Thanks-getting...

 For the past 35 years Chris and I have hosted Thanksgiving almost every year. Some of those years we didn't have many family members around, so we ended up inviting people we knew (some we hardly knew!) who didn't have a place to go. We had some memorable holidays with diverse and fascinating people. 

Since we moved to Maine we have plenty of family nearby(ish) but we always still have a guest or two gracing our table, and that is an added happiness. Having a houseful of people for this holiday is a true joy to me, one I look forward to all year.

. I love bringing out the mismatched China dishes and silverware. I delight in plotting the menu, mapping out the grocery list and making this old house shine. 

This year sister Deb, Rachel and I all commandeered the kitchen on Wednesday and cooked all day. We made stuffing (two kinds) cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, roasted squash for a fabulous salad, pecan pies, spice cake, rum cake and eggnog pie. There was music and laughter and pleasant togetherness. It made my heart happy. Rachel worked circles around us, juggling two wee ones at the same time, we watched in awe.

Brother-in-law John kindly let us task him, "Please reach this? Could you bring in more firewood? Extra chairs from the garage? He was good natured and kind throughout. 

My creative niece Aimee volunteered to decorate the table, and I happily anticipated her inventive flair adding a whole new level of enjoyment. She didn't disappoint. Layers of greens, apples, cinnamon sticks, and lots of candles for the win.     

It looked incredible when the table was empty, but oh! it was even better when everyone gathered around to share conversation as well as lots and lots of food. There were sixteen people to feed, and Deb and I locked eyes and shared a conspiratorial smile when we listened to chatter and ripples of laughter. "This," our gaze said, "This is what it's all about."  

This humorous sign sister Donna gave me years ago greeted guests and helped remind them proper gathering etiquette. My birth family needed this sign, because many a holiday dinner was ruined with heated political debates. I don't miss those! 

Here are a few glimpses of the day. 

The dessert table was a little excessive. I like that in a dessert table. 

This turkey was the flower girl at our wedding. She was six. I still like her an awful lot. 

No one went hungry. We cooked TWENTY POUNDS of potatoes for heavens sake. Enough for plenty of leftovers. 

We may host this holiday, but we get so much more than we give. People bring contributions to the feast, cook, help make the whole experience work smoothly, wash dishes, fill the house with love and, most importantly, hand down memories to the next generation.  There were four little girls here watching us, and I hope someday they will make the effort to gather those they love the best to be thankful together. 

Over three decades of gatherings have been enjoyed around multiple tables, in various homes, with an assorted group of friends and family joining in gratitude for all we have. It is part of what has shaped us, and for that we give thanks. 

Circle...

 My great-niece turned one and was celebrated with a party today. There were balloons galore, decorative unicorns of every kind, yummy food, and lots of guests celebrating. Rachel, the grands, and I traveled to Massachusetts to join the throngs of adoring people who are so glad that Sophie is here. 

I always treasure a chance to visit my sister's place, the home I grew up in. To share it with my grands is the happiest of happy things. This morning, I watched them run down the long hall I once took my first toddling steps in, and my eyes leaked a little. My parents would have been so pleased to know their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren joyfully gather in this home they built. 

Between helping with party prep, I took a little walk outside. I walked down to an area that was once a fenced paddock for horses. When the last horse moved on, my father ordered a bunch of tree seedlings by mail. He found the advertisement in the back of a magazine.  When they came, he sliced the box tape with a sharp pocket knife, and I opened the cardboard package and lifted out tiny sprouted trees, no longer than his finger. He let me help plant them. He shoveled the soil; I gently teased each wee tree from its companions, held it over the hole, and watched him place the dirt around the fragile roots and pat it down. It was my job to water them all one long summer. Over the first years they grew, I used to practice leaping over them, pretending I was a horse, and each small tree was a jump to traverse. 

I remembered all this as I looked at those trees. My neck tipped back and back and back. The saplings I once leapt over with ease now touch the sky. 

The newest family member turned one. The grove of trees I helped plant is sixty or so years old, and my grandchildren are making memories in the place where my life began. The circle of life is plain to me, and celebrated. 

Quadruple...

 The Owlet had a party in her honor today to celebrate four circles around the sun —well done. Sixteen kids and 14 or so of their parents came to share in the happiness. We joined her mama and papa in planning and putting together a party suitable for a child of her stature. It started mid-morning, and we served delicious locally made donuts, hot mulled cider, coffee, quiche, Swiss chard pie, hot wings, chips and salsa, mini pigs in blankets, and the happy food for kids, Goldfish crackers. 

 The Owlet said she'd like to decorate gingerbread cookies as a party activity, and that was an easy request to honor. Rachel baked 5 or so dozen yummy ginger cookies, and a sweet, sticky time was had by all. 

I got a little crafty and made a garland to go along with the idea. 

The bounce house was up, and Evans spent a lot of time and energy running around the pasture with 5 or so kids piled into a garden cart. Shrieks and giggles ensued. 

Robin Evans (2) was intrigued by the cake, but did a fantastic job restraining himself and never so much as touched that tempting sprinkle-covered ganache. 

When Rachel was a teen, our house was the "place" for her and her friends to hang out. I used to love seeing the pile of kids' shoes by the door. They'd play loud music, dance till the house shook, empty our refrigerator, and hang out for hours. I had a little flashback today. These kids were a lot smaller, louder, and less hormonal, but the pile of shoes was just as enchanting. 

Being a part of our grandchildren's lives is a gift that we never take for granted. Every time one snuggles in, reaches for our hand when walking, asks for help on the potty or a snack or to pretend we are pirates we celebrate a little. And for milestones like birthdays? We celebrate a lot. 

"Little" projects...

 There is a distinct chill in the air, reminding me that the lovely seasons are over and cold, wet, and windy weather is on the way. Because I have livestock, I spend quite a lot of time thinking about ways to make them more comfortable in the winter and to streamline their care. I've had a little idea tumbling around in my head, and yesterday Chris helped me put my plans into effect. 

The main room in their cozy is 8'x12'. I asked Chris to put up a tall board along the floor, reducing their bedding area by about 4 feet. There were two reasons for this. The first was that limiting the bedding area meant that their shavings would be deeper and warmer. The second was that by doing this, I could move the hay bags to the end of the space away from where the shavings are, so that spilled hay will not mix with the shavings. When shavings, hay, and excrement mix, it gets heavy and difficult to move. By keeping the hay away from the bedding, I can easily sweep the spilled stuff up (goats do waste a lot of hay!) and make keeping their space clean easier. There is a saying, "goats poop where they eat." By slightly separating the eating area from the sleeping area, the bedding may stay cleaner and drier longer. We shall see.       

The goats look very snuggly as they sleep in their new, abbreviated space. I'm so pleased to have this little idea of mine put into effect. (Thanks, Chris! You are the sweetest.)

 Next up was a refresh. Many years ago, my sweet friend Chez sent me a marvelous gift. She bought a vintage silver-plated tray and painted the center with blackboard paint. I keep it in my kitchen and write a variety of messages on it. The paint has become worn from constant use. It looked like this: 

Chris kindly brought me some fresh chalkboard paint. To my delight, it took just a few moments to spiff up my treasure. 

Meanwhile, the final thing left to complete our wonderful deck project was to have some stones placed at the base of the stairs. The project is almost done, just a few minor finishing touches left. I am delighted. When the grass grows in around the edges, it will look even better. It is an attractive and safe place to land. 

We recently had the field fence that separates the pasture from the back yard moved out, giving us more "living space." While we were at it, we removed the fence between the hen yard and the back yard. In an ideal world, the birds would stay out of the backyard, but they took the fence as a mere suggestion. Removing the fence made our space look nicer, and it will make mowing and navigating in and out in bad weather more manageable. The problem was that the lovely little rock wall in front of the coop looked chopped off once the fence was moved. More stones were brought in to extend it a bit, and one huge flat one to merge from the human area to the bird area. It looks magical. I'm going to plant some daffodils around the rocks, and it will look oh so sweet in the spring. 

The flower beds are all cleaned up, the last lawn mowing done, and now it is time to turn inward, both figuratively and literally. As the days grow shorter, we can take a bit of time to rest, but I also plan to tackle some indoor projects. The kitchen cabinets need to be cleaned and organized before the "cooking holidays" are here, and the basement? Oof. It needs some help. 

We have managed to have a lot of "little" (and BIG!) projects taken care of this year, and I am tickled with all of them.  

Getting started...

 I often find that getting started on any project is the hardest part. If I sit down to write an article, I may struggle a ridiculously long time to get the first words typed, but once that is done, the writing flows.

 My fall "to-do" list is sitting on the kitchen table, and it is daunting. One thing on it was to move the firewood from last year close to the house so we could burn it first. This year's wood is neatly stacked along the driveway, and we wanted to keep the old stuff separate. There is a little grassy area just by the main entrance that was a likely spot to put it, but I was concerned it would look junky. Then I had the idea to stack it in a circle, which I thought would look tidy and nice. Over breakfast this morning, Chris asked which top three things on my list I hoped to get done today. Getting that wood taken care of was number one. I ran a quick errand, and when I got back, he had laid out a perfect circle and begun placing pieces of wood down to build the stack upon. I was so pleased to see that circle begin, I jumped right in to help. It was a beautiful morning, and we soon struck a nice rhythm, listening to the thunk of logs as our project began to take shape. 

We are both pleased with the end results. 

Next on my list was getting the windows put up on the goat house. Cold weather is coming, and (hopefully) some rain. We take the windows down in the spring so the goats have fresh air, but I love having the windows firmly attached before the cold winds begin to blow. 

In this picture, Charm, the little brown goat, is staring up at the new addition. I think she is grateful. They have already begun growing their thick winter coats, they know the seasons are changing.

The third item on my list was a doozy. The floor of the goat room is sand, topped by very (very!) heavy rubber stall mats. These mats make it easy to shovel and sweep soiled bedding up, give the animals solid, smooth-fitting flooring, and add a little insulation as well. One of the mats was deeply sunk down in one corner, making cleaning difficult. It was also a trip hazard. Chris gamely jumped in, muckling the mat with stout pliers to pull it out the door. We had a couple of hundred pounds of sand in the truck and filled in the hole. Then we (mostly HE) dragged the mat back into place and spread a layer of fresh shavings. The goats seemed to approve. 

We crossed a few other smaller items off the daunting list today, as well. Then a shower and a much-appreciated nap. I didn't need much help getting started on that. 

Getaway...

 Saturday morning, we scooted out of the house as soon as the chores were done and headed to Greenville, Maine, for a little getaway.  We spent a weekend in Greenville last fall and loved it, and could hardly wait to go back. Chris reserved us a lovely room at the Greenville Inn, a charming old establishment with gorgeous woodwork, vintage wallpaper, stained glass windows, and  wonderful staff.      

  Our room even had a fireplace, but the weather was so warm and perfect that we didn't get to try it out. 

We spent a lovely afternoon on Moosehead Lake riding on the tour boat Katahdin. The foliage was at peak perfection, the mountains rolling darkly on the horizon. A feast for the eyes. 

The cloud formations were stunning. 

Back at the Inn, we sat on the porch and enjoyed a glass of wine and more beauty. 

We had a nice supper out, thought the king-sized bed was ridiculously large, and were up early for more exploring. 

We met a friendly local and visited a bit.

We took in more beauty. 

And in general, enjoyed uninterrupted time together. It was a lovely autumn weekend, well celebrated. 

One thing leads to another...

 It all began last winter when an advertisement for wallpaper popped up on my Facebook feed. I am not a wallpaper kind of person. Rather, I am a white-paint-on-everything-that-doesn't-sit-still kind of person. But this wallpaper, with a smoky blue background and huge, fat roses, well... I found it wildly appealing. It occurred to me that it might look quite pretty in our teeny downstairs bathroom. Weeks passed, and I kept seeing that ad pop up, and every time I saw it, I got a happy feeling. I liked it so much, I asked Chris to buy some for me for Valentine's Day. And he did.    

Once it arrived, I held it up in the bathroom and liked it even more. Except it sort of clashed with the blue vanity top, which was here when we bought the house 21 years ago and was showing signs of wear. I looked at replacements and found they were quite reasonably priced. I asked the terrific guys who did our recent carpentry work if they would install a new vanity top, and they put me on their "rainy day" list.  While I waited for them to come, it occurred to me that I'd really like to replace the huge mirror that was firmly affixed to the wall. This was a concern because our house is very old, and much of it has ancient horsehair plaster walls. I imagined that taking that mirror down would leave some big holes in the plaster. 

My friend Angel was here visiting when the guys came to install the vanity top. She and I had discussed the hanging wallpaper project. I was having cold feet and questioning my ability to do the job well. Angel sneakily arranged to have the contractor do it for me and left him a hidden fat envelope of cash to pay for his work. Whatta friend! (I'll have to plan for a new project when she visits next year!) 

Here is the bathroom before. I had a funky little wooden thing with hooks to hang towels on, but it was impossible to properly affix to the old plaster and was constantly falling off. Maddening. In this picture, it had recently resisted my hanging efforts yet again. 

Here is the potty shot. 

The contractors removed the mirror, and I was right. HUGE damage to the walls. There was a lamp over the mirror that only worked when it wanted to, and it rarely wanted to, so I decided it needed to go as well. Another hole in the plaster. Fortunately, the contractors were adept at fixing such damage and did so beautifully.  Here is the new vanity top, new faucet, and the repaired wall. 

We got some paint to go with the background of the paper, and once the walls were repaired, the paint went up. The trim got a fresh coat of white. Then, today, Bill came and began working on the wallpaper project. My excitement knew no bounds! 

 

 The finished project was well worth the wait. 

I found this mirror while antique shopping with sister Deb in Massachusetts. I love the way it looks, and treasure the memory of the day we spent together. 

          

Rachel and Evans picked out this marvelous wreath for me at the Common Ground Fair. Made locally and both fragrant and beautiful. What started with a glimpse of pretty wallpaper turned into a rather extensive project, but I am delighted with the results! 

Our tiny bathroom got a glow up, Facebook roped me in with an advertisement, then one thing led to another. Beautifully.