them,  Lambs Quarters have more iron then spinach also.  And they do have taste..as do  the violets..) And then there's Chickweed.  I have a BUMPER crop of chickweed in the garden I have to remove. The chickens work their way through it, but as far as taste?   Not so much...although it is supposed to be healthy...
But all in all, I still prefer cultivated grown garden crops, but that brings us back to the weather and the garden this year. I am growing more and more in pots so they can be controlled, but that doesn't give much space for preserving amounts.  Next weekend (or whenever it stops raining) I'll plant tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, so we'll see how they grow.  And transplant I have to the cauliflower (2 kinds-a white and a golden yellow!) into larger pots.  I will keep them out of the ground until mid June or so, for a later crop.   Meanwhile, once June is up and running, plant beans (4 kinds), summer squash and winter squash, and one of my favorites..cucumbers..I LOVE cucumbers... I'll also plant more lettuce and spinach and other spring plants in pots..to go through the summer and into the fall...
 and of course there's annuals of marigolds and zinnia and more daylily's...

Here is but a few violets I picked last year (I put some up in the last post too) out of the lawn so they wouldn't get mowed and there was plenty more where they came form!  but throughput this winter I would see blossoms here and there...

This year I dared not pick any blooms, because there wouldn't be enough to seed for this spring, although it seems like the winter took care of that....  And the leaves, as I said were tiny this spring.

My indestructible New Dawn Climbing rose is all but dead in the back corral fence.   (the one I moved several years ago from a too shaded back fence..)  I will cut back the dead but after looking yesterday there only appears to be one or two branches still with leaves (I am very sad about that)

Much died over this winter because of lack of snow and water.  Not as many daffodils came up..the chickweed, as I said thrived!!

I am still in transition.  I thought that was over..my life is changing yet again ..(through others in my circle if not directly.  Which means I really have no control over the changes, and do not have a clue where things will end up...)  These changes used to be exciting for me, but at 65 I am wanting some stability now.   At least changes within my control!   I don't mind changes within my "realm" but if they would only stay inside that!

Every time we think we have a handle on what needs to be fixed in this house, something else comes up and we need to re-organize how we are going to go about doing the fixing...

Meanwhile...cooking!!  I made some thing for my sons the other day that was out of this world! (ops no eggs in it, BUT the strawberries were calling)

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/04/roasted-strawberry-brie-chocolate-grilled-cheeeeeeeese/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+howsweeteats%2FsmSp+%28How+Sweet+It+Is%29

It is a Roasted Strawberry Chocolate (dark) Brie grilled cheese.......

We just happened to have everything on hand and I made 2 for the 3 of us, not knowing how they would be, and cut them in small pieces......OM Goodness!  I never tasted anything so good!









The roasted strawberries, the butter and toast...OMG!  The melted cheese..(if you can not find brie I am sure a mild melting cheese would work..I am thinking Muenster.. but I think even mozzarella would work too)














I hope you get a chance to go there and try this recipe...I am not sure if it is a dessert or a meal..It FELT like a meal.... delicious, gooey, chocolatey, melt-y meal.... (even with the small pieces)  A decadent MEAL!  And I wanted MORE!

Great blog..."How Sweet Eats"....

That's all for now.  Hope to be back soon. 

See ya later,

Janie