A peek into the past

Monday, September 12, 1960 - Closed - Hurricane

Rent July 1962, $35.00

These items belonged to my Grandmother... she had a little sub shop called Irene's Variety... There are 4 ledger books... that span from 1959 to 1965. They are filled with little receipts and notes, employee wages, taxes, rent and even a newspaper clipping telling of the store being broken into. I'm told that it was popular spot for kids as she sold penny candy and soda as well as subs. I never saw it of course; it was before my time and the building it was in is long gone now. I love things like this... It's like a glimpse back into a world I didn't get to see.

Jan. 20 Blizzard - closed 1961

I bought myself a very similar ledger book.... yes, a little premature - but that's what we do around here, put the cart before the horse... and then pull the horse. So silly maybe... but I'm ready for the day when I sell something ... and when i do, I will note it in my book; just like my book keeping Grandmother did before me.

Saturday January 27, 1962

Rolls 4.68

A & P 3.78

P Lavton 1.88

Bread 5.14

$ 15.48 Sales $ 41.59

Awesome Art by Eve !

These amazing drawings are done by Eve, my delightful and talented friend in the Netherlands!

On the right is Luke the Boxer; my much missed handsome, little sugar plum....

And on the left is Miss Ava and Marley Munchkin.... the two most beautiful St Bernards I know!

Both drawings will have a place of honor in our home... A Big Hug and MUCH thanks to a great friend!

The makings of a good country song.

A storm coming.... I love that color sky; blueish gray against green trees, and the smell of rain in the air...

Our good ole 1976 baby blue Ford... "Uncle Jesse"... Husband on the hood, and my Luke behind the steering wheel - on what was once an old rail road trestle, high above the Piscataquis River right near the middle of no where Maine....

A moment, frozen in time - Priceless.

Miss Fiona McCheese

We don't remember days....

we remember moments.

That's Miss Fiona... she was a trouper on our "camping trips"... thru cold, angry deer and being rolled over in her cage in the middle of the night... never a squeak. A good romp in her Mum's boots made it all worth while. Makes you smile, don't it?

Stay tuned in the days ahead for more "precious moments"... and favorite pictures... and some fabulous art work created by a great friend...

But not today.... the snuffles are getting the better of this Bloggette, and i think there's a cup of steaming hot tea with my name on it.... My one good thing today is, It's Sunday - and I'm HOME. :)

Horses...

<-- That's me on Jazz

Yesterday was just to beautiful of a winters day to stay inside and craft! (That sounds strange huh?)

So instead, I cleaned the outdoor animals cages, that finally thawed out for a moment in the 40 degree sunshine.... and then we decided to go and visit our awesome pet sitter. We arrived just as she was going out to her back yard to work with her horses. We ended up all taking turns riding "Jazz" around her back yard! I had never been a horse with out a saddle before - what a great thing to feel the warmth of a big fuzzy horse, you can feel them breath without the saddle between you. (sometimes days dreams come true....)

The visit ended with a steaming cup of Chai tea.... and me smiling all over. (except when i learned that the pups had eaten the 4th set of knobs off the radio in the van, while we were gone. GGGrrrrrr. )

That's Muddy -->

Ladies and Jellyspoons

Ladies and Jelly Spoons

author unknown

Ladies and jelly spoons,

I come before you, to stand behind you, to tell you something i know nothing about.

Next Thursday, the day after Friday - there will be a ladies meeting for men only.

Wear your best clothes if you haven't any, and if you can come please stay home.

Admission is free, you can pay at the door,

We'll give you a seat, so you can sit on the floor.

Hmmmm your thinking that's an odd one... what do i say about that exactly. Well fear not my few and dutiful readers.... I shall explain.

Firstly, i learned the poem as a young ankle biter... from my mother? Or maybe it was at school. Either way, it's been in my head ever since (it's very crowed at this point, so this blog can catch some of the overflow.)

Secondly, it always reminds me of Charlie.

Who's that?

Well, my Mum and I lived with him thru many years of my annoying, bratty little blond headed youth. He was her friend since way back when... (he was old enough to be a Grandfather to me...) and we all needed a place to live... so we joined forces! Probably a decision he would come to question MANY times in the years to come... But moving on. ....

So there I am at the kitchen table, breakfast is upon us and i reach with my tiny little kid hand for the jelly. Mmmm concord grape, my favorite. Toast laying warm and delightful on my plate... I take a knife and dig into the jar for some jelly. Charlie, eyes wide yelled, "What ARE YOU DOING???" - "Huh?" I squeaked. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THE JELLY????" - "You can't HACK at it with a knife, you have to use a spoon!!! - You'll chop it all up into liquid, do want to drink the jelly????"

Needless to say I was startled, knife clutched in my quivering hand... once i survey the situation I said, "But i don't want big gobs of jelly on my toast... i only like a little, I'll get to much if I use spoon." He was unimpressed with my explanation and reasoning, and the state of the jelly.

I'd like to say I learned my lesson.... that I never hack at the jelly anymore... and I listened to my elder.... and he was so very wise and I owe him a debt of gratitude for mending my jelly abusing ways....

But I don't want to tell a lie.

I use a knife to this day, slightest little glint in my eye, as i hold the knife up towards the heavens and smirk ; pouring my jelly onto my toast - delighted with myself.

* as a footnote I should say that I liked Charlie a lot... we fought a lot over the years, not only because of jelly, but also because i was a kid, and talked too loud... and had noisy friends.... But at the end of they day, I'm glad i had the chance to grow up with him, and he play an awesome guitar!

To Chuck, I raise my jelly spoon to you, but I'm still gonna use the knife. :)

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though.

He will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near...

Between the woods and frozen lake the darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep; but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost

Inspiration...

All that we love deeply, becomes part of us.....

Author unknown (by me anyway....)

I love my drive to work... i get some gooooood thinking done, and there are no interruptions either! So there I was the other day, cruising along on 195 - and i said how about a post on what/who inspires me to create??? So here goes.

When i was young I loved dogs, and horses and I wanted to live in the country, or at least in a real house instead of a trailer... So i drew a lot of dogs... and horses and houses. Not just the house, the entire property complete with barns and ponds and more barns. (I had a plan..) When i was done, I would scurry to find my Grandfather to show him... and get his approval. He was my art critic for my entire "growing up". He would study it, and tell me what was wrong... and that I should "keep the heel of my hand down" when I drew... and then there was the ole "receding parallel lines seem to converge on the eye level".... (figure that one out when your 10...) But he was right, and as I adored him - I listened to every word he said, even if i didn't know what he meant until years later. Was he an artist you ask? I never saw him draw anything. Many, many years later, under the bed in the back bedroom in a box... i found his small but awesome little pile of drawings... I will never know if he drew other things before.... my mother doesn't remember him drawing either, but as you can image i treasure the art I have.

Of course there was my mother, who is also artistic... her style is different, but she can draw too. I commandeered her box of oil paints at a young age... she didn't even try to get it back. I never used the oil paints... but I liked the faint hint of turpentine and the oily smells and the brushes and the potential all the tubes held... and they were in a wooden box with a handle that i dragged around until the box finally fell apart...

I have also always adored Beatrix Potter.... and tried to recreate her beautiful animals. The list of artists i admire has grown.... thanks in part now adays, to being able to find just about anyone on the Internet.... but we'll leave who i admire and why - to another post...

In more modern times, i am inspired by our animals, nature, our life... funny things i see.... the odd situations we sometimes find ourselves in... (Like towing your goat pen on top our your canoe across the snow...) and in the last few years I have had to add my wonderful pen pals to the list of inspirations! Someplace between the colorful conversations, their photos and their animals - it has literally opened up an entire new world of things to draw and create!

So I'll take this opportunity to thank all the people and all creatures who over the course of my life have provide me with fodder to make my silly "art" in all it's forms!

Without out all of you, i'd know not what to draw!

Dreams...

As you travel on thru life, whatever be your goal; keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole.

Grampy.

On my drive to work some mornings there is so much chatter in my head, that i can't even hear the radio over it... This was one of those mornings. My mind races around frantically... trying to figure out life and all it's mysteries. Good luck to me. (and i don't think there are enough 4 leaf clovers in the world to cover that. ) Luckily, I like to play detective.

My first mystery actually came this morning, in the wee dark hours before dawn, while still nestled under the covers... For days now, I wake up and can't remember where I left the Guinea Pigs... and for some reason i think that I left them outside in the cold (which of course i didn't...) and i have no idea when i last fed them; and then I realize I was dreaming. What is the deal with dreams; what causes them? I mean really, like i would put the pigs outside in January.... and they would squeal in protest if i ever dared to forget to feed them.

Then, on my ride this a.m. the mental wrestling really got under way. I got to thinking about believing in things ... Some people are very religious... - some people are very green and crunchy granola - they don't buy paper towels and want to save the world with one hand tied behind their back... - while still others believe in themselves - exuding confidence right out thru their very pores. What do I feel that strongly about? I couldn't come up with anything earth shattering... I guess my "beliefs" are of a more mundane nature... The first thing that comes to mind is, if you are going to get married, then marry someone you "like"... someone who gets you, just the way you are, and accepts the real you. I believe that a thirst and a quest for knowledge is HUGE... I believe being curious about things is important... taking an interest in the past; where we all came from. Listen to the stories old people tell.... they've already been where we are now. I believe that loving an animal, and having it love you back is amazing. I also believe that some times the most wonderful friends are found in the least likely places. I believe people are in too much of a hurry these days.. and it seems there is not enough time enjoy the world around us...but i truly believe we should all try.

I wonder what my next profound train of thought will be... stay tuned. For now, I will safely stow my "soapbox" in the overhead compartment, and carry on.

One good thing....

It is the North, and as I set down these words the country lies quiescent in the cup of winter's hand.

Henry Beston

So I decided today that i'm going to find one good thing each day that made me smile; even if i'm having a bad day. If it's worthy, i'll share it here... if it's more mundane, i'll just smile quietly to myself...

This weekend would be no problem... I've been home, it's been snowing, i've been crafting - surrounded by my little family... i have Pete Purrington, purring on my lap as I type... and i got to watch the Pups make "dog angels" in the snow - burrowing in and flipping around and eating the snow!! They also discovered that icicles are just like ice cubes, their favorite treat YEAR ROUND!! :) I made some more "bird treats" since they seem to love them so, i've had so many birds out there i can't even count!

I must admit, I am rather missing a certain little farm house... it must be amazingly beautiful at Onion Patch Farm... after 2 feet of freshly fallen snow... Perhaps by next winter we will have ONE warm cozy room we could hunker into for a snowy winter weekend or two... *sigh

I am feeling very optomistic today... filled with good thoughts and loving our crafting time. Scott is making little carvings... I'm making little clay things... and getting coated with peanut butter in my spare time. Hmmm, how many days until next weekend? I can't wait. :) I love the hibernation of winter...

And now, duty calls... there are hungry mouths to feed.

Happy New Year!!!

A new day, a new year, a new decade even.... full of hopes and dreams and good intentions. Look, here's a good intention now!

This first day of January the world is twinkly and pretty from a fresh dusting of snow last night; you could make a perfect New England postcard from a day like today. It looks like someone sprayed a perfect dolop of snow on every surface. A mild 30 something outside, which is just where i'd lock it in if I could.... all rain would be snow, and i wouldn't have to wade thru slush and ruin my beautiful fuzzy boots! It's getting cloudy again now - and they promise a weekend of snowflakes, just perfect for us winter lovers! This afternoon, i'm going to make some bird treats for my feathered friends outdoors... pine cone rolled in peanut butter and then bird seed to hang in our soon to be X- Christmas tree, which is going back outdoors. (Pete Purrington, the adorable orange kitten, is starting to destroy the ornaments now... cute little guy.)

So what will this blog be about? Hmmmm - I guess we'll see. Mostly about my little world I suppose, (both here and further north) and our animals.... and my many artistic endeavours... be they good, bad or just so so. And maybe, if i can keep up with my plan, we'll add an Etsy shop for our crafts.... just to see what happens. You have to start someplace, right? And be strong.... and follow thru. I can do it.... heck, if I can go to work everyday - surely i can do something that's for me (us) AND is supposed to be fun!

I will fill in some more of the blanks, and add some lists.... cuz well - I do LOVE the list and you can never have to many... add some more pictures.... my favorite sayings.... and poems....I'd add glitter, but that probably doesn't mix well with electronics... and try to make it a fun place for my followers to come and visit.... and maybe for some other person out there... who just finds me accidently, when they least expect it. Sometimes, that's how really good things happen, you just never know.

I'm going to have to forage for some lunch now... since the lunch delivery fairy has passed me by apparently....

So, until i blog again.... (yes, soon - i'll be composing some witty thoughts in the mean time.)...

I bid you good wishes today, for the new year ahead!