Monday, November 29, 2010

Well here it is...

Almost the end of November....time to review the year....and plan ahead.

I have a few ideas for projects for the coming year, for both our home, and for my own self improvement.  One that seems to be a big one this year, for many bloggers and writers, is letting go of the perfectionism that tells us that we have to be in control of every little detail or we are failures, but in fact it only strangles us further.....(more on those projects and plans later as I put them all into perspective and prioritize)

I want, of course, to work on my bathroom (which does not mean simply decorating, since much of what is needed is down right re-doing!  (and repair in some cases)

And I have a lot to think about this coming year..such as whether to stay here and make the best of it, or move to another location...I LOVE NY, so it will not be easy to leave, and most of my family is here..(if not all of the important ones) 

Moving would involve, and change, the lives of other people, so it is a lot to think about for one person...but financially, it may end up to be a necessity. In the meantime, I am trying to move forward (things keep getting in the way....like LIFE...like loss and grief (we lost my husband almost 8 years ago (Dec 13, 2002), my dad 2 3/4 yrs ago (March 31, 2008), my mother 1 3/4 yrs ago (March 28, 2009), and my long time brother in law..our go to person, our substitute anchor, suffered a near fatal accident (January 9, 2009), almost 2 years ago, and suffered head trauma that forever changed his, and my sister's life, and coming to grips with that, and even contentment with what we have..) 

One thing I do NOT plan on doing...I am not going to a Mall until after January!  I will stick to stores that aren't often crowed.....like AC Moore and thank goodness many places offer sales on line!  I LOVE Amazon!

Time to fly!  (I think my electric extension cord might not be working so off the check that..maybe that's the problem..)

See ya 'round the corner...

Janie

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Back to the Drawing Board....

It is a beautiful Sunday morning in NY...the wind died down, the sun is out...

......and my hose idea doesn't appear to be working!

So its back to the drawing board. 

There was a thin coating of glass like ice on all the water surfaces this morning...It went down to 30 degrees last night.  So I thought that in a "small" way I could test out my heated hose and the extention I bought. 

Nope...what happened?  Yes, thin ice came out of the heated hose, but then nothing..I went up and down the hose, and felt the extension hose over and over again..there doesn't appear to be any ice in the extension hose...so now what???  How will this work when it is 15 degrees?!

I have one more idea to try...the thought of hauling water out from the house, all winter, is NOT thrilling me..I have been doing it for far too many years....(I need a REAL barn! .... with water and electric!!!  Can't do that here and we all know what THAT means.... and, "THAT" would be a project and a half...!.)

Right now, the temperature is over 40 degrees (and the next few days they say will be fairly normal for this time of the year, which means not freezing or below at night (yet), so I will have to wait to see if the idea works...

I am eagerly looking forward to having all the winter planning finished, and done with, so I can spend the winter, garden planning and re-doing my bathroom!  I don't have a good camera yet (not that its bad it is just an older one), and that might take time, but I hope to get some pictures on with the one we have...we'll see how they turn out...

I have a turkey breast carcass simmering in a pot, on the stove, with onions and carrots to make stock...(I have no celery until I go out later).  I made an herbed turkey breast during the week, and it smells so good!
I always make more then enough stock, so I can freeze it for those cold, cold winter nights when you just NEED to make some soup, and there it is, already to go...a hold out from the days of Homeschooling and living on one income.....maybe that was training for now...

See ya 'round the corner....

Janie

Saturday, November 27, 2010

One of those cute little quizzes...

Your fairy is:
Bindweed Goblinwitch
.."She brings riches and wealth.
She lives at the bottom of tangled gardens and in hedgerows.
She is only seen in the enchanted moment between sleep and waking.
She wears tangled multicoloured skirts made of petals and has gentle green wings like a butterfly..."
....Interesting because one of my grandmother's friends used to call me a 'Fairy Child'...

Monday, November 22, 2010

Where were you....

47 years ago?

I remember it, as if seared in my brain with a branding iron, and I am sure almost everyone of that era also feels that way...

I think as much as that horrid moment is part of my history, our history, an even bigger part for me was, I think that was when my father saw me as an adult for the first time. 

I was 17 and in school when "it" happened..everything shut down...teachers and students crying....school closings.... not for a "school shooting", because of fear and hate, but for a National tragedy that affected the world, and we were closing down to a great collective mourning...

I am sure that the whole rest of the family was aware of what was happening, but it is my father and I, that I remember staying up around the clock watching tv coverage..he talked to me about his political feelings and feelings of what happened that day, and days afterward, adult to adult....

My dad died 2 1/2 years ago, and I miss him every day.


Love you daddy...
Janie

Monday Monday...Counting Your Blessings

A lot has been said about Mondays... 

There have been many jokes, comments that make you think about whether you are "working", or have a "job"...

Many dread Monday with a back to the "grindstone..." mentality...

For most people, Sunday is their day of rest..and maybe it is as it should be...but when you kick off Monday by thinking you have to get; "back to the grindstone"; or dreading the coming week feeling; "chained to your desk"; maybe you should be re-thinking what you are doing.

For me, Monday is a time of a fresh start..whether it is for a new project, taking care of business for the week (whatever it is that sets you up for the week, or even months, ahead), or getting back to "what I Love"....(maybe that long term project that you really Love doing)

I try to think of Monday as my "set up day"...and in doing so, it makes the rest of the week easy-as-pie......fall into place. And by getting the "business" out of the way early in the week, I think it also helps over come any "surprises" that come my way too.  I can look over what was accomplished last week and look ahead...

Oh, and what happens when the 'surprises are on Monday?  I make Tuesday my set up day that week!!  Because generally when you set up your week, and follow your plan during the week before, the really important things might already be taken care of!

So with that in mind...I am finishing up leaves in the front, today (have not touched the back yet, except for a small part of the corral...(it is not unheard of to put out over 100 bags in our area.). I store my leaves for the chickens in the winter and the garden in the spring, and in that way feel like in some SMALL way I am helping the landfills, by keeping at least my 100 bags out of them, and helping the environment, by putting some of them back into the ground.

Then it's off the the local home center to pick up some final items to get ready for winter, some sand (I don't like using chemicals or salt on the front path and back deck), more caulk for the windows, and pots to put up some stray plants that have outgrown what they were in... I have this CRAZY notion that if I keep some of my favorite plants (or plants that were gifts from family members and friends) I can MOVE them when we move..if the housing market ever picks up, even if it is in the winter......

So off we go...see you around the corner...

Have a great day!
Janie
(pictures to come soon...if all goes well..)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Off we go...

Those last gasps of fall..

So beautiful....it is as if every leaf but the brilliant reds, and pale apricots, and bright yellows, of the shrubs, fell over night....
And the Japanese red maples are surrounded buy a bed of red.....


                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Off we go today to run errands..and when they are through we start to rake leaves... Living next to the park that can be an all winter process, because lets face it....NO ONE rakes leaves in the park!

See ya 'round the next corner....

Til then..have a Great day!

Janie

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Wednesday Beautiful Wednesday

And beautiful it is....

This morning it has been 60 degrees since almost 7am!  It is dropping now a little and it is windy, and the wet leaves are now drying.  I noticed almost ALL the trees suddenly dropped their leaves over night!  So the lawn is covered with leaves!!  Guess I know what we will be doing the next couple of days!

I ordered my new coiled drinking quality hose for the winter and we are set to go.. a quick trip to Home Depot for sand (for ice this winter), and window caulk will get us set for the winter...

It's not easy....I sometimes feel like I am taking 2 steps forward and 3 steps back (and sometimes it is reversed) ...but we are moving forward .... things feel like they are coming together..where they will lead I do not know...but..

Life is Good!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Planning Season

We are into fall and the colorful leaves are gently raining down.  It seems like a never ending stream..they just keep coming..yet there are many shrubs and small trees still holding leaves and color. 

It seemed that LI was going to have a dull brown fall but it suddenly came alive...(it has been better on some past years but it turned out pretty nice.)  We have many Euonymous Burning Bushes all around the property some large and some small.  Depending on where in the yard the are, some are brilliant red, (hense the name) and some are a golden red orange and some even a pale apricot...very nice...

Well, I have found another back/hip saving hose...The electric one is not long enough for where I need it to go.. It is very expensive, and only 50'.  I need it to go at least 85'.   So even if I bought a shorter electric one, which is still expensive, it wouldn't reach (they come 25' and 50') the fence line.

I found one that was way less in cost, from another company.  It is not heated but it keeps the hose from freezing to just below 32 degrees.  But, oh wait, it is not recommended for drinking.....oh, they said animals can drink from it, but not humans, and I don't give my animals anything to eat or drink that I woudn't!..

So the search went on.  Then I remembered Sears has drinking quality hoses. So I did a search and  I found one that is a coil hose so it retracts and makes it easy to store...well now,  I can do that!  It isn't electric or a insulated hose but I can detach it from the end of the electric hose after every use (no problem) and keep it on the patio until it is needed again.  That should work just fine..so now I will have a hose that heats the water, and thaws any water left in it, and another one to extend to the fence rail, that will not get in the way because it coils so nicely..the cost is about 1/3 the cost, of having to buy another electric hose (which wouldn't have worked because ..well, where am I going to plug it in mid way out into the yard!!  I can't have 2 extension cords running out of the garage!!) ....I am so happy..

So the hardest part of animals in the winter is the water issue....now that is all planned out..I put some of the potted plants in the trenches yesterday morning, and have to dig one more row and check the roots of my potted Japanese maple, and that will be done, snug and ready for winter...the next part of planning is what to plant next year..THAT'S the fun part!  And indoor winter projects...nice...

See you around the corner...thanks for stopping by.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Homemade cranberry sauce

I found a really good and very different recipe for cranberry sauce, at BrokeAss Gourmet (blog).  Gabi has some very interesting and brilliant recipes on her blog...Low cost ways to cook gourmet...she is one of the blogs I read....(and use)

http://brokeassgourmet.com/

 Balsamic Cranberry sauce
by Gabi Moskowitz

Prep Time 0:02
Cook Time 0:22
Everyone puts orange juice in their homemade cranberry sauce. It’s delicious, yes, but I have an inherent opposition to doing things the way other people have always done them for lack of another option. Well, here’s your other cranberry sauce option. Here’s your (dare I suggest it?) better cranberry sauce option.
  • ingredients
  • 1 12-oz. bag frozen whole cranberries $2
  • 1 cup sugar Pantry
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar Pantry
  • pinch salt Pantry
  • 3/4 cup water
Total Cost of ingredients $2

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a light boil. Tilt lid so a bit of air can escape and reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20-22 minutes, or until cranberries break down and a thick sauce forms.

Allow to cool slightly before serving (or chill if you prefer cold cranberry sauce).

Makes about 1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce.

Updating....

I am updating my blog to add who I follow.

There are so many My Yahoo is now full!! 

It is going to be beautiful in NY today and I am expecting friends, from NJ, this afternoon....perfect!  But I will have to leave the leaves for another day...I am not worried. We (my sons and I) run the mower over them and bag most of them for winter footing for the chickens and the garden as mulch in the spring, any waste from the garden goes to the chickens..my aim is to toss a LITTLE as I can into the landfills...

I am thinking of starting a worm bin.

I had compost for many many years, but living where we are now causes lots of Rats to come out of the woods!  So maybe a worm bin is in order...(of course the chickens eat a lot of waste too.

Some time I have to write about chickens...They are better then goldfish!  Great stress relievers....AND they give back too!

See ya around the corner....enjoy your day..

Friday, November 12, 2010

Ok I admit it....I like Sci Fi...and Patchwork Quilts...

I am a Sci Fi/technology nut....not to the extent that I would ever dress up up a costume and go to an icon...although if that's your thing all the power to you...(I have gone to Sci Fi Icons in the past but not as a character!) but I just Love some of the Sci Fi shows and movies...you know..Star trek, Star wars...(I have sons what can I say!)

The latest movie, that I want to see (and have not yet seen) is, "Unstoppable"..it has Rosario Dawson in it....has anyone seen "Seven Pounds"? (with Will Smith  a few years back) 

If that isn't the most haunting movie ever...(although not Sci Fi), anyway, this new movie (Unstoppable) is SO different in character for her...she is my new idol...I want to be her friend!!  She is adorable...

That's my excitement for the day.....a "person of many colors"....

We are all patch work quilts... made up of many different parts, and sides, and likes and dislikes...patch work quilts...
And a  patch work quilt is then made up of many different pieces, and when finished, they all fit together..even if you think they won't....it is the same with a garden...and together..it makes a whole...

I Love what makes people different.... in fact....it is OFTEN the
"annoying" differences, in people that we remember fondly when they are gone....How much better would it be to embrace those differences when they are alive...

We are the world...A Patch work quilt of people...
How great is that!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

I am So Excited....

Little things make me happy...my husband once got me a manure fork and a pitch fork, for some occasion...I forget what now...(I think it was an anniversary..can you imagine!?)

I got a package from Lee Valley today..a heated hose!! 

For a long time, during the winter I have had to lug water out from the kitchen, to the animals 3 or 4 times a day....ever try to carry a full bucket of water?  It ruined my hip...(I do get help from my sons but it was starting to ruin their hips too and I thought they are too young to start having trouble with hips..) My husband did it for 10 or 12 years before he died, and I have done it myself now for 8 years......

The way our back patio is "installed" (not by us) it would be impossible to put a water line in without digging up the whole patio and starting over...I'm afraid I can't do that...A friend of mine, in Alberta Canada, told me Lee Valley has a heated hose, so I looked into it. 

The hose has a heating coil in it and a plug for an outlet..now again, because the way this house is "arranged" I will have to run an utility extension cord from the garage, to the hose and faucet.  I am hoping I will not have to leave it plugged in all the time....I don't like having an extension cord plugged in all the time..especially running through the garage and over the HAY!!  It will not go all the way out..I got the 50' hose (they had 2- a 50' and 25') but the distance is 85', so I will use a shorter hose I hook up and unhook as needed, to run the extra distance...if that doesn't work I will buy another one....here's hoping it works..this might save my hip!!

My absolute greatest dream is to someday have a place, with SUNNY rooms, and with a real barn, with heat and electric, to keep everything in....that isn't going to happen here...so I make the best of what I have now...

Bathroom projects have to wait for leaves and garden while I can!!  (and I am hoping to see if I have any yard pictures on the old camera to post...I will check on that later,...off to feed the animals, do some garden clean up and go food shopping before it gets dark..!  Can't see so well in the dark any more.)

Have a GREAT day,

Janie

Monday, November 8, 2010

Four Letter Words!! And REAL time...

I have heard the first of the winter 4 letter words today!

SNOW!!

Snow!  Early November! In NY!! at 36 degrees!!

I haven't even finished my leaves yet...granted it came with rain, but it did stick on the dirt in the garden and the deck...!!  (maybe we get an early early winter and then it gets mild real quick...  maybe!?)

It was a hard, hard week last week.  On top of all the work to do before real winter starts in, we lost a dear friend last Saturday night, everyone is sick with colds and viruses, and our 16 year old kitty (one of 4) is sniffling today....

BUT we did go back to REAL time.....(does anyone remember that?!)

Best of the day for you, on this first Nor'easter of Fall...(gonna mess up our plans for a mild week I hear...)
....once things calm down a bit I can get back to this site...put up some pictures...

Until then..or maybe later...
Janie

Monday, November 1, 2010

Today's The Day....

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year." by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good morning..it is a cool breezy November 1st..

Leaves are piling up..yet because of the wind, you rake and turn around and they are all back again...maybe that's where they are supposed to stay!

I am starting a new project..I am doing the bathroom, that has been unfinished for longer then it should have been....once I get going I will put up pictures of before and after...

Enjoy your day...