Also…..it’s not nice. This is the sign we came across while hiking on the coast down in the Pemaquid area. We didn’t see even one little scrap of litter along the trail. Good job, sign!
Be well, denise

A Fair Showing

Congratulations to the Waldo County Kindred Spirits 4-H Club for a great showing at the Bangor State Fair!!  And a thank you goes out to the community at large for showing our club support through our annual bottle drive!

Enjoy!  -Kindred Spirits

s  

A different celebration

This past week has been one of celebrations – of birthdays and new beginnings in new homes, as well as remembrances of departed friends. It helped that there were happy occasions to balance the ones that held sorrow. The gathering I attended was a way to see my departed friend through other people’s eyes and experiences, a chance to continue to know her even though she is no longer alive among us. More than a few people were left musing about what would be said about them after they died. It left me wishing there was a way we could celebrate each other as openly while we are still here, a way also for us to be able to hear the stories, without too much embarrassment, and accept the feelings of those around us, about us. (Having said that, I also realize I would be hard pressed to remain unselfconscious and gracious in the midst of stories about gaffes as well as good acts I had experienced.)

I found comfort in the way we gathered together to honor the life of a friend and keep her spirit alive in our hearts. Our ability to laugh and cry as we celebrated her life and mourned her passing was a great commentary on this community I am grateful to be a part of.
Debbi

PICKLES and JAM

Last week it was dill pickles and raspberry jam,
This week it will be green beans and salsa.

Brine for Dill Pickles:
two quarts water
one quart white vinegar
2/3 canning salt
Bring to a boil.

Fill jars with cukes, add some fresh dill and a garlic clove.
Pour hot brine into jars.
Clean tops of jars and screw down hot lids.
In three weeks open a jar and enjoy. sue

Just To Be Reminded

YES
by William Stafford

It could happen at anytime,
tornado, earthquake, armageddon
It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.

It could, you know. That’s why
We wake and look out-
No guarantees in this life.

But some bonuses,
Like Morning, like right now,
Like noon
Like evening.

Be well, denise

Another Late Evening….

Summer nights always seem to catch me off guard…..you think you have all the time in the world before the sun goes down…..then before you know it the Mosquitos are driving you inside and by the time you glance back out the window……it’s dark outside! So here is to another day well lived and to another evening arriving just a little too soon! 🙂

bonfire recipe

Midsummer felt like the perfect time to burn the ‘pile’ – all the wood stacked up from demolition, reconstruction, downed tree limbs, with a few pieces of broken furniture thrown in, that had grown to over 6 feet.

Let it burn down a bit, then throw on last year’s Christmas tree…

Less than two hours later, the pile is about 1 foot high.

Let a good thunderstorm blow through and soak everything…

All that remains is a good beginning for next year’s fire.

Wenesday Night Potluck

The contents of the pot(chile)

was cooked in the outdoor kitchen.

The clouds moved in

and dinner was brought inside.

WE were all thankful that the storm held off
long enough to finish cooking outside so the house
stayed cool.{we do all our cooking on a wood cook stove}

The Gardens

It is at this time of year, mid summer, when the growth of the gardens become wild. Jungle like. Even if you keep them weeded and the paths neatly mulched. The tomatoe plants stretch themselves into the next row, squash ( of course) meander throughout, and the greenbeans insist on becoming so lush that the beans hide discreetly within. Are we complaining? No. Well, not really. But the madness of the garden does, on some days, create the urge to get the tiller out. Tidy things up a bit. Get control. Restore some order in the garden. I won’t though. I’ll be glad for these summer days, the sunshine, and the good soil that has nurtured these plants from the get go. The bounty from it all will be brought in and devoured and appreciated. It will. Too soon, bare ground will reappear and the color green will become absent from our landscape. Let the jungle go! The madness of summer rule! And be at peace with chaos.

Another Blissful Evening

Perhaps a perfect ending to a long day…….