Presently in my stained glass phase of life.

On a journey of fulfilling one of my "bucket list" endeavors of working in stained glass. Have found a good teacher who taught me the proper techniques, have now completed two pieces and am presently working on a 3rd. Not ready to cross this off the list yet, though.

Long time away from here.....

Wow, time passes too quickly. Toss in a little laziness, and soon it is two years since blogging. I figure it is time to check in, at least. There have been many changes in our lives, but many things have also stayed the same. We moved closer to civilization but still own our house in the woods, too. We still have a pack of dogs, but a few of the faces have changed. We still have our parakeets, but have lost a few from old age and gained several to replace them. Ralph has officially retired but is still working half time at his same job. I still stay home with the dogs and care for the house but it is just a different house. Our son still resides on the other side of the world but makes it home to Maine every now and then so we can remember who he is. Our home has occasions it is loaded with people and other stretches of time it is very quiet. I still have my battles with anxiety, but also have times of peace. Basically, life just moves forward, ever changing but also remaining the same. It is like the great mandala, one of my favorite Peter, Paul, and Mary songs.

Uplifting Benefits of Technology

Who would have thought that I would enjoy Facebook so much?  I have run into students I taught in 1972 all the way through 1993 when I stopped teaching for health reasons.  It is so interesting seeing students interact with us that are decades apart, yet "the Voses" are the common denominator.  Some of our students are just 4 years younger than us, so they are 55-56 years old...yikes.  Others are still in their mid thirties somewhere, and every age group in between.  This is an outstanding giant moment back in time that would not have taken place without the internet and Facebook.

Another great thing is our home movies.  We are able now to transfer all those VHS tapes to digital and enjoy seeing snippets of our lives many years ago.  What fun it is to go back and relive the actual events.  Memories are wonderful but do get warped in our minds.  Visually seeing and hearing ourselves as things really were has turned out to be a much more positive adventure than one might think.  I guess I have come to appreciate all the positive aspects of all this ever-changing technology.

A Gift Has Left Us.

Lucy, our oldest sheltie, passed away last month.  She was 13.  We are still deeply missing her.  She got more cards and emails than I ever expect to generate when it is my turn to leave this earth.  

Lucy was five when one of my ex-choral students rescued her from a dark, dirty cellar where she had spent the first 5 years of her life.  Lucy weighed just 17 pounds when she was brought to us, was just loaded with fleas, had several fiery red hot spots on her body, and was extremely dehydrated.  She was so filthy from years of no bathing that there was no white visible on her coat.  She stunk so badly that we instantly had to bathe her just to see what was wrong with her skin.

Next she was taken to our vet, so he could check her out carefully, and to be sure the patchy spots on her were not some sort of mange.  Since we had other dogs, we had to keep them separated from her until we were sure what skin diseases she had.

Back at home, tar baths became a regular procedure until her skin began to clear a bit.  We put her on Front Line, and Heart Guard once we got the okay from the vet to do so.  She was not spayed and couldn't be for a time because she was too weak and also in heat.

Week by week, she began to gain weight, her coat slowly became healthy, and we were finally able to have her neutered.  There was a sadness about Lucy for several months...a depression of sorts because her life had been so horrid in the cellar.  She was afraid to go outside because she had not been exposed to that much light, so it took some time for her to get used to enjoying the outdoors.  Eventually her depression began to lift and this look of joy came over her face...this special light in her eyes.  She began to enjoy life.

Even with all the negatives that happened for those first five years, Lucy was the gentlest sheltie of all the ones we have had or presently have.  She loved children (unlike many shelties who tend to be skittish around little ones), and was always happiest resting her chin on someone's foot.

We are very thankful for our wonderful gift.  She turned out to be the most expensive free dog we ever rescued but worth a million times what we ever spent on her.  She gave us love, joy, and tons of kisses in her short time with us.  May she rest in quiet peace mixed with tons of security and love.  We miss you, Lucy.

Take care,

gardeningartist

Late summer harvest

My 4 shelties all like fresh veggies.  They get very excited when they see fresh green peppers and thankfully, with all the rain we had this summer, we have plenty of those.  Here are a few shots of our fresh garden peppers and the crazy dogs that eat them:

A strange summer

New England has had a very odd summer this year, with lots of rain, and little sunshine.  Thankfully the weather has been much better the last week or so, and the tomatoes in the garden are finally ripening.  Without sunshine, the tomatoes were all staying green, but the peppers were in seventh heaven.  Tomorrow, my husband and I are going to have BLTs for both lunch and supper, just because the tomatoes out of our garden are so delicious.   The cherry variety just pop in our mouths and release such a sweet, perfect taste.  

The dogs have had a great summer, all 6 staying healthy and busy.  On the hot days, they stay inside wherever the air-conditioning  is going on.  Here are few photos of some of them just staying cool and relaxed:

Pictures, continued

Here are a few more photos of spring in New England, gone to the dogs. You gotta love those doggie antics!

The seasons,,,,

One of the things I love about New England is the distinct seasons.  As I look through my photos, they include piles of snow, branches of ice, blooming flowers, green grass, spring buds, fall leaves, and ever changing skies.  It would be boring to live where everyday is the same.  The unpredictability of our weather, although sometimes frustrating, is (for the most part) amusing and invigorating.  Summer is here, but here are a couple of late spring pictures.  Of course, I can't leave out the dogs!

Clouds can motivate one's imagination.

One of my friends posted a beautiful photo including very interesting clouds on her blog.  Clouds are wonderful examples of light and dark shading in art. Sometimes they just seem to become actual recognizable forms in our interpretations, as this shows.

Here was her original photo, followed by what I interpreted and highlighted.

Spring has sprung!

Thank Goodness that spring is finally springing forth.  It is a bit late this year because of the massive snow cover we had.  It is so uplifting to see all the colorful blooms changing the bleak landscape.

All the dogs are well, full of energy, and having a blast chasing each other on the cooler days.  Since all of our dogs have very long hair, summer is definitely not their favorite season, but spring and fall are ideal times for long haired herding dogs.  

Here are some photos of our spring blooming bushes and trees:

Hope everyone has a great spring in the northern hemisphere.

Birthdays come and birthdays go....

Yes, I am a year older, for sure, and wiser (huh?).  Had a great birthday full of laughter, good friends, and lots of fine foods.  Of course, none were really healthy choices except for the home made applesauce.  My husband is the cook in the family and created an outstanding meal.  I feel very thankful for his high quality expertise in the kitchen.  

TCM had Godspell on Easter afternoon, and having done that musical twice with our music students, it was a nice treat to hear all the selections not slashed to pieces with commercials, as is usually done on television these days.  A thumbs up to TCM for realizing the importance of flow in a movie, and understanding that hearing about medicine concerning maintaining an erection is not something needed to be heard during the Last Supper.
Thank you, TCM.

Happy Easter!

Photos

Time Change

It's that time of the year when we all reset our clocks and slip into a jet lag sort of feeling for three or four days.  Still, it is uplifting to have that extra hour of daylight in the afternoon.  I find it so annoying that society makes rules to mess with the time twice a year.  It is as if someone gets high on the power trip of being able to "control" nature, including the sleeping patterns of most every US citizen.  I love the little pockets of places in the US that refuse to adhere to this silly concept.  The Universe is set up to run smoothly, and when we don't try to change it, our bodies are healthier, and our lives flow along with less stress and angst.  

This has been a tough winter but one filled with great beauty, too.  Some of the harshest New England storms have brought us brisk days of shimmering beauty to admire as we dig our ways out of our homes, storm after storm.  It isn't all bad.

Take care,

Gardeningartist

How a border collie problem solves:

He stares, he pounces, he tries to clutch it, he opens WIDE, and off he goes.

GO ZAC!!!

You know you're getting old when....

You know you are getting old when you spend an afternoon working outside in the cold and come in feeling wasted.  My husband and I do not recover from activities like this as well as we used to.

On the positive side, we got the little ramp pictured above completed a week or two ago, and finally got an outside ramp off the small deck completed today.  For Lucy, our sheltie that is slowly going blind, this makes things much easier for her.  It is worth the work to have her feeling more secure.  The dog in the photo is Sam, our little "Messy Marvin".  He said we did a pretty good job with the ramps and he gives his approval.  

Take care,

gardeningartist

What a difference.....

What a difference a day makes.  Today we had bright sunshine all day, and with our passive solar airtight little home, used no fuel except for the sun's heat.  Being in a cold wintery climate, a day with no heating bills is a pleasant gift.  This afternoon, while many folks are burning oil, we were so warm we actually had to open the door for ten minutes to let some of the heat out.  It got up to 35 degrees outside, but inside we were close to 80 degrees.  No solar panels, no equipment.  By just building our home facing south, into the side of a small hill, only one small window on the north side, and huge windows on the south side, 6 inch insulated walls, and a well insulated attic, we stay very warm on sunny days. We use our wood stove on other days, and at night.  3 cords of hardwood is all we need.  When the power goes off, we are still warm.  Just imagine how much less oil, gas, and electricity the country would use if every home was built with these specifications?  Wow.  A positive thought to ponder.

Hope you all are comfortable wherever you are.

Snow and Ice Day

We are having a pretty tough winter this year, but one of the nice things is my husband gets a day off and we get to enjoy the day together.  The freezing rain makes travel difficult, so it is just smarter and more enjoyable to stay in our little home, enjoy the toasty wood fire, and enjoy the moment.  Thankfully, we have not lost our power, so can snuggle in, watch some movies, and enjoy our dogs.

Poor Sam, our little male "messy Marvin" sheltie had a seizure the other evening, his 3rd in three years, so we had to rush down to visit the emergency vet in Portsmouth, NH.  Thankfully, an IV with Diazepam works quickly, and on the way home, he was just fine.  Still, it seems a terribly long ride to the emergency center when my little boy is in distress.  Our regular vet has now given us some Diazepam pills so we can treat him immediately and cut down on the time he has to be in distress.  I am just very thankful he is okay, and thank God we are able to still hug him and care for him.  Our dogs are so important to us.

With the bad weather, my husband is having an open agility practice this evening.  A few dogs and handlers have an agility event this weekend, and need to have a chance to work with the equipment, especially since bad weather cancelled last week's classes.  Presently, the weather is all rain, without any icy mix, so some handlers will certainly want to take advantage of the free practice time, while others will feel more comfortable not having to brave the weather.  Thank Goodness we have a nice large building for all to use.  Our students say their dogs really perk up when their owners turn their vehicles into our driveway and up the long steep driveway.  The dogs know they are going to have lots of fun, and get some much needed exercise.

Time to snuggle in and enjoy this unplanned gift of all being together.  May you all stay safe and happy.

Take care,

Gardeningartist

Bath Time!

Saturday morning was bath time for our dogs, all six of them!  Bathing six long haired dogs is not something we can rush.  Of course, we end up using every towel in the house, and the floors are still sopping wet, but things get all straightened out eventually.  Since we heat with wood and sunshine, the dogs are able to dry out nicely before the dog door is allowed to be accessed.  Winter fur takes longer to dry since it is so full and dense.

Today our dogs smell heavenly....well as heavenly as a pack of wet dogs can smell...lol.  We got around 4 inches of snow, and the dogs went in and out of the house all day, bringing most of the wet stuff right into the house with them.  Our Collies and Shelties love the snow, and get a kick out of burrowing under it to cool down, then heading directly for the dog door, to be inside when they shake.  How nice of them to share with us so many many many times in one day!  

My husband and I spent a wonderful Sunday together with our dogs and birds, and felt totally relaxed and content in our tiny home.  Ralph did some preliminary work on our taxes, and I washed a big load of sopping towels, followed by yet another.  Ralph started up our old tractor and plowed back the new snow that fell in the driveway, and I did the cooking (reheating, really)...baked beans, of course.  Very predictable New England cuisine.  We share our chores well, get things completed, and then snuggle in, play on our laptops and just enjoy the peaceful quiet of our home.  

Hope anyone who reads this is finding some time just to be still, embrace an hour of quiet, and discover that sometimes that is all that is needed to feel satisfied.  

Take care of yourselves!

Gardeningartist

Winter Wonderland

I guess I write about once a year, but that is okay.  No one is keeping score.

We got heavily pounded today with a foot of snow.  Schools were closed, so my husband and I spent a beautiful bonus day together.  I like it when the weather closes everything down and we are forced to experience a simpler sort of day, giving us unplanned time to catch our breaths.  It is a special gift.

With our old 1930-something Ford 9N tractor, my husband has plowed all the snow out of our long entrance driveway, our parking area, plus the whole area around our agility building.  He is now taking a quiet walk with three of our six dogs.  This will give him some precious time just to amble down the dead end road, listen to the stillness of the woods, and take in the beauty of the heavily laden fir branches spotlighted by the moon.  For city people, a solo walk in the snowy woods at night might seem a little lonely and spooky, but to us New England country folk, it is just another one of those super special treats that our remoteness has to offer.  

I am snuggled under a heavy comforter in our cozy wood-heated home, listening to my budgies chatter softly.  It is nice to enjoy the company of the three dogs (who chose not to walk), and to have some time to write down my thoughts.  This is one of those treasured moments of contentment in an often very chaotic world.  Mother Nature is forcing us to slow down and enjoy what we have.  At this moment, we need nothing more!

Our son...

Our very loved son is 35, lives in Manhattan, and likes to travel as much as possible. He is soon to take off to spend a year in exotic China. He chooses to experience the treasured cultural habits of each area he visits, instead of adopting the tourist frame of mind. At present, he is viviting us for a few weeks before his year abroad. He is an interesting, educated man who has friends all over the globe. We love spending time with him, sharing ideas on a wide array of topics. There is always plenty of humor involved in our conversations, too.

We feel blessed!