The Story of Two Red Horses

In the shade of this tree on my grandparents' farm

Lie two of my friends - two red horses.

I look at this place and I see and feel them...

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Coats the color of burnished copper,

Flowing manes and tails,

Eyes bright with curiosity,

Nostrils flared with excitement,

Hooves dancing in anticipation.

Eager for a day of work or play - 

It doesn't matter which - 

They are ready to go.

One tall and majestic and brave

With a small white star beneath his forelock.

Steady as a rock, always alert to the job at hand,

Doing his best to protect and serve for over 20 years.

A department favorite who found his way here in retirement

To learn to enjoy the sounds of the country

And freedoms he had not known in his big city life.

One small and fidgety and unsure.

Full of flight and fire.

Grateful for a better life, 

But never fully believing danger was gone.

Trusting few and truly loving just one.

Understanding heartache and abuse and neglect - 

The perfect bond for a young girl full of struggles and conflicts

Eager to make a better way for both.

Brought together in old age,

They bonded and became "Two Grumpy Old Men" together.

With the droopy lips of old geldings

and day to day bickering of old men,

They mirrored each other - the big and the small.

Spending their days in the shade of a maple nose to tail

And side by side quietly grazing in the pasture.

On the good days they raced like colts across the field,

Kicking and shaking their mighty heads in play.

On the bad days, as arthritis and the other affects of aging kicked in,

They took watch over each other,

Taking comfort in the companionship of an understanding partner.

When their girl, now grown, came each day,

They nuzzled up and breathed soft sighs of content

As she stroked their silky necks and talked quietly to each one.

A warm mash, thick blankets, deep layers of golden straw,

A heat lamp and tank of warm water

She did all she could to make their last days the best.

Slowly, the light faded in the eyes of the brave.

As that final winter set in and he looked her in the eye,

She knew his time had come.

One last warm mash, his best halter.

She held him and stroked him and softly spoke to him

As he took those last breaths - 

And she knew he understood.

She laid him under that big tree,

Covered with the blanket from his days of service.

Back in that barn, she wept into the mane of that little one

And he seemed to change too.

He grew older and sadder by the day without his friend.

A new companion came, a spunky little pony

Who revived some of the life in that little copper gelding.

But the bond was not the same.

And age continued to advance 

With all the problems that come with it.

As the next winter approached, she knew he was dreading it.

The fire went out of his eyes - that spark that defined him.

And he began to trudge through the days with great effort.

Despite her best efforts, as the new year was dawning,

She knew he could not go on.

She laid to rest that friend of more than 20 years - 

Side by side with his companion once again.

That scared little gelding who had come to trust her.

Full of flight and fire - always on the lookout.

Who had absorbed all those tears and words

She couldn't share with anyone else

Through the years of school, jobs, marriage, babies.

He had been there with her -

A friend when it seemed like there were none.

Who called to her every time he heard her voice

And came to her at a run no matter how much freedom he was given.

Who greeted her hug with a warm soft sigh and gave her kisses over the gate.

Who overcame his fears to carry her bravely

Through the woods, over trails, in parades full of scary things

And back into the arena that was once his place of abuse.

She looks upon this place often - 

Feeling their spirits and missing them dearly.

She takes comfort in knowing that they are reunited - 

Racing side by side - all copper and fire once again.

What's Been Happening Photos

Natural Home Air Freshener

My husband detests the smell of artificial air fresheners.  One trick I have learned instead is to put a pot of yummy smells on the stove and let it boil for a while to spread through the house.  Of course, this sometimes solicits the questions about what is baking...  My favorite combination is citrus and "warm" spices.  I usually can scrounge up an orange or lemon a little past its peak that would be tossed anyways.  I cut it into thick slices or wedges, add some vanilla, a few cinnamon sticks, some ground nutmeg and some whole cloves in a small pot.  You could use the ground versions too, they just don't tend to last as long - this is a freshener you can leave in a small pot on the back of the stove and reheat for several days.  Fill your pot about 1/2 full of water and heat to a full boil.  Let it continue to boil for 5-10 minutes until the smell is strong and spreads through the house.  Turn off the burner and just let it sit.  You can also scoop a bit into small glass containers while its still hot and place it in other rooms like a corner of the bathroom counter.  The next day, dump all the smaller containers back into the pot and reheat.  Add more water if its getting too low.  You can do this for 3-4 days or until it starts losing its smell.  This can go straight to the compose pile when you are finished.  This is a great way to use old spices that are no longer good enough to cook with and citrus fruit that is on the downhill side.  It also helps add a bit of moisture back into the air in the house when its winter and things are closed up and the furnace is running a lot.  Great to do right before guests come over or after cooking fish.

Recipe Round #2 - Roast Beef to Beef & Noodles

Here is a warm, cozy dish your family will love.  This is perfect to snuggle up to a steaming bowl on a chilly day.  Its also the kind of meal you will love because it makes use of your leftovers, stretches those grocery dollars a little farther, and its quick and easy for you!  It makes a large amount again out of that same roast so you can feed a crowd or freeze it in single portions for lunches or future meals.

Pinterest Pallet Garden Update

At long last...an update on the Pinterest-inspired pallet garden.  First let me say that I have loved the low maintenance involved with this garden.  And please note that these are all totally unedited pictures.  It has been virtually weed-free all summer - well Creeping Charlie has crept in just slightly but he's very easy to pull.  Don't mind the long grass around it - the hubster was trying to avoid running over my tomatoes.

Rosemary Beef Roast - Round #1

Here's another part of what I did on Sunday - a rosemary beef roast with vegetables.  I had planned on doing a roast of some sort and my daughter picked out a bundle of fresh rosemary and some nice long, thin eggplant to try when we were at the market.

Fall Fruit Crisp

Fall was in the air this weekend and I spent Sunday doing what I love to do while the guys are watching football - stuff their faces - I mean baking, hahaha.  We scored lot of beautiful fruit at the local market so I decided to make a crisp for dessert.  This recipe is fairly healthy so it also works great to pack in lunches as a side dish or healthy dessert option.  

Herbed Goat Cheese Spread with Marinara

This herbed goat cheese spread with marinara sauce is a simple little snack or side dish that is quick and impressive at the same time.  In this picture, I used a homemade marinara sauce but you could use store-bought or your favorite basic spaghetti sauce.  I first had this in a restaurant and it was served with little toasted bread crisps.  I have served it with homemade bread, french bread, the mini rye/pumpernickel slices you can find near the deli, bagel crisps, and about any kind of cracker.  

Take a small 6" cast iron skillet and put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan to keep the cheese from sticking.  Put your small log of herbed goat cheese (find this near the Brie and other specialty cheeses near the deli) in the center of the skillet.  You can use any kind of the soft goat cheese but I prefer the herbed.  Top with another layer of sauce.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is heated through but not totally melted apart.  Serve this right in the skillet (but be sure to warn your guests!).  

I had never tried goat cheese before having this and will admit I was a little scared that it would be too strong or "goaty".  Trust me, if you like Feta or blue cheese, you will like this.  It is milder than those tastes and even kids seem to love it.  Great warm snack for those Sunday afternoon football games that takes pretty much no work!

Happy Anniversary

...to my dear husband.  

Thank you.  

For your patience when I am frustrated.  

For your knowledge where I lack.  

For knowing when to bite your tongue and when to pinch my rear.  

For your leadership and strength.  

For your humor.  

For your appreciation of my cooking.  

And for choking it down anyways when its not the greatest.

For your loyalty and dedication - to people and to tasks.

For being a great provider.  

For all the tears your broad shoulders have absorbed.

For standing tall beside me when I have made points that hit a nerve 

with others and stirred an angry response.

For making sure I know that no matter what we are always together.

For our two precious babies.

And for being the father to them that I hoped to find.

For knowing when to wrap me in your arms 

and when to give me some time to pull myself together.

For making me always feel desired and beautiful.

For standing with me even when I am in the wrong.

For being the first to apologize when I find it hard to start.

For holding me together when I want to fall to pieces.

For driving me to be a better me.

For knowing when to argue it out and when to 

just let me slam the door and go throw buckets at the barn wall.

For knowing when its time for a family tickle fight.

For letting me interrupt.

And listening even when I know you're ears are ringing.

For starting each day and ending each night with "I love you."

For making me have fun when I would focus on the "to-do" list.

For pitching in when you see I'm drowning.

For making sure you always kiss our babies good-bye every single time.

For the teamwork.

For loving me.

At 13 years of marriage, I think we have hit our stride.

Love you more.

A Game for a Country Setting

Croquet - a throwback game that is fun for the whole family.  It is a physical game that will get everyone off the couch.  But its a physical game that even my great-grandma had 2 hip replacements and 2 knee replacements and walked with a walker and she could still play this game with us when we were kids.

The girls at my daughter's birthday party had never seen it or played before but they caught on quickly and had a great time.  Even the ones who were losing by far had a lot of fun cheering on the others and trying to get to each little hoop.