On Being 45 And Fabulous

Wow,that was a heck of a migraine! I had remnants of it right through yesterday. Ah,the joy of hormones and the fun things they do to a woman's body!

Saturday was my 45th birthday. Zach asked me how 45 felt. I replied,"It feels the same as 44",which isn't a complete lie. I don't feel different. However, my mind has been having a great conversation with it's self. It has gone something like this-

"Guess what? You're 45. Time is starting to creep up. You'd best get your butt in gear and DO what you SAY you're going to do....because you're going to drop dead of a heart attack. Then it will be too late."

"Fair enough," I responded to myself. " I don't like this feeling I'm getting."

"What feeling is that? That you might be too late? That you are doomed to wear ugly fat person clothes the rest of your life and that tire around you will keep feeling bigger and bigger?"

"Perhaps.But it's so much more than just my weight. It's life in general. I just feel like the end is coming up and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Well, there IS nothing you can do about it. Time will keep rolling along. Deal with it." Apparently one side of me cuts through the BS rather bluntly.

" Well,of COURSE I have to deal with it!" Jeez! Can't a girl get a bit of sympathy from herself? Around here,apparently not.

"You have the power within your self to make this the year of Being 45 and Fabulous! Just stick to your guns,girl. Believe in yourself. Everything will fall into place."

Hmmm. Well, I can't argue with that. I am making very good sense.

"You have lots going for yourself. Stop selling yourself short. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and BE FABULOUS!"

I can do that. I can be fabulous....hell,not can be........ I AM!  

I am 45 and Fabulous!!!!

I got some nice gifts for the beginning of my Fabulous year-

A pretty ornament and $20 from my Mom:

Sister Linda gave me a Cinnamon Stick Yankee Candle. Anything cinnamon or pumpkin spice I love. Cinnamon stick is her favorite candle scent:

Rick and Zach made me a triple layer marble cake. Zach decorated it with:
                                                            Happy
                                                             B-day   
                                                             Mumm
                                                                  a
He had written in such big letters that he ran out of space for the "a" in Mumma. I thought it was quite funny.The cake was delish!                                  

Rick bought me a sapphire engagement ring:

Sorry that the photo came out blurry. Yes, I did say engagement ring. Perhaps I should say  it was a replacement ring.

We were in the VA a few months ago when I happened to look down and saw my sapphire stone was gone. When I lost it,and where,was any one's guess. Apparently a couple of prongs had broken and out came the stone. I was so upset. Rick had asked me to marry him with that ring!  The odd thing was,I had previously talked to Rick about perhaps getting a new setting/band for the ring. It was re sized after Zach was born,and that made the band very narrow and thin. 14 years later,with wear and tear,the back of the band had become rather sharp and I have actually had a couple of small cuts from it rubbing against my finger.

When we got home,I placed the sad looking ring in my cameo box and cried a bit. The new setting discussion was moot.

Then,I received this new ring for my birthday. I admit I wasn't really surprised,because that's the kind of thing that Rick does. I think I'll keep him for a while :)

So begins my Year of Being 45 and Fabulous!!!

Fighting It

Been fighting a migraine since yesterday. I will be back soon!!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

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!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving,One And All!!

Today kicks off my favorite time of the year-the holidays.


Tuesday I made pumpkin puree,and even though the pumpkins didn't come from our yard,we did get them from a local farmer.

Yesterday I made gluten free pumpkin pie,apple stuffing,rosemary/garlic butter to rub on the turkey,chilled the cranberry sauce,and washed the dishes that we will be using (my Memere's old china). I cleaned the house. I was determined to not to have to rush around today,so I prepped what I could.

Today, I am going to make a centerpiece out of things in the yard-I think some dried flowers-and I have some gourds. I will take a photo and share it with you.

My Mom is coming up for Thanksgiving,and at almost 87,I am very happy that I can still celebrate this day with her. I always looked at Thanksgiving as an extra special day. You see, on Thanksgiving, Nov 23,1967,my Mom went into labor with me.However,I was stubborn and didn't make my appearance in this world until Friday,Nov 24. I was almost a Turkey Baby! Thanksgiving was the beginning of my journey onto this planet,though,and so it has an extra meaning to me and my Mom.

I have so many things to be thankful for. I have never lost sight of that,no matter what kind of day Rick is having,or where I am in my depression cycle.I have a loving husband,a fabulous son,great family and friends,especially My Dear Friend Michelle. Grief brought us together and from that a lovely friendship has blossomed. I have a warm house,clothes on my back,and food on my plate. I can see the blue sky,the white clouds,the trees,and the earth. I can smell the crisp, fresh air. I can hug my husband and son whenever I want.I also have very kind blogging friends who continue to give Rick and I love and support with their kind words. I have my cats and dogs that I can cuddle with. I have my chickens whom I chat with and who supply us with eggs. I have wonderful neighbors,who are kind and helpful. I also have fabulous memories of Thanksgivings of old with loved ones who are no longer with us.

Yep,I'm a very lucky,rich woman indeed!!!!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

Happy Thanksgiving,to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

" I Just Want My Dignity Back"

So sorry that I have been gone for a bit.

Rick has sent his application for a  PTSD/TBI service dog out. I cannot recall off hand the name of the organization that he is trying to go through,but it is in central MA. He received the application from the VA several months ago,and it took him a long time to sit down and start it. Part of it was the fact that it was 10 pages long,and he can only do a few questions at a time before he gets overwhelmed and has to stop. I of course,help him out with the questions. He reads them out loud,comes up with an answer,and looks to me to assure him that the answer is correct,or I help him remember things that he may have forgotten.He then writes down the answer,and I help him with spelling. When he starts getting frustrated, I tell him to put it away and we will come back to it another time.

The questions ranged from Rick's height,the area in which we lived,what size dog he would need,has he had animals,do we have animals,etc.

The big issue was the essay question,"Why do you want a service dog?" It required a maximum of 100 words. I told Rick to sit down with a blank sheet of paper and write down how he felt. I would look it over,and if necessary,add some information and details based on our many conversations. I would type it out,and he would approve or disapprove it.

He has sat down and wrote down quite a bit,when he went into the bedroom,where I was folding clothes. He laid down on the bed,and I could tell he was upset. He started to cry.

"I hate this damn brain injury! I feel like an idiot. I takes me forever to read and I can't spell and I can't understand things,and this essay.... this whole thing makes me feel like I'm begging. I feel like I don't deserve it. I just want to be able to go places without having to bother you guys all the time.It sucks having to rely on other people because I can't do things on my own. I just want my dignity back!!!"

I felt so bad for him. My heart broke to see him so distraught. I assured him that he was just as worthy as any of the other veterans who are suffering from the same issues,and he wasn't begging. How hard it must be for a man to go from being larger than life to having to depend on others all the time! I can only imagine how I would feel. What a very bitter pill to swallow.

I looked over what he had written,and he did a good job. His opening line was " I want a service dog to help me get my dignity and self confidence back." He then explained how he was wounded,and how it affected him and his family.He went on to say that getting a service dog would not only be beneficial for him,but it would give his family a break,even though "they never complain or make me feel like a burden." Overall it was great,but I did add a couple of things that he had said to me in the past about feeling "less than a man" because he couldn't work,or go out in public much without someone with him. ( He went to Walmart once by himself to try it out,and he was a wreak when he got home. He said it was a terrible experience). I really didn't need to add much more than that,and because his thoughts were a bit jumbled I just made it more cohesive.He did a great job. We put it in mailbox,and now we wait to hear from them. Fingers crossed!!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!

Growing Like A Weed

Yesterday,since Zach did not have school,we had a family outing day and went to see the latest James Bond movie,"Skyfall." We don't get to the movies very often,maybe once a year,because it's so expensive,and when we go,we go to the matinee because it's cheaper.  Many moons ago,it was the Pirates of the Caribbean .Then it was the Harry Potter movies. Rick rarely ever went with us,but he is now to the point where he can go to the movies,and we actually did not sit in the last row with our backs to the wall this time. (BTW,the movie was excellent--it held your attention throughout). I am willing to wait until "Lincoln" comes out On Demand,which I really want to see.The sacrifices we make for our children-LOL! I enjoy James Bond just as much,and Daniel Craig isn't too shabby to look at. Sean Connery will,of course, always be THE smooth, debonair Bond,but I must admit that Daniel Craig is the Bond who is the most bad ass. We also found out that it was 50 years ago that the first Bond movie came out,Nov 1962. Since Rick was born in August 1962,Zach took delight in telling him he was older than the movie franchise....so he was OLD!

Zach is growing so very fast. It's hard to believe that he was ever little sometimes.The other day he came to me and told me he only had two pairs of pants that fit-out of about 10 pairs. I just bought him three pairs this fall for school,and only one pair of those fit-which is strange,since they are all the same size-28/28,slim straights. However,he modeled them for me and yep,they are a bit too small. The other jeans were old ones he wear to "bang around",a term my Mom used when I was growing up.Not only were most of his pants too small in the waist,the length was too short,even for banging around. After the movie,we went Kohl's and picked up three new pairs of pants,30/30's. He made a pile of all the clothes that don't fit him and came up with roughly 8 pairs of pants,10 shirts,and a pair of hiking boots-that we just bought this past Spring! The clothes were donated to the local clothing drop off,and Uncle B now owns a new pair of hiking boots. Zach is getting to be tall,he's probably about 5 inches shorter that Rick (Rick is 6'1"). He loves reminding me that I am the shortest person in the house :)

It's hard to believe that this young man  posing with his hunting rifle..................

....is the same little boy who posed for this pic in April 2006. Rick had been back home for only a couple of weeks when we went to our Cub Scout Fish and Run. Zach won the trophy for smallest fish.

Time marches on....

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!

Veterans Day

Today was originally known as Armistice Day,which was the end of WWI. It has since become a day in which we honor all our Veterans.

To all the veterans of the US,thank you! Thank you for fighting for our rights,for the rights of others,and being willing to lay down your lives for it. We are forever in your debt.

Though the photo is hard to make out,it's Rick's unit from NH that went over to Iraq.They are displaying our state flag.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

A Touch Of White

We are in the midst of a nor'easter,but this one is not too bad on our end. Right now we are getting some freezing rain,and we did get about 2" of snow last night,with some pretty gusty wind.Thankfully,we didn't lose power. I was a bit surprised that school was not delayed this morning,because quite a few communities around us have a two hour delay. The poor folks down in the NJ area,yet again,got the brunt of it (at least,the last I saw on the news). I am keeping the folks who had to deal with Sandy and are struggling in my thoughts and I hope that this storm doesn't create more misery on top of everything else.

I am really losing track of the days,as I looked at the calendar yesterday and realized that Christmas is only a stone's throw away,and Thanksgiving is banging at my door. 

The Girls are all cozy in their coop,and we have started getting a few more eggs now that we have the light on. I only set it from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM so they get more light later in the day. I was wondering if I should keep the light on from early morning to 8:00 PM,but I figured that the normal daylight would still suffice,even if the sunshine is not as strong. Any thoughts,chicken owners?  We are very happy that the "driveway" mix we put down in the coop did the trick. The coop yard was filled up at least four inches,and the proof was when Sandy hit. Unfixed,The Girls would've been walking in three inches of mud. There was no mud. There is no more smell. It did the trick. We also revamped our driveway with it and met with the same success. We fixed the road in front of our driveway and the holes at the entrance to Avon Lane. So far,so good.

Yesterday Rick made some kindling and drained the pool to the level it should be. I'm glad I got my garlic planted and my strawberries under cover in time! Talk about cutting it close! The temps are quite chilly,but on Saturday,it's going to be around 60 degrees,so at least this snow won't last.Of course,The Menfolk are very happy to see a bit snow...so they can see tracks. Rick almost got a turkey with this bow yesterday,but just missed (apparently there were some small branches that got lost in his sights). They are gearing up to get back out again this AM.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!

I

Planting In The Snow

Yesterday it snowed here in our neck of the woods-not much,just light flurries.It is our first snow sighting of the season. I was late planting our next years garlic crop,and it was rather odd planting in the garden while snowflakes fell around me. We haven't had enough cold weather to freeze the ground,or our raised beds. We covered the garlic bed up with straw,and I also covered up my strawberries for the season. 

We have begun starting the wood stove,though we don't start it up until later in the afternoon.Once the sun goes down behind our pine trees around 3:00 PM,the house starts to get chilly  ( we do have a furnace back up,but I don't like to use it much).Now that we have set our clocks back,it gets dark earlier.  To be honest,I'm not a hundred percent sure why we still use Eastern Daylight Savings Time, but I suppose it is what it is. One thing I don't like when we "fall back" at the beginning of Nov is that on the first day of winter,it's dark here around 4:00 PM. I am thankful we have a small house. It doesn't take much to heat it,especially since everything is on one floor...and sometimes we have to open the windows in the dead of winter because it gets too hot! Imagine being too hot in the dead of winter in NH!

Today is Election Day here in the States. After all the pounds of political flyers we received in the mail,hundreds of polling phone calls,and over a billion dollars spent by the political campaigns (mostly  by SuperPacs-which is the worst thing to happen to politics in years),it comes to down to the citizens.I don't get into political things here on my blog,but I do want just say that I hope everyone gets out there and votes their conscience. Here in NH,we are considered a swing state,and we have been bombarded by political ads on TV. As much as I love my state,when elections come around I wish I was not in such a watched state. The other night I counted over 20 political ads,for national and state elections in a span of less than an hour.  Many ads are the same over and over. If I made the rules,campaigns would only have  a couple of months to campaign,they would only be allowed a certain amount of donations,and candidates could be sued for libel. That would get rid of the negative ads. They could only run ads about themselves and what they would do for the country/state. Maybe some day.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!

My hubby should have a show called the "Animal Whisperer........."

Out With The Old...In With The New

Since the Almanac starts in Nov,time to bring in the 2013 edition!! As you can see,it's used quite often as reading material in the bathroom ;)

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

Inspirational Reading

Though I don't talk about it in every post,I am still on my decluttering journey. Keeping my mind from going off into every direction at once is not easy-I struggle with it almost every minute. Even now as I type this I am thinking about a variety of things. I have to stop myself and think,"Be in the MOMENT. Be in the NOW.Focus on what is in front of you,not what is in the next few days."

I would like to share with you some of the things that I have been reading that have helped to inspire me.

The first two books are by Courtney Carver":Simple Ways To Be More With Less" and "Living In the Land of Enough". I also have her website,"Be More With Less" under my blog list. I found them to be very insightful.

The next couple of books are by Gretchen Rubin-"The Happiness Project" and "Happier At Home." Her blog,"The Happiness Project" is also on my blog list.

Since we live in a little cottage (918 sq ft) I am always interested to see how others who have small homes live with lack of space. Tammy Strobel's book,'You Can Buy Happiness ( And It's Cheap)" explores how she decided to live in (literally) a very tiny house and how she makes it work and how she loves it! She also has a blog,Tiny House.

I had hit a wall with the day to day housework jobs. It was the same old-same old,and I needed a fresh outlook. "Zen and the Art of Housekeeping" by Lauren Cassel Brownhill offered new insight into making what seems like a daily chore into something far more meaningful.

Those are some of the books that I have found inspirational and helped refresh my spirit. Even if they go further I will go,I can still glean fabulous insight and apply their ideas to our lifestyle.

What books do you find inspirational?

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!!!