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The Birds
As February nears a close, I am reminded of being sure the bluebird houses are clean and ready for the March homesteaders. So much snow blanketing our backyard makes for a difficult hike up to the bluebird house on its cedar post beside the little meadow . I spotted my first bluebird down the road…
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Bread and Toast
When I asked for “Sour Rye with Seeds, please” at the bakery counter, the woman looked at me quizzically. “Sour…rye?” “Oh, that’s an old term from my childhood on Long Island– sour rye bread came from our neighborhood bakery. It’s as if my grandmother had sent me up to Bell Blvd. for a loaf at…
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Stacia’s Pot Roast
Stacia Kelley, one of my oldest and dearest friends, developed this delicious pot roast recipe. Known throughout the town of Pine Bush, NY, Stacia’s cozy, little kitchen always smelled like “Something great’s cooking! Stacia’s Polish-American background and love flavored her wonderful recipes. She knew this was my favorite so she’d make it for me when…
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Mary Ellen’s Jewish Coffee Cake
Here is a delicious coffee cake with an old-time flavor. Back in the day when my girls were little, we would have “play groups” among our circle of friends. MaryEllen made this recipe and I’ve loved it ever since. What a tasty, comfort-food treat for mid-February…or anytime! Ingredients: 1/4 lb. butter (Cabots or Land o’…
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Wintertime, but not winter blues
Funny, there is something in me that doesn’t want the winter to end despite yet another day of snow this mid-February day. Now dusk, it’s cozy here in our office with the lamps casting an amber hue, the space heater murmuring softly, Violet asleep and breathing deeply on the upholstered green chair beside me, Scott…
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The January Polar “Chill” Rescue
Records for freezing cold temperatures have been broken all over the country this past week. Here in the hills of Northwest Connecticut, below zero temperatures greeted us every morning. Donning silk longjohns under my jeans, two undershirts beneath my wooly reindeer sweater, and cotton socks beneath my grey alpaca socks, I was warm as I…
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Our September “Violet”
After our beloved Golden Retriever Bear’s death in June, we all felt an emptiness…sometimes it called out loudly and sometimes it was almost a memory, an ache, a whisper… I have never been without a dog during my adult life. Teddy was our first Golden, the most patient and lovable of dogs…and there followed our…
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Riverton Fair Weekend
This past October weekend marked the last of the country fairs in our part of the State. Our tiny fair dates way back—and has a rich history. Generations of people from the surrounding area mark this weekend as a highlight to be looked forward to, talked about, and remembered for quite some time. Many bring…
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Shadows
Sometimes I find myself walking through the shadows. Such it has been for me lately. Autumn is a bittersweet time–such exquisite beauty in the brightly colored leaves–so warmly orange and sunflower yellow and bright vibrant red. What a happy time when the afternoon sun filters through the leaves, and a little October breeze flutters the…
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The End of Summer
The still summer sounds drift through the open window on this warm August evening. Cicadas and katydids chirping and calling out. Still summer. Just a few hours ago, the afternoon sun felt so warm, the not-so–green grass crunched beneath my feet, and as I passed beside the still vibrant clumps of yellow Susans, I noticed…