A Familiar Scent

Do you have a certain scent that brings back precious memories? It’s amazing how smells can transport us back in the past or right beside a special person we knew! It could be the Patchouli perfume that your grandma wore that instantly brings you back to the days that you could speak with her or the sweet smell of butterscotch candies that your grandpa had hidden in his pocket for special occasions.

 

My favorite scent that evokes memories is chimney smoke. I know that’s strange but it is something that sticks with me. It reminds me of comforting days in my childhood. Our family always had a fireplace or wood stove. Playing outside I couldn’t help but notice it’s pungent odor. It meant warmth and tranquility, for when I went inside, we gathered around the fire. A sure sign of fall and winter, the smokey scent was exhilarating amid the chilly air.

 
Wisps of gray curly smoke plummets from the chimney. Sometimes it shoots straight up and others whips north, depending on the wind direction. It makes a whimsical path in the sky and really is beautiful to me. Despite its beauty and necessity on this cold day, it’s familiar scent is what affects me to my inner core!

 

 

Chimney smoke has a distinct smell combined with fresh air outside. It also reminds me of my Grandpa’s camp long ago, in Vermont. It’s smell brings me back there where I played one day with my cousins. The only memory I have, other than playing with my cousins, is the chimney smoke.

 
On winter days, when returning from home the first sight I see is chimney smoke pluming upward. It means my home is warm and waiting for me. It means piles of cut wood will be neatly stacked in the log carrier and my husband and I will have to retrieve more from the outside wood stash.

 

 

On frigid days coasting down the hill towards work, I enter the bowels of a small town. Chimney tops from street to street are working with their flow of smoke. My favorite scent that evokes memories is chimney smoke and I can actually smell it from a nearby home, through the car window. This sight is comforting, the fact that townsmen are warm during the winter. Although It’s a basic necessity, something some people suffer without.

 

 

Notice what scents bring you back in time, to comforting memories and people. Our senses truly serve us well to connect to thoughts and memories that may have passed on to oblivion if we didn’t have them.

Daily Prompt: Scent

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/2017/01/31/scent/

All My Best,
Heart and Soul

Courage is…

 

Taken from HealthyPlace.com

 

 

 

 

I believe courage lives within all of us but not everyone lives in it’s truth or knows how to tap into it. Maybe you practice everything with a breath of courage waving a flag, that dominates everything you do. Perhaps you’re the type of person who has it tucked away humbly and sometimes it surfaces with a powerful force. Its overflow may surprise the heck out of you and it changes you and your self image. Maybe you are tougher than you thought!

 

Sometimes I feel like the famous cowardly lion and others I surprise myself from my bravery battery. When I do act and live in courage, it’s from my faith in God. He helps me stand strong and take anything life throws at me. When I try to depend on merely myself, it doesn’t always work the way I would like.

 

Courage is…

when your primary decision is life changing and you must buckle down and change your life. You do this in silence and by yourself.

Courage is…

the woman who’s fighting cancer but she’s still going through life, giving to others, working, loving and still praying. While she battles illness, she does so with a smile.( Laura)
Courage is…

getting up and showing up and being there for others during trying times.

Courage is…

standing up for what you believe in even if it means losing friends or causing conflicts. Courage is doing what is right even if it feels like you’re losing control of your comfort, but you know you need to do it.

Courage is…

mending relationships with family, friends or coworkers and swallowing your pride and saying a heartfelt apology.
Courage lies within all of us…deep down in your gut or in that smile you forced yourself to make.

I pray that you discover bravery within you, when it’s needed. I was tested this week and unfortunately I wasn’t as brave as I could have been. The story is for another post but I’ll say it happened in the middle of the night and I thought someone stole my car, right out of my driveway. I’ll post that story soon.
All My Best,

Heart and Soul 💜

A Winter Walk

My husband and I were on a carefree Saturday afternoon drive on local back roads, looking for the perfect photo opportunity. Recently I’ve penned a post about trees, all alone in their environment and what they remind me of and how striking they are to me. ( to be posted soon) For a few days now I have been on a mini quest for promising photographs of these trees, with no avail. Although our search was a dead end, we were in a peaceful and quiet daze.

There’s something special about a winter afternoon walk!

On a back road in  a nearby quaint village , Tom spied a snowy laced road that’s not maintained in the winter. His recollection was that he had hiked up there years ago and that an older woman lived up there in the summer months.

It was a cloudy yet mild day, the kind of day that beckons you to enjoy nature’s offering. We decided that a simple walk was what we truly needed. It would be a chance to stretch and breathe in silence and nature. We slogged in a scattered trail of footprints in the snow and proceeded to climb the slope. The spindly branches framed the road as the snow tread ground resembled a glittery web of white. Tom discovered deer tracks cast in the white powder and we followed their trail with our observant eyes. Dog tracks appeared as well, an indication that neighbors walked their furry friends a time or two.

This is the road adjoining the slope that’s not maintained. Such beauty and I’m so grateful to live nearby!

There’s something humbling about a simple dirt road. It’s a subtle symphony of natural peace, where you can explore by foot or wheels. The road paves the way for personal thoughts of a tranquil nature. Solutions can be born here and problems fade away to dust. An anxious heartbeat slows to comfort as this world is calming and medicinal.

Upon walking back down the hill, an older man appeared. For a minute I wondered if it was his property or if he would ask us to leave. Coming closer to him, an immediate kindness alleviated my fears. He asked us if we had walked to the cabin. “ No, We just went halfway up, but maybe we can check it out when spring arrives,” I responded. ( It was a little slippery and I didn’t want to fall and make my back worse.)

Tom enjoying the trek.

The man told us that he lived just a bit down the road and liked to hike up there. He had a recent foot injury, so we told him to be careful. Walking away, he favored that foot but was going to make the best of it. We wished him well and I thought how fortunate that God had placed him in our path that day!

All My Best,

Heart and Soul

Petrified of Pie Baking

My less than perfect cherry pie with a lattice crust and a cherry blowout.

If anything intimidates me in the kitchen, it’s pie baking. It all starts from mixing the dough perfectly to the rolling step and lastly fitting the crust over the pie. Because of these fears, most of the time I’ve stayed away from pies and baked cakes and cookies instead.

My first pie baked when I was 24 years old!

I remember that first pie I crafted. I was 24 and living in our apartment in a tight kitchen place but got this desire to bake an apple pie. I got the recipe from Theo, my mother in law and away I worked. Truthfully it came out magnificent for my first one and received compliments and an empty plate from Tom. The crust came out perfect the first time but it wouldn’t last.

Here is the apple pie recipe Theo shared with me. It makes a delicious pie, using honey!

1/3 cup honey

2 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon, I use 1 Tbsp cinnamon. It depends on your preference

2 Tbsp corn starch

dash salt

6-8 medium cooking apples (7 1/2 cups)

1 beaten egg for brushing over crust

coarse sugar to sprinkle atop crust

Place aluminum foil or pie guard around crust for first 30 minutes and remove after that.

Peel and slice apples. Add sugar and honey and spices. Coat with corn starch. Mix all together and place in prepared pie crust. Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower to 350 F. Continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and apples are soft.

My cherry pie from Thanksgiving. The edges need some work but the pie was really tasty!

For years I’ve played the struggle game, mixing and measuring, holding my breath so it wouldn’t fall apart. No matter what I’ve tried it doesn’t come out right. Now 23 years have flown by and I think I got it right. I’m not stating it’s perfect but pretty darn good!

 

 
Back in November my mom shared a pie recipe that she had. I was skeptical…every time I’m optimistic about crafting the crust, it becomes a horror show! Yet, I managed  to bake a nice pie…with the best pie crust I’ve ever made!

Here is the recipe and believe it or not, it has vinegar as an ingredient!
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
½ cup ice water
¾ cup Crisco shortening

Mix flour together with salt and sugar. Add Crisco and work in dough, until crumbly. You can use a pastry blender or two knives. Add vinegar to ½ cup of ice water. Sprinkle a little at a time, moisten and gather dough together. Form two balls in bowl. Roll out on floured surface.

My next challenge is making the crust look halfway decent on the pie. The edges can be difficult but I’m going to practice and see how it goes. There are many decorative edges you can craft, from using a corkscrew, fork, pinching the crust and using the back of a spoon to make different designs.

Do you have trouble with your pie crust? Do you have any little pie crust secrets to share with me?

All My Best,

Heart and Soul

Being a Mama

 

 

 

This was written long ago in 2006 when my boys were much younger. I found this in my journal recently and wanted to share it with all the young mothers and older ones too. If you’re a mom or dad, you know these feelings!

 

 

Being a Mama
It’s the best gut wrenching, yet exhilarating feeling
that can suck you breathless and your mind reeling
It sometimes makes you entirely ecstatic
And other times a complete fanatic
But in the hushed moments of the night
I hear their soft breathing, they’re all right
As they toss their little heads
On their pillows long after being fed
This love that I hold is the most giving
I know this intensity is truly living

 

Being grateful for this little family of joys
I feel so much pride from my two little boys
I’m proud of their dimpled smiles and loose teeth
Even their messy hairdos with little ears beneath
Their uncombed hair and one son’s hilarious cry
To skip any combing, that look in his eye

“ Mom! Really! No one combs their hair!!!!!”

I’m so happy that I recorded this in one of my journals from a few years back. I would’ve forgotten those famous words and may have to remind my son that he spoke them. Haha. Thanks, Dylan for reminding me of what’s important!

All My Best,

Heart and Soul❤️

Winter Musing

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m a New Englander, born in New Hampshire and have lived here most of my life. Therefore winter is a way of life, a nice exhilarating change of season and beautiful in so many ways. While many residents complain about winter, I enjoy it and welcome it for these reasons :

 

 

 

Sparkling crystals of snow embellishing the ground

and the trees wear it as a pure ivory gown

It’s a picture postcard of spectacular white

 

Inhale frigid air

Bringing zest to life

Exhale steamy puffs

A furry knit hat toppin your noggin’

Snug and smooth mittens, a matching pair

A wooly plaid scarf wrapped around your neck

Itchy but warm

Enchanting snowflakes

falling lazily from the heavens

Children giggling and romping

Gliding down hills

slippery sledding

Grasping their sleds as they race up again

A blazing fire raging in the stove

The warming of hands and toes

only to suit up in comfy pajamas

and new slippers

Snug rolled up in flannel soft sheets

Glance out the window

to find a coal black night

with blinking stars peeking out

The warmth of family in a little house

nestled amid piles of glistening snow.

Embrace the very essence of winter

and welcome all it’s majesties

Oh, what a magical delight!
All My Best,

Heart and Soul ☃

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love is Love ❤️

 

 

 

Love is just that, simply love.

It has no boundaries or rules, but just is.

You shouldn’t  judge someone’s love or try to measure it’s caliber.

As imperfect humans, do we have the right to gauge someone’s love?

Absolutely not!

Is it right to try to compare degrees of love

or lessen its power by competition?

Should we suspect one love to be stronger than another?

My sister and I 

The next time someone tries to compare your feelings of love or lessen them, dismiss the conversation.

It’s not even worth the words.
Say a prayer for that person to quit comparing.

I love my husband with all my heart and always will.

I also love both my sons so much, each one is special in different ways and I feel blessed to have them both in my life.

I would be hurt if anyone ever tried to judge my feelings or compare it to others.
Love is no one else’s business but yours.

Love with all your heart.

Exceed expectations and

forget the negative energy suckers,

who try to take it away from you.

No one has that right.

Love is powerful and true, not to be judged or compared. It just is.

 

All My Best,

Heart and Soul 💗

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Husband, the Snowplow Man

In the heart of a storm snow swirls and whipping wind blows drifts all over roads and driveways. As it accumulates I’m either at work or at home watching through my windows. The only time that I brave that kind of weather is when I have to work. But I know a man who is out in it constantly. He’s my husband and he’s the snowplow man.

 

Taken from TimeWarpWife.com via Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

My guy is one of thousands ( maybe more) of snowplow operators, who work tedious hours on end so you can travel safely on the road. As a matter of fact, last week we had two winter storms. One night he worked from 6:00 am to 4:00 am the next day with a couple of hours off in between, and another he plowed and sanded from 1:00 am until 7:00 am, after working all day. Yet ,he never complains but continues to serve his community with a profound love for the job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our snowy yard

 

 

 

 
Do you notice and acknowledge the hefty snowplows that push mounds of snow? All winter town and state plow operators lay down salt or sand, push endless amounts of snow and sometimes help people that are stuck off the roads or in snow banks. Their commitment to work is unreal. Here I am nestled in a warm house watching outside like a snow globe and they sit high up in a rattling loud truck for hours on end. Many times they work without sleep or hot food.

 

 

One of my favorite books is  Kate Braestrup’s book, Beginner’s Grace. Kate is a Maine Fish and Game Chaplain who is called upon to pray for the deceased or for families of lost hikers and such. In her book she offers some great prayers and blessings for different occasions. One prayer she shares is to be said at the sound of a siren.
God grant courage to those who suffer,
Strength and peace to those who help.
Amen.

I always think of this prayer and adapt it when Tom and other snowplow operators are out in a storm.

 

God protect Tom and all snow removal operators

as they work steadily

Grant them courage and strength as they battle the snow

please help people slow down

On snowy, icy  roads

for everyone’s safety.
Amen
The next time you are driving in a snowstorm, please slow down and be cognizant of plow trucks! They are trying to do their jobs and take care of the roads and any vehicle complications can be a danger to you and them. Like you, most snowplow operators have families waiting for them at home.

 

God Bless and stay safe in winter storms.

 

Happy first anniversary to me! One year ago I launched my little blog about country life in my corner of the world. Thank you to all of you for reading my posts, commenting and following me! By allowing emails or following me, you invest and believe in me and I don’t take that lightly. It means the world to me for your time and motivates me to write. I look forward to sharing more stories with you as I move forward and welcome ideas or follow- ups to older posts. 🎉🎉🎉🎉

All My Best,
Heart and Soul ❤️

Empty Nest Leftovers

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never liked leftovers as a child or young adult. My mindset was that tasting more than once couldn’t be topped. I always thought why would I want the same dish the next day? Things have changed now that I’m a middle aged adult. Tastes and preferences change and that’s good, so leftovers won’t end up in the trash.

 

 

 

 

The last few months my husband and I are finding a new life, an empty nest with both our sons out of the house ( except for vacation breaks and summers). It’s been a challenge to try to cut down from cooking for four to two people. I tried it for a few weeks and didn’t seem to make enough for us. So since I have cooking for four embedded in my brain I’ve used it to my advantage! The leftovers serves as the meal next day. Either I take them to school for my lunch or we have them for dinner the next night.

 

 

 

 

 

Who hasn’t taken a leftover meal and changed it or made it better by adding ingredients? The key to optimal flavor and variety is doctoring it up! Here are some suggestions that I’ve tried:

 

• Take macaroni and cheese and add hamburger, diced fresh basil and garlic or add chopped up bacon instead
• Crockpot chicken can have new life with a teriyaki sauce and served with a stirfry
• Leftover beef can be enhanced with mushrooms and gravy and serve over egg noodles
• Lasagna or  spaghetti can be doctored up by adding more sauce ( so it’s not dry) and another layer of cheese
• Leftover fish or shrimp could go in a fish stew ( I’ve never made that)
• Crockpot tenderloin pork can be pulled apart for barbecue sandwiches or bulkies. Just add barbecue sauce
• Leftover hamburger can be used for Shepherd’s pie, Sloppy Joe’s, taco

 

 

 

 

Whatever is leftover, look at your refrigerator for ideas. Maybe fresh broccoli or carrots could be added. Any kind of cheese from extra sharp cheddar and Parmesan can spruce a meal up. You could add sliced peppers, onions, mushrooms and garlic. Use leftovers for a rice meal, just cook fresh rice pilaf and add vegetables. Leftover mashed and roasted potatoes can be paired with chicken, beef or pork and complete a meal with fresh veggies.

 

 

There are endless possibilities if you tap into your creative side. After all, a cook takes simple ingredients and magically transform them into an appetizing dish! We are enjoying our second day meal and it’s easy to do!

 

 

Happy cooking with those leftovers!

All My Best,
Heart and Soul ❤

 

A New Year

 

Happy New Year!

As we near the end of the first week of 2017, we all embark upon uncharted waters. A new year is a mystery with many expectations and uncertainties. If you have a vacation get-away or surgery planned, then you may expect fun times or tiring healing. We can  plan, expect and foresee what the new year will hold. But do we really know what will happen?  What we can surely count on are the consistent  ups and downs of life. It’s like a dangerous and exhilarating roller coaster ride, that takes your breath away.  Every year that we encounter will be filled with happy moments, trials and tribulations and everything in between.

Last year I started on my blogging adventure and had great results. My mini goal was to write at least twice or three times a week and I think with a few exceptions I’ve done that. I’ve always written but never took it seriously or took a step further until last January. I feel it’s a huge personal accomplishment.

Another mini goal was to attend a paint n’ sip. If you are unfamiliar with that, it’s simply an art class focusing on painting a chosen theme and everyone has wine or cocktails. I’ve always wanted to go to one but haven’t had the chance. This year a class was being held in my old hometown and my sister and I planned to go. I bought my ticket and waited anxiously for weeks. Unfortunately my sister couldn’t attend at the last minute and I was stuck with a ticket and untamed desire to go. I actually went to the class ALONE! As I walked in all I could see was groups of chatty, happy women and a kind instructor in the front of the room. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but I did it! I walked in and started talking to a few ladies and actually met two nice ladies from Vermont, who asked me to sit with them. I’m so proud that I swallowed my pride and embarrassment and went, for I would’ve missed out on a fantastic opportunity and my first painting wasn’t that bad either.

You probably have already read a few magazine or news articles based on fresh ideas and setting goals for the new year. Every January we are bombarded with unique ideas and self help guidance, as some people set resolutions and some don’t even bother. I haven’t made a resolution in a few years, for the first week I always break it and thoughts of the goal fades away as February rolls around. It’s not that I can’t commit because I have kept many commitments in my life, but it’s just I don’t have the motivation to keep my goal. Losing weight happens easier if you don’t really think about it but change your lifestyle, so that resolution has never worked for me. Many of my resolutions haven’t worked because I just didn’t want them bad enough.

Have you made a new year resolution?  Maybe you made a firm goal, to quit smoking or lose weight. If you are similar to me and don’t take on some unsurmountable resolutions, why not switch it up? For a change I set mini goals or bucket list items ( I know many people are sick of hearing of “bucket lists”, but I love them because they entice you to do it now or you may never do it). I believe setting mini goals is less pressure and more fun so they must be light hearted, fun or something you really want to try or learn.

First I wish to go to Mount Washington via the Cog Railroad, a historic train that chugs up the high elevation. It’s an experience that I haven’t had and would love to see the view from up there. My husband thinks that his family went when he was really little but he doesn’t remember it. Secondly I long to learn knit.  My interest in knitting goes back to memories of my Nan Gould knitting me mittens every year. She always asked me what color I wanted and made me a fresh pair every fall. It meant a lot to me that she handmade me these and poured so much love into each stitch.My grandpa used to roll up the yarn for her and I remember it well and thinking how kind and loving he was for doing that. Lastly I want to try a new food, sushi! I have never wanted to try it until now and expect that I may dislike it, but do I really know?

Whatever your plan or goals are for the year, I wish you to live and thrive in  peace and happiness. I wish you new experiences and places to explore. I pray that you and your family will be healthy this year and handle any health scare with strength and resolve. Lastly I hope that you make lasting and fun memories that will stay in your heart for years to come!

All My Best,

Heart and Soul