Gifts given....

....and now I can breathe again! I was very ambitious this year in my gift-giving plans. My mother in law requested new aprons for Christmas. I'm really proud of how they came out, but with the fleece pajama pants I made for my three coworkers, it made for a busy December.

It was a wonderful Christmas! There is nothing better than giving something from the heart, and knowing that the recipient will truly appreciate and use it. Better yet, I got to spend it with my husband. Can't ask for anything more.

And they were delicious...

It's been a busy few weeks; getting the house ready for winter, hosting my Dad for a quick visit to build a new shed around the brand new oil tank, working hard, and attempting to get all the Christmas presents made. But I did have time to harvest the lettuces...and they were delicious! They made it past the first snow (December 12). I'm so proud!

Focusing on the positive!

It's November 21st, and I've still got greens growing in my cold frame. That big one in the back is definitely ready to eat. I'm so proud that it has worked out so well. I'd really like to see these plants keep growing through the first heavy snow fall, but that might be too much to ask. We'll see...

Misadventures in home-ownership

The short story is this: someone came to our house while we were away and siphoned out all of our home heating oil from our oil tank, and then damaged the tank and the connection to the house. There are no words for how angry I feel. I don't understand why anyone would feel it's appropriate to take something they didn't work hard for. Worse yet, that someone must have watched our house and seen that we just got an oil delivery, and then waited for us to be out. Thankfully, our homeowner's insurance will help with the cost of repairs, but we are now on day two without heat or hot water and it's starting to get a little old. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Window Quilt

I finally finished my first of several planned window quilts. Our house is old (1875) and not well insulated, especially the windows. My mom introduced me to window quilts, which are just like they sound. Mine are nowhere near as aesthetically pleasing as hers...but they will do the job.

Success!

I am so proud to report that I still have greens alive and well in the cold frame. It's November...and I didn't think anything would make it this long. I think I may harvest them tonight or tomorrow for a nice salad.

I took Bunny to the state park today for a nice long walk. It's so nice to romp around in the crunchy leaves and continuously pull acorns and rocks out of her mouth. Ah, the joys of puppy-motherhood.

It's beautiful today. Probably one of the last nice days until the spring...

Happy Halloween!

It's a good night to curl up with a book (or a puppy, in my husband's case) and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Kids never come to our house on Halloween- we're the only house inside of a public park.

I tried out a new recipe today in the slow cooker- Beef Burgundy. It came out wonderful, but I'll try a different wine next time. Oh well, live and learn! My stomach is full and my family is around me. What more could I possibly ask for?

Mushrooms I have known...

Found this beauty in the front yard, proudly growing along the fence. If my Dad was here in Connecticut, I'm sure he'd know exactly what it is. I'd love to know how to identify them as easily as he does Unfortunately, I couldn't let the mushroom stay. I could just see the puppy deciding to taste it, and that just seems like a bad idea to me. Especially since this week we've taken a major step backward in the housebreaking department.

Note to self: clearly mark which seeds have been planted in which pots. I'm honestly not sure right now which of these are spinach and which are mixed lettuce. I'm not sure it even matters at this point, I'm just happy that these little guys have survived the snow flurries and several frosts we've had so far. Like a proud mama, I guess.

Bunny, I have determined, is an eternal optimist. Giant rock in her way? No problem. Medieval torture device/doggie harness holding her back? No problem!

Wouldn't it be great if we could all face each day with that same optimism?

It was a chilly day here. Lentil and sausage stew for dinner. Of course, it's going to get a lot colder soon. Time to find my hat and mittens. (And possibly sew a hat for Bunny, if my husband will let me get away with it!)

Farmer's Market

I'm not sure there is anything better than a beautiful fall day and a trip to the Coventry Farmer's Market with my husband and the puppy. Bunny was really well behaved, and it took us twice as long to get what we needed because everyone wanted to say hello. We'll have to be careful or Bunny will end up with a big ego- every single passerby complimented us on her beauty or her good manners. She didn't jump, she didn't bark, and she most certainly (thank God!) didn't do her business in public.

We ended up with some ears of sweet corn for hubby, a beautiful baguette and some broccoli for a fondue tonight, and some potatoes for later in the week. All fresh and local. We also (and I didn't see it happen!) ended up with a carton of homemade puppy treats.

On an entirely unrelated matter...my husband hasn't read my blog yet. He said it needed car stuff or explosions. I'll have to work on that!

A fragile truce...

The animals of the house have come to a tentative agreement. Bunny has promised not to chase the kitty, and Bliss has promised to sneak up on Bunny only when she is sleeping. So far, so good.

Puppy watch...day two

I had some alone time this afternoon with the new puppy. It wasn't as difficult as I had feared. I am, by nature, a cat person. Dogs, especially large ones, have always frightened me. I'm hoping this will be a really good opportunity for me to get over some of my fears, as well as satisfy my need to nurture something small and cute. She won't be small and cute for long, so I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can.

Newest member of the family...

My husband loves dogs. For as long as I can remember, he's been wanting a dog of his own. Three years ago, because he loves me, he got me the cat I've always wanted. Today, finally, was his day.
I present, for the first time....Bunny! (So named because I've been bugging him to get me a pet rabbit. Hence, the dog's name is Bunny)

Spinach watch, day 25...

I'm feeling slightly more optimistic today. The cold, damp weather always gets me down, but I went out to check on the cold frame today, and there are still some baby spinach growing! I'll be so happy if I even get one that matures completely. I planted a second batch of seeds today, so we'll see.

Since it's too rainy around here to enjoy the foliage, here's some of New Hampshire's finest.

This is one of those trees that you just know has been around for a couple of hundred years. Imagine what it has seen!

Back from Bog End

Just returned from a trip up to see my parents in New Hampshire. Their place is affectionately referred to as "Bog End". It's a reference to Bilbo Baggins' home at Bag-End in Tolkien's The Hobbit. This picture I took reminds me of a magical place not unlike those found in The Hobbit.

There is something about New Hampshire that just stays with me, even when I'm back home in Connecticut.

Newborn Spinach

I decided that the easiest thing to try and grow in the cold frame would be the cold-hardy spinach. I figured that even if it never got full grown, it's better picked and eaten when little. So far, it's gotten to the "really tiny" stage. I'm so PROUD!

Fall has come! It's actually my favorite time of year. I'm hoping to extend the growing season, so I built a cold frame with materials we already had. I found the old window on the side of the road, and the wood was left over from a fence project. The total cost: $4.99 for the hinges. Not too bad! I've got spinach and lettuce in there, and it has sprouted. All I've got to do now is keep the persistant squirrel away. Yes, the same squirrel who chewed a giant hole in my trash barrel. Not much can stop him, I'm afraid.

First blog....ever!

I've finally done it! I've been thinking about starting this for months but just never got around to it. And even if no one else besides my husband and my mom follow this, that's enough for me. :)