Little Free Library

    I saw this on FB the other day, and I loved the idea so much I asked if this could be my b-day present. The Mr. said yes. Soooo... I've ordered one, and it will soon be out in front of This Old House, next to the vegetable cart we are apparently resurrecting this summer.  If you're a local and you know where I live, feel free to borrow, keep or donate a book any time. I've been such an avid reader over the years, I have hundreds of books.  What a great way to share!... and even though there is a library here in town, encouraging the practice of reading, unplugging from our gadgets,.... it can't be a bad thing.   My Little Free Library will be located  on the road at the second driveway  (brown barn entrance). Help yourself!

"Little Free Library was started in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, who decided that giving away books from his private collection would serve as a fitting tribute to his mother, a teacher. With the help of a community outreach expert, Bol was able to spread the concept. Now there are almost 18,000 library stewards as Bol calls them, who have registered their own Little Free Libraries in 45 states and dozens of countries. Each owner pays a $25 to the nonprofit organization to get a sign and a number, and to be on the locator map at    http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/

It's a beautiful thing

Little Free Library

 We installed the Little Free Library yesterday!  After much thought I decided it would be put to better use located on a community property where there is more traffic.  Parmelee Farm gave us permission to install it next to their community garden gate.  I received some very thoughtful contributions from my blog buddies and I want to thank you for enriching our little library.

   I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my husband of almost 25 years for supporting my animal and community efforts. I couldn't do it without him, and I will always be grateful.

To learn more about the Little Free Library movement..

click HERE

To learn more about Parmelee Farm..

click HERE

It's supposed to reach 80 degrees in Connecticut today...

I am doing a happy dance.  Have a good day, all -

- Karen

Community

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
  - Mother Theresa

"Heroes didn't leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand: they didn't wear boots and capes. They bled and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening, or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else.  And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back."
-Jodi Picoult


“The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world."
- Michael Pollan

        *  Blogger is being wonky today with typeface, I apologize for the annoyance. 

 

  My husband and I are just a small part of an incredible group of volunteer citizens who are collectively restoring Parmelee Farm  so that this once dilapidated town owned farm can be a recreational and educational gathering place for generations to come. So many people have shown their generosity with their time and skills, and I can't describe accurately how wonderful it feels to see all the accomplishments of these good hearted and visionary people, and to contemplate all the possibilities for the future.  No one here is a Rockefeller.  It's blood, sweat and even some tears that are getting this job done, and a whole lot of heart. 

   Community.. we all need it. If you are able in any way to get out into your own community and give of yourself in any way that feels comfortable to you and your lifestyle, I recommend it highly. You give of yourself a little, and you are paid back in spades, I promise.   In these troubling times, when it is so easy to feel powerless and overwhelmed by all the bad news we are bombarded with daily, the truth is we can indeed be the antidote, each one of us, in little ways, taking small steps.

 

Updates on Parmelee:  Due to a STEAP grant, 

the farmhouse has been restored and is the new home of the Historical Society.

 

What was once a Turkey shed is now being refurbished as a pavilion

for future events for the community - weddings, farmers market, dances, etc.

Many local contractors,generous civic groups and citizens have stepped up to get the job done.

The Little Free Library is a big hit...

..and it all started with the vision of a certain resident, who created the Community Gardens..

still in bloom on this late September afternoon.

 

Many of you, my blog friends, have been giving to your community already in the many different ways that this is accomplished. Some of you have raised foster children and made them your own, some have taken in stray animals that needed your care, some of you have donated your time or money to your own communities - the library, a hospital, the Goodwill Store - ...  I could go on and on.  

 

My hat is off to you, my friends. Together we all make a difference, never forget it, and keep on truck'n. 

 

It's a new day, all.  Make it a good one ~

 

 

 

Just a thought here....

  Now, first understand that I don't need donations to start up my Little Free Library.  I've got plenty to stock it.   However,  if you love the idea too... and are an avid reader and  book collector as I am... you can help me stock the library by sending a book you have already read and don't mind never seeing again.  It can be a childrens book or a gardening how to book or a romance or mystery, best seller or new author, whatever!   I think it would be really fun to see the diversity of what we can throw together.  If this is something that you'd like to join in on, I also recommend writing your blog address on the inside cover  indicating to new readers that  you donated the book.   Send me an e-mail if you want to donate, and I'll give you my mailing address.   karenthisoldhouse@hotmail.com

Below are a few more...

 cute window box! 

This one is located in Ghana....

And this one is in Memphis!...

alittle imagination goes a long way!

Life As A House

 
I saw this movie for the first time last night on PayPerView, although it was originally released in 2001. What a wonderful film... full of real and imperfect characters, the gutwrenching twists and turns of true life, humor, humanity... something for everyone, and several clear messages we can all come away with.  I absolutely loved it...

Storyline


George Monroe is a lonely and sad man. Divorced for ten years, he lives alone on the Southern California coast with his pet dog in the same run down shack he has lived in for twenty-five years, the shack which his father passed down to him. In the intervening years, ostentatious houses have sprung up around him. He's been at the same architectural firm for twenty years in a job he hates, which primarily consists of building scale models. On the day that he is fired from his job, he is diagnosed with an advanced case of terminal cancer, which he chooses not to disclose to his family. In many ways, this day is the happiest of his recent life in that he decides to spend what little time he has left doing what he really wants to do, namely build a house he can call his own to replace the shack. He also wants his rebellious sixteen year old son, Sam Monroe, to live with him for the summer, hopefully not only to help in the house construction... Written by Huggo

This description is only the beginning... 

CAST:  Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Hayden Christensen,  Jena Malone,  Mary Steenburgen

FUN FACTS: The featured house had to be removed after filming, but costume designer Molly Maginnis led a group of parents that had it dismantled, reconstructed, and enlarged to become a library for the Kenter Canyon school in Brentwood, California. The new library opened in April 2004.

The video of George and young Sam playing in the surf was shot by Kevin Kline's wife, Phoebe Cates. She videotaped Kevin and their son Owen on the beach in Bermuda.

Lindsay Lohan, who was 14 years old at the time of production/casting, was strongly considered for the role of Alyssa and even screen tested for it. While the filmmakers were impressed with Lohan, they ultimately gave Jena Malone the part, deciding they wanted someone a little bit older.

Shared Summer Recipes

Recipes

Sent in by Chania -  "This was suprisingly not too sweet. Best cake of the year so far in my house. Watch for my note about the sugar."

http://razmatazblog.blogspot.ca/2013/07/the-best-4th-of-july-cakeever.html    

Healthy Exchange's
Calico Cucumber Salad

2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
2 ¾ cups unpeeled and thinly sliced cucumbers
½ cup fat free mayo
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon Splenda
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley

In a large bowl, combine corn, cucumber, and onion. In a small bowl, combine mayo, vinegar, Splenda, black pepper and parsley flakes. Add mayo mixture to vegetable mixture. Stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Gently stir again just before serving. 108 cal, 0 fat, 3 fiber
I believe this recipe is from Joanna Lund of Healthy Exchanges. My family loves this.

Kate of Chronicles of a Country Girl sent me these....

Watermelon, olive & feta salad:
http://chroniclesofacountrygirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-love-watermelon-and-my-sister.html
Sounds weird but tastes exceptionally good.


My favorite Guacamole:
http://katespictureaday.blogspot.com/2010/01/holy-moly-i-love-guacamole.html

 Diane sent this great grilling recipe along....

http://lavenderdreamstoo.blogspot.com/2012/06/break-out-grill-for-old-favorite.html

Nana Diana's Key Lime Pie


4 large egg yolks, beaten
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Combine the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well. Pour into unbaked graham cracker shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Top with whipped topping and garnish with lime slices if desired.

Soooo good!

 Dee sent this Summer Salad in , a beloved family recipe...

http://theoldfathen.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/easy-summer-salad.html

Mark amazes me, he contributes to my requests often, even sent in  a book for our Little Free Library..and this guy's job takes him away from home more often than not.  He's on a boat right now.

Not much of a cook, and since I'm not home, can't tap into my wife's treasure trove of recipes, but here's mine.


http://mark-marksrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2013/03/plenty-of-fire-wood.html


 Ha ha, Mark -

Connie of Hartwood Roses contributes the following:
My favorite summer keep-in-the-fridge or take-to-a-summer-potluck recipe is Southern Living's Honey Chicken Salad


http://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/easy-chicken-salad-recipes-00417000067757/page13.html

Most of the time I cheat and use a rotisserie chicken, so there's no cooking at all.

(not my photo)

This one is from my own files.. I shared it here on the blog before, but it's worth repeating :-)

Dawn, this one's from you.
http://thisoldhousetoo.blogspot.com/2010/07/watermelon-sangria.html

Sally of Whispering Hope is sharing this recipe..
"I'd almost forgotten how much we like macaroni & pea salad in the summertime. Oh, and also you can add tuna - I use  albacore, so much better to me."

1 (15 ounce) can green peas
4 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 diced onion
1 -2 tablespoon dill relish
8 ounces cooked macaroni
3/4 cup salad dressing or 3/4 cup mayonnaise, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

..and here's one from Maggy down in North Carolina, where she reports it is sweltering!

Cucumbers & Onions In Sour Cream Sauce .. Best Cucumber Recipe Ever!

1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 to 2 small onions, thinly sliced


OPTIONAL:
-- Sweet green peas
-- Diced celery
-- Mayo? I seem to remember that I always added a hint of mayonnaise to this recipe (Duke's Mayo, always)

Combine sour cream, sugar, vinegar and salt; add cucumber and onion slices and stir gently. Cover and chill 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Yields 4 servings.

PS - If you have very watery cucumbers, let them 'sweat' and release some (or most) of their juices before adding them to the other ingredients. Otherwise, you'll have a very watered down sauce, and it will undermine the taste of the cucumbers and the other ingredients.




                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At 7:45 A.M. and 80 degrees already I have completed the outside barn and coop

chores and I might just give some of your recipes a whirl today.

Thank you so much for sharing...

I can smell it

  Do you see what I see this morning?  the GROUND!!... and the scent as I stepped outside to take this picture was of wet earth, and  the promise of SPRING!..... do I hear a Hallelujah!  The birds are chirping, the chickens are roaming, the horses are muddy and I don't care. 

 It's a new day, folks - make it a good one! 

and thank you to all who are donating a book to This Old House's

Little Free Library.  I'll let you know what we all put together :-)

The Kindness Project

   What you are reading right now is post 998 at This Old House too.   Holy wow.   That's a lot of posts!  To honor the 1,000 milestone, I want to have a give-away.  I've started putting together a package to send out to the winner chosen using the random generator.  Below are items I'll include ...and there will be a surprise or two as well.

This is a really neat little  -five year!- One sentence journal -

No big time sucker here - the goal is to write one sentence

each day about what brought you happiness on that day. 

The dates are already in it.. you just have to write your one sentence.

Even in the most trying of times,

if you Look for the Good, you'll see it. 

Reading back over your journal entries years down the road

will trigger good memories too :-) 

 Two  Autumn Owl  Hand towels -

and this awesome Evelyn & Crabtree Lip Balm...

So.. what do you have to do to enter the give-away? 

It's real simple.

Commit a random act of kindness, come back and report it here

in the comments section of this post. 

If you can't leave a comment for some reason, 

send me your random act of kindess in e-mail and I'll post it below.

karenthisoldhouse@hotmail.com

What acts of kindess will count?  

Anything you come up with. 

Need ideas? 

Pay for the next persons coffee in the Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks line.

Donate some books to your local library.

If you use tolls on the highway or bridge,

pay the next persons toll.

Drop off hand lotions to your local hospital Intensive Care unit.

The nurses will thank you profusely. 

Give the next person in line your silver coins from Big Y.

Take your elderly neighbor a hot meal.

Bring in their paper on a rainy day. 

Adopt a cat or dog from your local shelter 

(ok, that's a BIG one.) 

Bring some canned goods to your local food pantry. 

You get the picture. 

Now GO.

DO. 

And come back and tell me about it. 

Spread the word about this blog post too..

My goal is to see atleast 50 acts of kindness in the comments. 

Help me reach that goal, won't you? 

Come for a Rain Ride to the Cove

     My editorial job keeps me at the computer some days when I'd like to just get away.  I'm too tempted to click on over to Facebook or CNN to see what's -goin on- but lately, what's goin on is toxic.   Case in point this morning -  You know that video I posted yesterday with Kate McKinnon singing Hallelujah?  I loved it. Shared it on facebook too.    My neighbor up the road thought it was offensive to Leonard Cohen, the skit bastardized the song.  (what?)   You know what's offensive to Leonard Cohen, who was a Jew?  The appointment of Steve Bannon.  I let her know that and then I said to myself.. I said .. SELF?.. I thought you were walking away from this sh*t, weren't ya??  Now go. 

So I went, and I'm taking you with me...

The rain is coming down today, and along with it the rest of the autumn leaves...

As we get closer to the cove we drive past a preserve on the left.  The proximity of the water to the road tells me whether we will be at high or low tide at the cottage.  The water at times comes right up to the road, I mean inches. I'm sure the road is flooded during storms, etc.  I can tell by it's location today that it will indeed be high tide. 

  This  little community (140-ish cottages) is private, but the only thing that would let you know this is the little  guard /library/video share/seasonal notice/ hut station thing at the entrance. It's cute. Looking for a good read? check out the shelves. Want a scolding if you're doing something you shouldn't be doing?  Read the sign.  Looking for a seasonal rent?  It's probably tacked on the board. 

That's us with the dumpster and porta potty up ahead.  The water was shut off on Oct. 30th.. so....

I think we got the door color and trim (see roofline) just right.. what do you think?  Next up.. new windows and the cedar shingle siding, stained to match the trim and decks.

Yep.. High tide... Notice the oyster beds are covered.  In the distance you see the jetty- the nature preserve in earlier pic  is just beyond.

   Ah, I feel better already.  If I can just stay away from the news.....   

PS.  I just learned how to put replies under comments.. you can teach an old dog new tricks, ya know.  Thank you for joining in the conversation in previous posts... I love hearing from others, seeing perspectives from a different vantage point. Unless you're a crank and have no empathy for others... then you  just suck.    Anyway...  It takes courage to put yourself out there, even when we don't agree - I thank you for doing so.   Have a good day, all -  

Karen