Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a lovely day. The sun shone,and the temps were in the 50's. Everything went smoothly-and the food came out great,if I do say so myself ( and I do!) LOL!

My Mom came up for Thanksgiving (as usual) and this year it was just the four of us-Brother B went down to his Dad's for the holiday this year.

I must admit the best tasting item was the pumpkin pie. It was so light and delicious!!

While I am usually running around with my head cut off,I was actually ahead of the game due to my prep the day before. I found myself walking around with nothing to do. I even had more than enough time to scope out the yard for a centerpiece. Some years, I buy flowers,but this year,I wanted to get everything from the yard and use what I already had on hand.

The best items were some dried hydrangeas and azalea branches-the branches have lovely reddish leaves on them. I also had some green apples and gourds.  

I couldn't quite arrange the gourds and apples the way that I liked,so I make a little circle around the bouquet.I also had a couple of votive candle holders with tea lights that I lit while we ate.

The official menu:

-organic turkey rubbed with rosemary/garlic butter ( we grew the rosemary and garlic)

-mashed potatoes ( we grew them)

-sweet potatoes with cinnamon,butter,and home made brown sugar

-green beans ( from the garden)

-brown and serve rolls ( Rick ate gluten free rolls)

-cranberry sauce (the smooth canned kind-we don't have many palates in this house who like whole berry)

-apple stuffing ( my Mom's recipe)

-Gluten free pumpkin pie ( made with farm bought pumpkin,our eggs,and brown sugar)

We ate early,around 1:30,because my Mom can no longer see at night to drive. If it's a short trip,it's one thing,but we live 35 minutes away. After Mom left I watched "An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving" (one my faves!) and then fell asleep during a Walton's marathon around 7:30. I was out for the night. I don't think it was only the dinner- I think that maybe the three or four glasses of wine I had may have contributed to my sleepiness :) I don't drink wine that often,as it can cause me migraines if I drink it at the right time of the month.

That night,while I was in and out of turkey/wine induced sleep,the phone rang and it was the local PD. A button buck ( a male deer with just little nubbins for antlers) had been hit out on Rt 11. The Boys all got in the truck and picked it up,and it is hanging in our garage,and is going to be butchered today. We are going to give some of the meat to our neighbor,who is going through a rough patch.He has two boys and works full time. However, because his now ex girlfriend moved out,he is having a hard time making ends meet and paying the rent,so he has been asking us for various ways to save money.He loves it up here in the country and does not want to move. So we have been giving him advice,(every little bit helps!)He wants to learn how to hunt and butcher,so when The Boys do the butchering tonight,he is going to come over to learn. He does not know that we plan on giving him some meat.

Yesterday I spent working on Christmas gifts and reading.

This morning,I woke up and went to get a cup of coffee. When I opened the cabinet to get a coffee mug,this was there to greet me:

Brother B had left me this birthday message after he made the coffee. He was going out hunting and didn't want to miss his chance on wishing me a happy birthday first thing :)  Oh -it's my birthday today. I am 45 and Fabulous!!!!!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!!

Quiet Time

This morning, I am here with the dogs and the cats,all of whom are sound asleep.

Moxie taking a snooze curled up with Little O

It rained all night,and just stopped around 8:30. I dropped Rick and Zach off up in Tamworth last evening at the Webelo Fall Overnight.Our Boy Scout Troop helps run the various stations for the Webelos each year. Brother B has gone somewhere with Brother Dale,so I have the whole house to myself,which is a rarity. Well, me and three cats and two dogs!

I slept in this AM,til 8:15. I am enjoying the silence and my cup of coffee. This past week has been busier than usual. Last Thursday,my Mom, who is 85,needed to get something out of her cabinet. She didn't want to go to the closet to get the step stool,so she grabbed one of the kitchen chairs to stand on.

You might be able to see where this is going.

She had stocking feet,and the chair had no cushion. She got on the chair,opened the cabinet,went to grab whatever she was after,and...slipped,falling onto the floor,in which she landed on her shoulder. After laying on the floor in pain for half an hour because she couldn't get up,she finally made it to the phone where she called my sister and the ambulance.

My sister called from the emergency room. We were at Zach's open house at school,so by the time we got home and received the message,my Mom had been released. She broke her shoulder in four places,and the arm bone was snapped out of her shoulder.

Friday I went down and spent the day and night with her. The pain meds made her sick (even though they gave her some anti nausea pills),but I also think it was the shock to her system. Her neck was sore,and her back. She broke her right shoulder,which really annoyed her,because she is right handed. My Mom is a very independent woman (my Dad passed from complications due to Alzheimer's in 1990) and she doesn't like asking for help.I went back home on Saturday afternoon. She was feeling much better by then,and started being able to wash dishes,etc,with her left hand.The nausea had finally gone away,so she was able to at least be somewhat back to normal,as best as she could.

Monday night we went to park cars at the Rochester Fair as a fundraiser for the Troop. Tuesday  after I went grocery shopping I went back to Mom's and brought her to the orthopedic surgeon. He felt that the best course of action was a reverse shoulder replacement.This way,the arm would not have to rely on the rotator cuff if it didn't heal properly.Plus,given my Mom's age and bone density,(or lack thereof)it would be the best bet.

Wednesday night we parked cars,and Thursday I brought Rick to the VA in Manchester to see his TBI Dr. Rick wanted to be put on Ritalin three times a day like before,instead of once a day time release. For some reason,the once a day did nothing for his motivation. Three times a day had him motivated,he kept lists,he knew what had to be done and did it. The Dr was surprised that the once a day dose didn't work out,so he put Rick back on three times a day. Thursday night we parked cars again.

Yesterday,Mom had blood work and an EKG as a pre-op procedure. We sat with the anesthesiologist,and the nurse who was in charge of going over pre -op paperwork,etc. The folks were very nice,which I think gave Mom some comfort. She needs to be at the hospital on Monday for 8:50 AM for prep,then the surgery will commence. After our appt,we went to the store so she could pick up a few groceries,then she bought us some take out lunch which we ate at her house.There was a knock on the door,and a gentleman we had never seen before was there. Come to find out,he works with my brother Valmore in Wisconsin. His wife came up to the door as well. They were on their way to Unity,ME for an antique snowmobile show.In his spare time,he buys old snowmobile parts and sells them,as well as redoing old machines. He thought since he was in our neck of the woods that he would stop by and say hi to Mom,which I thought was very nice. They chatted with us for about an hour,then headed off to ME. After they left, I went home,then drove Rick and Zach up to Tamworth (about 45 minutes north of us,give or take) then came back home. I think the whole week caught up with me. I sat down,totally wiped out. I am not used to being on the go quite that much.

Now I am sitting in silence and just being. It's good to just be every once in awhile,isn't it?

Hope all is wonderful where ever on this lovely planet you are!

Happy Belated Mother's Day

As always,it seems that time slips by before I realize how long it's been since I posted last. Many things seem to be in the planning stage now,so what do I write about? That's always the problem!

This past weekend was a busy one. Sunday,Mother's Day,we awoke to beautiful skies and green leaves peeking out on the trees.



Late Sunday we went down to Somersworth for a Mother's Day dinner at my sister's house,so we got to visit with her and her hubby,and my Mom. Dinner was cranberry pork with cranberry "gravy",zucchini and summer squash, beef rice, and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. It was delicious! I asked my sister for the pork and the cheesecake recipe. Before we left for her house, I asked Rick to take a photo of Zach and I. I think it's the first photo we have taken on Mother's Day.

Rick and Zach were at a loss as to what to get me for Mother's Day. I really didn't need anything,and breakfast in bed in fine with me. But Rick insisted that they buy me something,so I said I wanted some alpaca yarn from Kings Highway Alpacas down the street. So they took a walk on Saturday,and gave these to me on Sunday morning:

The Alpaca Farm is run by a nice couple. She shears,spins,and dyes the yarn,in only natural colors. It's so soft! After I finish the socks that I am currently working on, I am going to make Zach a nice scarf for Christmas. I loved the yarn,but no breakfast in bed this year. We had a full house on Sunday AM,because we had Rick's other two brothers,his nephew,and a dear old Shaw family friend came up on Saturday for a wood splitting party.All the remaining tree length logs had to be cut into rounds and split into firewood. We provided beer,soda,hamburgers,and ribs. They worked hard,and all wound up crashing at our place. So we had assorted bodies on the floor,couch,and recliners. Nephew Brody slept in a sleeping bag in Zach's room. I think the fresh air and the beer caught up with men,and having them stay was fine. Best be safe than sorry! All the logs did get cut into rounds,and some of the wood split. Rick and Brother are going to split the rest this week. We should be set on firewood for a couple of years.

My seedlings are doing well. Right now I have Straight Eights and Pickling cukes on heat. The rest I have planted in pots until I can put them outside.



I am very excited because we have sold three dozen eggs! Our first money making venture from our Little Farm! We are selling them for only $1.50 a dozen,which is actually .09 cents cheaper than the supermarket I shop at. I have seen some folks sell for $2.00,and even $2.50 a dozen,but all we want to do is make a bit of pocket money to help toward food for the girls. They are laying on average 7 eggs a day.
 I hope all you Mom's out there had a fabulous Mother's Day!!!!

Come On Spring!!!

It's been a few days since I posted. Tuesday I was down and out sleeping in bed all day with a migraine. This one lasted until nighttime. Yesterday,I had groceries to buy and assorted other errands to catch up from Tuesday. I actually missed Zach's Honors Assembly because of the migraine. It's the first one I have missed and I felt bad about it,but there was no way I could go.Zach was very understanding about it. Rick and Brother B went and represented the family,so that was good.

I am still in the process of getting my knitting more accurate. I have completed one pair of socks: one is bigger than the other and one has a messed up seam on the toe,so my toes stick out. Sigh. Now I am starting another set of mittens,but his time I am not allowing for mistakes.So I have started and restarted the one mitten 6 times( I am still not good at picking out stitches).

We are gearing up for our bathroom remodel. Everything is coming out.Initially I wanted a claw foot tub with a curtain surround,standing shower head,and hand held shower. I love claw foot tubs. Until I saw how much everything would cost. Even if I bought a second hand tub,the pipes,etc would still run more money than I wish to spend. So we are going to look at a whirlpool tub. We are also replacing our vanity sink with a pedestal sink,and our low toilet for a higher model. Our floor is going to be tiled with black and white tile. We are going to Lowe's and Home Depot tomorrow to do some comparison shopping.

Also on the agenda is sitting down to figure out how big our garden is going to be. I am so anxious for Spring to come. It means a lot of work,but it's such gratifying work! Now that we are in the end part of Winter,I have visions of lush green gardens growing in our yard,warm sunshine,the smell of fresh air,and  hearing spring birds singing. Ahhh..... just a couple more months!!!

Of course, when the weather is warm during the day and chilly at night,the sap will start running in the Maple trees,and we will try our hand yet again at making syrup. That should be taking place in March or April. Of course, we don't get a whole lot of syrup because we only have about 10 trees,and not all of them are Sugar Maples ( you can make syrup out of any maple sap,but Sugar Maples are used more because they have a higher sugar content).Our neighbors at the end of the dirt road have offered us use of their trees this year,so we are going to take them up on their offer. We are going to walk their property and see how many buckets we will need.

Come on Spring!!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

December 11,1925, my mother, Marie Doris Louise Charrette was born in Somersworth,NH. Back then,it was very common for French Catholics to put Marie ( the French version of Mary) or Joseph in front of their children's names. I think it more or less a baptismal name,but I am not sure. I don't' know when the practice started,or when it stopped,but it was very popular. Her original name was Marie Therese (Theresa) Louise but my Memere changed it after her brother in law told her about a dirty joke about a woman named Therese. My Mom still has the birth certificate with that name on it. How Doris came about I don't know.

My Mom had two younger siblings,Gertrude and Richard,both of whom have passed away,so she is the only surviving member of her family. My Pepere died in 1972,and my Memere died in 1986. ( Strange coincidence,my Uncle Richard and my husband Richard share the same birthday, August 11,and they were both called Dickie).

My Mom is an interesting woman. She didn't speak any English until she was about 9 years,French being the dominate language in the house.(Both sets of her grandparents immigrated from Canada in the late 1800's) I think she was very self conscious about it,and to this day,even though I can't hear it,others have commented on her slight French accent. She hated school,and obtained an 8th grade education,graduating at age 16. ( I will have to ask her why she was older when she graduated-I think she started school late ). She lived through the Depression . At 16 she worked in the shoe shop,and worked there until it closed in 1986. During World War 2,her family had a small farm and a Victory Garden. She told me about some nights when she would walk home from work and there would be air raid drills,and all the street lights and the lights in people's homes would be out. I asked her if it scared her walking home by herself in the pitch black,and she said no. Things were different back then. For fun they would go to the ice rink,movies,and rollerskating.

(My Mom and Zach in 2005 at my sister's house)

After my Dad came back from the South Pacific,he met my Mom,and they fell in love,getting married on January 25,1947. I didn't know until about 20 years ago that when she met my Dad,she was already engaged,and wound up writing a Dear John letter to the man whom she would marry after my Dad passed away....it's sounds like a romance novel,doesn't it?

My brother Valmore arrived in 1948,my sister Linda in 1951,brother Dennis in 1960,and yours truly, in 1967.

She watched my Dad suffer from Alzheimer's,and eventually pass away from complications. She married her first love,Roger,a couple years after Dad passed away,even though she knew his cancer had come back,and they only had about a year together before he,too,passed.

My Mom is very Yankee-strong,determined,and very do it herself. She still paints walls,cleans,mows her lawn,shovels or snow blows her driveway,and rakes leaves. She says the day she has to have someone else do it for her is the day she dies. She is always doing something. She doesn't like "stuff". She will let you know that something is a "waste." She has what she needs,and if she buys something,it has to have a specific place already in mind. If my sister or I buy something we have to have,her first question is,"Where are you going to put that?" Everything has a to have a purpose and place,and it drives her nuts when I answer,'I don't know,I'll find a place." ( I always do).

She has very specific ideas,and knows her own mind,which I guess can be called stubbornness. I see this in myself-especially when decorating or planning something.You can offer me suggestions,but I rarely take them. I go with what is in my head. Things have to be a certain way. I have a garland around my window that is driving me nuts because one end is a bit higher than the other. I will have to fix it. No one else would notice it-except for me,my sister,and my Mom.(Another trait we have inherited from my Mom).

So...Happy 85th Birthday Mom. You are a true Yankee woman...thanks for all that you have given me these last 43 years. I wouldn't be me without you.