Doing Hard Things...

Waking up this morning on this beautiful island in Harpswell, Maine the air is sweet, thick, palpable.

The sun shimmering through the foggy leftovers of last nights heavy cloud covering has left a haziness over the wet grass and the birds were ecstatic in the trees.

I can smell the wild strawberries, the bursting lilacs from the front of the yard and the light salt of mid tide. It feels like a whisper from the earth and an assurance for my heart that all will be well.

The last six weeks I have gotten up so much earlier with the puppy then I usually would. 
Initially it was grudgingly, but it has become less so with each week that has passed. 
Witnessing the shift into spring with all her fickle glory has been a unexpected blessing. From the frozen ground, spring snow and ice to the first pips of every blade of grass, every flower, each returning perennial and every bud and leaf on the trees. I've been able to watch and connect with everything that surrounds our little haven on the hill here and I feel really grateful for that now. This pandemic has run parallel to this very opposite experience for me and has brought with it a beautiful distraction and groundedness.


The first month was tough, I admit I was reading the fine print of this little fur balls contract from the breeder wondering if I could return her and not be a total loser for doing so.. but then another day would pass, and another bird would sing a morning song so loud that you forgot you only slept four hours and aren't bleeding anymore from the razor teeth attached to the prancing demon at the other end of the leash.
God help me she is too cute!!

I think now, dear Willow and I have figured a few things out in this time, while she sleeps behind my chair this morning as I write. Our greatest lessons sometimes are taught to us in the midst of our struggles, and if I am patient those "ah ha" moments come in a quiet reveal when I least expect them.

Maybe mine came today. My lesson that I too can do hard things, a day at a time over the long term and emerge awake and alive with new life in the end of it. Today I felt encouraging to receive it, delivered in the fog and illuminated by the sun that made its way through the wake in the trees.


Smiling now in my heart now as we trudge through the routine of our morning, our new normal, together.

Willow trots along, does all her business and we both smell the sweetness and the hope of the new day, she smiles looking right back at me knowingly... we'll keep each other, and all will be well.

Have a good day peeps!!

Peace Always,
Denice & Willow Grace

Fiddleheads

photo credit:Farmer's Almanac website. Link below.

I think I should start charging admission for people to take a ride in my mind somedays.. I know there is medication or treatment for this adult attention, squirrel kind of thinking, the struggle is real, but that would be far to linear for me I'm afraid and a little boring to say the least. So, fiddleheads it is!

We begin. :)

When I woke up at 5:45 this morning with our sweet spirited, farm girl pup pawing at my head, nose butting my eyeballs and flossing her razor teeth with my hair, "fiddleheads" was the first thing that ran through my mind. I have no idea why, except maybe my internal forager or Mother Earth internal time clock rang a bell somewhere in my still half asleep mind.

Blue sky, suns out, 37 degrees that's supposed to warm to the mid 50's by mid day.. a perfect day for fiddle heading.. Thank you Miss Willow for allowing me that extra 30 minutes of rest before our 10,000 plus step day begins, because I think I'm up for the challenge and really would love to get out of this one acre sequestered space for the day! Bonus... Matt is off too!

In the northern parts of Maine the ice is just out of the lakes and the rivers are surging with crazy levels of water. Fiddleheads up in that area are ready more so toward Memorial Day, but down here it's prime time, but the question is... where are they? That's the fun part!


Foraging for food, herbs, mushrooms and the like is a treasure hunting kind of hike that can only bring positive vibes to any given day in my book. Especially now, before the bugs kick in and these lower temps are perfect for them to not be obnoxious on a day like this. I'm in!

After picking dandelion greens the other day and making my pesto I was set in motion. I started planting some seeds, created a new rock garden with hubby, planted a few seedlings that could stand the cooler nights, so understandably my mind is hopping to the "next spring thing". Which of course is... fiddleheads. Anyone who does this type of thing would agree. I think. lol

Not such a crazy thought after all.. a busy one, but not crazy. So off to the river today! The fishing of course will be an option, the pup will surely get wet and we might be having some fresh ostrich ferns for dinner!

Cheers~
Denice

Betty Goes Vegan~It's a real thing!

About a year ago I was meandering around the Books A Million bookstore in South Portland, Maine.

My apologies to my small local bookstores for the lapse in judgement. If it's any consolation I didn't buy anything, just happened to be in town and was trolling for inspiration.

Shameless plug for my local book shops in the Brunswick area..

"Twice Told Tales".. a non profit to benefit the Curtis Memorial Library & Gulf of Maine Books, both right in downtown Brunswick within walking distance of each other. These shops are my endless sources of free therapy, guidance, laughter, solace, a little bit of book addiction dealer action and just an endless source of serenity that you just don't get in the bigger spaces, no matter how many books they can stuff into four walls.

Click on the links above and you'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about and also where they are located.

I think that makes up for my BAM faux pas. :)

Back to Betty~ Well, my dear mother in law of 28 years, way back when on my 20th birthday, bought me a copy of "Betty Crocker's" cookbook. This copy was brand new in softcover and was in it's third printing in 1987. Can't believe I've had it all of these years and have used it consistently throughout. Obvious wear and tare. Nothing a little duct tape can't fix.

When I was beginning my navigation into the vegan sphere of baking and cooking I pulled out this standby cookbook and substituted away until I created my dairy free, egg free concoctions and thought myself quite inventive. That was until I thumbed through the cookbooks at BAM and what to my wondering eyes should appear... 

Well, you guessed it. "Betty Goes Vegan", or something like that.  It happened. :)

Below is my original Blueberry Muffin recipe from home. It differs from the newest vegan Betty version a bit.  I'm partial to Chia seeds and she's more of a flax lady. Try it out and see what you think. Hubby loves them and truly prefers them to the cup of veggie oil, a cup and a half of sad dairy cow excretions and two eggs that never had a chance... A sad muffin no doubt, but who knew!

I'm totally saying that to gross you out and tease, I hope you know, but this version is way more heart healthy, better for your overall nutrition and because they still maintain their awesomeness in taste and texture you can actually eat MORE of them!! Bonus!





Heat oven to 400

3/4c. plain unsweetened Almond milk (soy, rice, cashew, coconut) all work too.
1/2c. unsweetened applesauce
1 Chia egg (2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds in 1/4c warm water. Soak for about 5 minutes to make.
2 cups unbleached white wheat flour. if you are gluten free, use the same amount of your flour of choice.
1/3c. unrefined or regular sugar
3 tsp. aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries tossed first in a little bit of flour to coat.

Spray muffin tins or line with baking cups. I don't use the baking cups because they tend to stick to those.

Beat milk, applesauce and chia egg together. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once. Stir ingredients all together leaving the batter somewhat lumpy in texture. Fold in coated blueberries after.
Divide batter into twelve muffins. Sprinkle with a small amount of sugar on top of each.
Bake for 20-22 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Sometimes they take a little longer to brown up.

I don't have the nutritional details with the change, I just know they are better for you. Try the recipe for yourself and let me know in the comments what you think or how they came out!

Not to fear... Betty even tries new things.

Good Luck! Denice

The Hope of Spring

There's really nothing much better in Maine this time of year then the hope of spring. For the last five months we've hunkered down, layered up, tolerated the icy temperatures, navigated messy roads, withstood long dark nights, constant weather drama and added an extra layer around our mid section for good measure, in large measure unfortunately for some of us.

Spring. It came just this past week and followed right up with a snow storm. The trees are bare, the ground is semi soft and the sky is grey. Sounds like a sad tossed away Mamma's and Papa's song.. Well, it's here so far as the calendar says, but the hope is what keeps us checking for crocus pips, bulb activity around the edge of the house, anything that just boosts you into another day, another week and just keeping your fingers crossed that we can get a little bit closer and a little bit warmer with every passing day. That sounds like hope to me.

Soon the Mayflowers will be out. Forest flowers that grow on the bankings near our home in Harpswell. Every year close to or on my birthday, the third week in April they are ready and they are the absolute proof in this area that no more snow will come. Proof that the ground is about ready for spring planting and we have come through the storm for another year. Fingers crossed.

Easter is this weekend. Some years it's greening up and the Easter egg hunts are in full bloom outside with all the little ones in pretty dresses, Mary Jane shoes, bow ties and flailing baskets running amuck in the spring weather. We will see. It's still a good idea to keep your boots and coat in the car.

Happy Easter All~ Happy Spring!

Why Blog?

It's been a week since I resurrected my blog and it seems like the timing has been perfect as far as flow and content ideas are concerned. My writer's mind is reeling as it often does when the creative side is driving and I find myself spooling with fun topics, scenarios  interesting perspectives, at least I think so with the fun flurry of creative energy that streams onto the page.

So, of course I am extremely verbal and in my more conservative crowd of people I begin to SHARE.

"I started my blog back up".. this and that about ideas, taking pictures of everything, telling them how to find it, "click here and click there".. "follow me", "subscribe to my feed".. Oh my goodness.. kinda nutty, but the excitement is contagious and they seem to be genuinely interested in this foreign idea to them and are at least open to entertaining me which I am grateful for, it's possible they could just be being kind. Who knows. What I did discover in the last week is a common question amidst my nearest and dearest that had the purest pleasure of my creative processing verbal word storm..

The question was, why do you blog?

Simple enough right. Well, I actually had a very quick answer to that and it was pure and true and I kind of surprised myself by the answer as well.

I blog or I chose to share my writing in this format because it's a creative way for me to share the life that bubbles up around me. It's a way to reach out and touch people that may not approach you on any given day. It's my platform to inspire thought, joy, plant spiritual and creative seeds and more then not I blog because it's fun! It's fun to walk through any 24 hours that I've been blessed to have and see things that would be touching, inspiring, funny, spiritual, creative.

Blogging teaches me something as well. That I don't know squat about a lot of things and that I know a damn lot about others.. It teaches me to be attentive, to be patient, to listen to peoples stories and to be present in every situation. There is so much to learn and to be apart of in our lives and if the blogging reaches just a few cyber spirits and creates just one smile, one new thought,  inspires a creative impulse or slows you down just long enough to realign yourself and be present, then it has done it's job.

I went to the library this week, which is my heaven by the way.. and picked up some books on blogging. "Blogging For Dummies".. Lol.. perfect! I learned that "Blog" was derived from the words web and log.. hence the name blog. I couldn't help but revert immediately to my childhood memory of The Electric Company shadow people that would enunciate the sounds of words. One side saying  a portion of a word and the shadow person on the other side would finish it.. WEB~LOG, BLOG.

I hope that explains the why of it. Comments below the post are my only way of knowing what your thoughts are so feel free to post away! Who knows, maybe I'll be reading yours someday as well.

Peace Always~ Denice

For Every Time There Is A Season

 

It'll be twenty years this April that I've walked this same stretch of road near our home in Harpswell, Maine. Twenty years! That is crazy to even comprehend, but true none the less. I'm only twenty years old aren't I? Lol.. Not quite.

Spring is approaching and a little sooner this year then years past. We are open and welcoming to the simple signs of it as they give us hope and perseverance for the long few weeks ahead that seem to drag when you are waiting to shed jackets, boots and all of the layers that seem to carry more weight then warmth right about now.

Today walking down this same stretch has felt a little more melancholy. I thought about how much life has changed since the loud plastic police bikes, wagons, scooters and skateboards used to litter the road, driveway and garage at our house. Rambunctious screams from the backyard that you could discern between blood drawing or non emergent just by the sound, not even needing to look up from your task at hand knowing that was the life of boys and this was my life too.

Walking down the road was something we always did as a family. After dinner, just to talk, walk the critters or just to breath, it was a time to connect no matter what the season. In the spring though with the boys, it was always a magical time. Noticing the simple pips of bulbs that returned year after year, pussy willows at the gate or at "The McKinnon's" house. Snow melt water rushing toward the ocean, discovering the gifts that winter left on the ledges, huge stumps, old bouys, walking sticks and random debris that could undoubtably be turned into something, or so we imagined at the time.

Our family has shifted and changed so much over these last couple of years. The boys have grown up, have moved away and on into their perspective lives and other pieces have fallen into place into ours. New friends and experiences have filled in some of the gaps of where life used to be in our dailiness, but there is still a space, an empty part that I'm trying to figure out how to fill. Having our family so young and close together was wonderful and full of life with lots of activity and volume. In the midst of it all and in the hurriedness they flourished and grew. I never thought about how quiet it would be once they all moved on.

Everyone that has an empty nest tells me that, "they come back".. well, I'm thinking about that and it could be so, but with boys I think it's a little bit different, at least in our home. I have no doubt that they will visit, and return in different ways over the course of their lives and I look forward to what each of them will discover and do within all of their own paths.. but it will never be what it was again and that I've found is the bitter sweet part of parenting I'm afraid.

I am excited about this next phase of our life. Rediscovering myself at this age, a renewal of love with the landscape artist that I live with. Camping trips, adventures, entertaining and serving my community in new ways. I've even begun to use cloth napkins! Some days I do have to refrain from adding new puppies or more busyness to my life to fill up some of the quiet, but overall it just takes a little getting used to.

There is a time for everything I'm learning and spring is a time full of new beginnings, growth, more light and new life. This year I think I'll take a lot more walks, maybe hike a new trail instead. Embrace this time to be creative and rediscovering a whole other side of life will be kind of exciting and I'm anxious to see where this new path will lead.

Back In The Saddle

                                 
How many times do you fall before you finally get the hang of doing something? Riding a bike? A horse? Skiing? I think this is the third time, maybe the fourth attempt at trying to write this blog. So today, I find myself out of nets, excuses and reasons not to bother, so alas! Here it is again. Forgive me and welcome back!

I've discovered that if I just write it for goodness sake and stop thinking about writing it, I'd be totally ahead of the game. My feeling now is that grammatically right or wrong, tenses in place or not, raw or thought out, the writing of it is the most important part. I've discovered also that I need to have a means of expression within my varied interests and experiences in this life and blogging seems to creatively cover all the bases.

This process helps me keep an account of my endeavors and experiences. From textile explorations to splashing about with mixed media pieces, art journaling to discover what these materials do. Experiments in baking, savory styles of chefdom couture, artist dates for inspiration, color and texture indulgences. Not to mention furry friend expeditions, new authors, vintage ideas renewed, inspiring works, words and spiritual moments too many to count or list here and now, but that is pretty much how the blog will go. Random Perfection!

I'll try to map it out a bit, it'll go rouge more then not, but will attempt to create a weekly check in point to share the road with other explorers, creative spirits and makers of all genres.

I welcome all sojourners of the creative process and hope you enjoy this walk with me as I discover my own path on this journey of life I've been blessed to have and that we can learn and experience a little bit more for having walked through it together.