Ok-so I had lots of free time on my hands to blog today. Photos will make more sense if you scroll to the bottom to my first post titled Thoughts from New York and read in chronological order ending with the pics.
About photos--I had a nice slide show madeup on that place I have always used but could not get it to download to my blog. I wonder if they are on the "outs" with blogger or something because it was not the same easy download as always before. So I just added some photos to my blog myself--but I am not too good at lining them up nicely. Desperately need some help from Jenny on this. Hope you enjoy the photos anyway. I took hundreds--it is just so incredibly colorful and pretty here--I cannot get enough.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
More New York photos
We celebrated our anniversary at Babe's with family. Josh/Kim in forefront.
Can you see the skyline of New York City?
wild geese on the reservoir we walk to
hills near Barb's house
House on island in Brant Lake
Don's family's camp house at Brant Lake
colorful country lane
mist over mountains near our B&B
really old cemetary and pretty farm
What I Love about the Northeast
Don and I took a couple of days to drive up into the Adirondacks to celebrate our 5th anniversary. These are a few of the things I love about the northeast--namely New York state--especially in the Hudson River valley, the Catskills and the Adirondacks. We followed route 9W along the Hudson River, through Albany and to our destination of Brant Lake. As a child, Don and his family spent every summer on Brant lake in a little camp house they owned. Those are his favorite childhood memories. I will post pictures when I get home. The autumn leaves were breathtaking. We had sunshine, rain and snow flurries in our two day travels. Stayed a night in a countryside Bed and Breakfast and had a wonderful time. Following are bullets listing my favorite things in the north.
- small delis everywhere
- old, old cemetaries
- old buildings with great architecture and character
- mom and pop groceries
- family owned butcher shops, bakeries, hardware stores
- general stores that have not changed too much
- very, very few Walmarts
- Dunkin Donuts coffee--tell them coffee with milk and sugar and you get the best cup ever
- lots of small, local bars and grills--you know, nice friendly neighborhood hang-outs where you can share your troubles with friends over a cold beer and a hot sandwich.
- Sam Adam's Octoberfest beer--ok--, I have drank more beer here than the rest of the year put together--but it is so good--one at a time will do me--but I really have come to love this Octoberfest beer.
- Farmer's Markets--with big bushels of all kinds of apples--varieties we never hear of back home. And crates of assorted weird shaped squash, and pears, and tons of pumpkins--really giant ones and little baby ones and lots of fall flowers everywhere.
- fresh apple cider
- Diners--they are known for their diners here and I love them. Just plain, good down home food served in a local atmosphere.
- many small old-time motor courts--like from the 50's--and places with quaint little cabins in the woods to rent
- snow flurries
- chimneys with smoke coming out of them
- front porches--everyone here decorates for autumn--lots of scarecrows, pumpkins, autumn wreaths, Halloween decor, shocks of corn, Indian corn
- Adirondack chairs
- town halls
- all the small towns and villages have character--not generic like so many of our cities--they are quaint, homey, and show community pride
- downtowns that are still vibrant and alive--old buildings are treasured and still in use
- old (one movie) movie theatres and even drive-in theatres are still functioning
- American flags--so many houses and buildings fly the flag
- bandstands in town parks
- Firemen's Parades
- old rock houses and rock bridges
- trains
- basements
- big old barns
- colorful carpets of leaves
- friendly folk
- clocks in each downtown area
- very old churches with tall steeples and bell towers--lots of them
- old family businesses that just keep going still run by same family for generations
- family owned Italian restaurants with REALLY good, REAL Italian food
- Birch trees
- stacks of firewood
- cute cottage homes
- big Victorian houses
- roller rinks
- Canadian geese
- lots of small lakes and reservoirs
- the beautiful Hudson River
- Schroon river
- Brant Lake--and the tiny island with a big old house on it
- that Mead's Camp where Don spent his summers has changed so little in the past 45 years
- woods of tall pines, white burches, and colorful maples
- maple sugar operations
- the sandy soil around the lakes and pines
- the chance of seeing a moose
- lanterns and snowshoes hanging from the ceiling in hardware stores
- wooden chainsaw-carved moose on the sides of roads
- Rexall drug stores--(they still exist)
- Chestnut street---every town has one
Thoughts from New York
I thought I would wait until I got home to write this post but found some time today and I need to write so please bear with me.
Don and I came to New York October 13 for a very sad tragedy in the family. The son of Don's sister Claudia was killed in a motorcycle accident. Tommy was only 23 years old, a senior in college. What a horrible shock for us all. Claudia is a mother who poured her life into her two kids. She was a single parent most of the time. She loved Tommy as deeply as any mother could and went through some really tough times with him.
Tommy was not the easiest person to like--especially when I first met him when he was 15 and a surly, obnoxious teenager who treated adults with great disrespect. But as he grew and matured he changed and became much more likeable and we looked forward to seeing him on our visits up here. He was the kind of person who could talk to anyone and would debate with you over issues as long as you could last. Don and I were on a different page than he was on many issues but he would still listen to us, then give his side. We were just different--Tommy wanted to make lots of money, look perfect, never age, and have the best of everything. I don't think he could ever understand us but I know he still loved us and respected us. Tommy had many friends who spent much time hanging out at his house--Claudia always had the best snacks on hand, a full candy dish, and an open door. Tommy's domain was their basement so they had a great private hangout.
How do you ever reconcile the death of a young person? All we can do is look at the good aspects of it. Tommy left the house that Sunday to go riding with his friend, Rob, in a beautiful mountainous area on a gorgeous fall afternoon. He was doing what he loved to do. Earlier in their ride they had stopped to visit with two other riders whom they did not know but just had the common love of biking to share. But as fate would have it two of these boys would meet a couple of hours later in a fatal crash. Tommy and Rob were making a u-turn after stopping to rest for a bit--the boy they had met earlier was speeding down the road in excess of 100mph and we think Tommy must have not seen him as he pulled out so he was t-boned by the speeding cyclist. Both boys were killed instantly--the other boy only 24. Tommy's friend, Rob, witnessed the whole thing and tried to give CPR to Tommy and help him. An awful experience and memory that will forever be etched in Rob's mind. He is really struggling right now and needs all of our prayers.
But back to the more positive things to think on. No ugly harsh words were said when Tommy left--thank goodness he did not leave in anger or on a bad note--in fact, the last thing he was doing was playing Wii bowling with his little 5 year old step niece whom he loved so much. He had earlier spent time with his Dad and their departure was a hug and I love you. He was doing well, about to graduate college and move out on his own. The accident was not his fault and he was doing nothing wrong--just the wrong place at the wrong time. As bad as this was, it could have been so much worse.
What have I learned from this? Not to judge a person for what you see on the outside in just a few short visits. There was so much more depth to Tommy than I ever saw--because I was wrong--I did not make much effort to look deeper. He touched so many, many people in his short life. There must have been between 500-700 people who came to the wake--each having special stories of how Tom had touched their lives. And he had friends. Many really good, true friends who were devastated by their loss. They have all vowed to be the "big brother" now to Courtney, his little sister, who loved him so much. They have even declared they will take over his job of mowing his grandparents yard each week and helping out Claudia all they can. Neighbors who Claudia did not even know, came and told how friendly and helpful Tommy had always been to them--how he always stopped to talk and see if they needed anything. What a tribute to Tommy and a gift to his family to hear all these kind, wonderful things said about Tommy.
So I learned that it is so important not to just discount people because of their brusk, arrogant manner or because they don't have the exact same values as you do--but dig deeper, really get to know them, give them a chance--find out who they really are. We miss out on so much by simply dismissing those who are "prickly" or difficult. That was something else--nearly everyone who spoke about Tommy mentioned how difficult he was and what a jerk he could be at times--they all knew and experienced this side of him but they accepted it because they saw the other parts of him as well. They loved him through the difficult times and periods of his maturing. We laughed and enjoyed so many of the tales told by his friends as they came to the house to help console Claudia and the family. What great friends! What a great family Tommy had. He lived such a full life--short as it was--he packed it full and he lived it "his way". He will be greatly missed.
Throughout this time I have seen God at work--his mercy and grace. Kim, Don's niece from Florida, had just gotten engaged to a young man who is the youth pastor at her church. Claudia asked Josh if he would say a prayer and help with the funeral service. Josh did such an awesome job (what a way to be introduced to your new family) in learning about Tommy from his friends and family and just leading a great service for him. Was a tough position to be in but we could see God using him. Claudia has many good friends and fellow teachers who are there for her as well as a strong family. So many praying for her. God will bring good out of this tragedy.
Thank you for all your prayers. And the last thing I have learned is to ALWAYS let your loved ones know how much you love them, and do not depart each other on a harsh note or with things left unsaid. Remember that words are containers of power--what you say does matter--words have great power for good and for bad--so watch what you say or write. Tommy wrote some really negative words on his facebook--"Life's a bitch and then you die" and he always said he did not want to grow old. Just be careful what you declare with your words. Be positive. Speak good things into your lives and those of your loved ones. Phillipians 4:8,9 Be real, be who you are and love each other with abandon. Treasure each moment and don't put off important things til later. Make the most of each moment, each visit. Life is so short, so fragile. Embrace it and live each day to the fullest. And to all my children--I love each of you so very much and am so proud of each and every one of you--in-laws and mine--I love you all the same--you are my family and I treasure each one of you. You have blessed me more than you could possibly know. And I thank you for each and every beautiful, wonderful grand child you have given me. What a treasure family is, my family, Don's family, all of my kid's extended families; friends who we have adopted as family--I treasure them all and they have blessed me so. Don't ever take family for granted. Treasure every moment you have together and don't neglect getting together. Time is precious, don't waste it on stuff that does not matter. I think it is really good to occasionally ask yourself: "If I knew today was my last day on earth, how would I spend this day?". But most of all--get yourself right with God. Does he know you love Him and that He is Lord of your life? Do you spend time daily just being with Him and talking to Him? Do you know how much God loves you and wants to be part of your daily life?
Ok--I better stop now as tears are beginning to come. Have a grand day.
Don and I came to New York October 13 for a very sad tragedy in the family. The son of Don's sister Claudia was killed in a motorcycle accident. Tommy was only 23 years old, a senior in college. What a horrible shock for us all. Claudia is a mother who poured her life into her two kids. She was a single parent most of the time. She loved Tommy as deeply as any mother could and went through some really tough times with him.
Tommy was not the easiest person to like--especially when I first met him when he was 15 and a surly, obnoxious teenager who treated adults with great disrespect. But as he grew and matured he changed and became much more likeable and we looked forward to seeing him on our visits up here. He was the kind of person who could talk to anyone and would debate with you over issues as long as you could last. Don and I were on a different page than he was on many issues but he would still listen to us, then give his side. We were just different--Tommy wanted to make lots of money, look perfect, never age, and have the best of everything. I don't think he could ever understand us but I know he still loved us and respected us. Tommy had many friends who spent much time hanging out at his house--Claudia always had the best snacks on hand, a full candy dish, and an open door. Tommy's domain was their basement so they had a great private hangout.
How do you ever reconcile the death of a young person? All we can do is look at the good aspects of it. Tommy left the house that Sunday to go riding with his friend, Rob, in a beautiful mountainous area on a gorgeous fall afternoon. He was doing what he loved to do. Earlier in their ride they had stopped to visit with two other riders whom they did not know but just had the common love of biking to share. But as fate would have it two of these boys would meet a couple of hours later in a fatal crash. Tommy and Rob were making a u-turn after stopping to rest for a bit--the boy they had met earlier was speeding down the road in excess of 100mph and we think Tommy must have not seen him as he pulled out so he was t-boned by the speeding cyclist. Both boys were killed instantly--the other boy only 24. Tommy's friend, Rob, witnessed the whole thing and tried to give CPR to Tommy and help him. An awful experience and memory that will forever be etched in Rob's mind. He is really struggling right now and needs all of our prayers.
But back to the more positive things to think on. No ugly harsh words were said when Tommy left--thank goodness he did not leave in anger or on a bad note--in fact, the last thing he was doing was playing Wii bowling with his little 5 year old step niece whom he loved so much. He had earlier spent time with his Dad and their departure was a hug and I love you. He was doing well, about to graduate college and move out on his own. The accident was not his fault and he was doing nothing wrong--just the wrong place at the wrong time. As bad as this was, it could have been so much worse.
What have I learned from this? Not to judge a person for what you see on the outside in just a few short visits. There was so much more depth to Tommy than I ever saw--because I was wrong--I did not make much effort to look deeper. He touched so many, many people in his short life. There must have been between 500-700 people who came to the wake--each having special stories of how Tom had touched their lives. And he had friends. Many really good, true friends who were devastated by their loss. They have all vowed to be the "big brother" now to Courtney, his little sister, who loved him so much. They have even declared they will take over his job of mowing his grandparents yard each week and helping out Claudia all they can. Neighbors who Claudia did not even know, came and told how friendly and helpful Tommy had always been to them--how he always stopped to talk and see if they needed anything. What a tribute to Tommy and a gift to his family to hear all these kind, wonderful things said about Tommy.
So I learned that it is so important not to just discount people because of their brusk, arrogant manner or because they don't have the exact same values as you do--but dig deeper, really get to know them, give them a chance--find out who they really are. We miss out on so much by simply dismissing those who are "prickly" or difficult. That was something else--nearly everyone who spoke about Tommy mentioned how difficult he was and what a jerk he could be at times--they all knew and experienced this side of him but they accepted it because they saw the other parts of him as well. They loved him through the difficult times and periods of his maturing. We laughed and enjoyed so many of the tales told by his friends as they came to the house to help console Claudia and the family. What great friends! What a great family Tommy had. He lived such a full life--short as it was--he packed it full and he lived it "his way". He will be greatly missed.
Throughout this time I have seen God at work--his mercy and grace. Kim, Don's niece from Florida, had just gotten engaged to a young man who is the youth pastor at her church. Claudia asked Josh if he would say a prayer and help with the funeral service. Josh did such an awesome job (what a way to be introduced to your new family) in learning about Tommy from his friends and family and just leading a great service for him. Was a tough position to be in but we could see God using him. Claudia has many good friends and fellow teachers who are there for her as well as a strong family. So many praying for her. God will bring good out of this tragedy.
Thank you for all your prayers. And the last thing I have learned is to ALWAYS let your loved ones know how much you love them, and do not depart each other on a harsh note or with things left unsaid. Remember that words are containers of power--what you say does matter--words have great power for good and for bad--so watch what you say or write. Tommy wrote some really negative words on his facebook--"Life's a bitch and then you die" and he always said he did not want to grow old. Just be careful what you declare with your words. Be positive. Speak good things into your lives and those of your loved ones. Phillipians 4:8,9 Be real, be who you are and love each other with abandon. Treasure each moment and don't put off important things til later. Make the most of each moment, each visit. Life is so short, so fragile. Embrace it and live each day to the fullest. And to all my children--I love each of you so very much and am so proud of each and every one of you--in-laws and mine--I love you all the same--you are my family and I treasure each one of you. You have blessed me more than you could possibly know. And I thank you for each and every beautiful, wonderful grand child you have given me. What a treasure family is, my family, Don's family, all of my kid's extended families; friends who we have adopted as family--I treasure them all and they have blessed me so. Don't ever take family for granted. Treasure every moment you have together and don't neglect getting together. Time is precious, don't waste it on stuff that does not matter. I think it is really good to occasionally ask yourself: "If I knew today was my last day on earth, how would I spend this day?". But most of all--get yourself right with God. Does he know you love Him and that He is Lord of your life? Do you spend time daily just being with Him and talking to Him? Do you know how much God loves you and wants to be part of your daily life?
Ok--I better stop now as tears are beginning to come. Have a grand day.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Down on the Farm
Have you ever tried to snatch 4 baby guineas away from their mama and her 3 companions? Let me tell you it is quite an adventure. You see, mama guinea had been sitting on her nest by the front water faucet for quite some time. I would forget she was there and walk over to turn on the water only to be rushed at by a squawking, menacing bird who looked like she would tear me apart. Well, one morning I noticed she was not on the nest and there were several broken shells so I looked for the guineas and saw mama with 4 little ones trying their best to keep up with her. From past experience I knew that guineas were not very good mothers--they tended to lose their babies in the tall grass and just go on off without them and they would die from fire ants or some other predator. So I wanted to save these little ones. Don came out to "watch my back" while I tried to scoop up the little ones. All four guineas were making a huge ruckus--these birds can be VERY noisy. I was chasing the babies, mama was chasing me, while Don was playing defense--it was scary--but I managed to snatch them and put them in a bucket and make it to the garage safely. Put them in our little chicken nursery while the big guineas were still going off and circling the house and garage with loud chatter. Got the babies under a heat lamp and gave them a drink of water and they settled down to sleep.
The next day I happened to notice another baby with mama and scooped it up, too. We had not thought about more hatching. So Don and I carefully gathered the remaining eggs and put them in with the babies under the heat lamp. Long story short we now have 10 baby guineas. And I think Mama has forgotten all about them as she does not pay me any mind at all.
We also discovered new kittens. Just as we get our cat population down to an almost manageble number more appear. I got the kittens and put them in the big dog crate cage on backporch so I could tame them. If we let them stay with their mamas they are wild and feral and we can only trap them. These were sweet, calm ones so they tamed easy. We already found homes for two of them. Now if we can find a home for the last one--then trap the mama and get her fixed--along with another teenage cat--then I think we may have everyone fixed.
It is good to be back home and with our animals. I just love it.
The next day I happened to notice another baby with mama and scooped it up, too. We had not thought about more hatching. So Don and I carefully gathered the remaining eggs and put them in with the babies under the heat lamp. Long story short we now have 10 baby guineas. And I think Mama has forgotten all about them as she does not pay me any mind at all.
We also discovered new kittens. Just as we get our cat population down to an almost manageble number more appear. I got the kittens and put them in the big dog crate cage on backporch so I could tame them. If we let them stay with their mamas they are wild and feral and we can only trap them. These were sweet, calm ones so they tamed easy. We already found homes for two of them. Now if we can find a home for the last one--then trap the mama and get her fixed--along with another teenage cat--then I think we may have everyone fixed.
It is good to be back home and with our animals. I just love it.
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