Tag Archives: 2018

Our Earth is Very Old—-Monday, December 17, 2018

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Our earth is very old, but to me, it doesn’t seem so.  There are so many, many things of wonder I stand in awe every day.

For one thing…the Red-Winged Blackbirds didn’t leave this year.  Why I don’t know. But their joyful songs make every day of winter a miracle unfolding.

Even the wind touching on the land, in the bare trees, and blowing cold upon our faces is a remembrance of how old and marvelous this ancient earth really is

The feel of the wind is a reminder of all the places the wind has been…all we have to do is listen

And within the wind, if you stop and ‘feel’ (don’t concentrate.)

You can hear the Angels breathing

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

I Love Watching Shadows—-Sunday, December 16, 2018

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From my office window upstairs I can see the shadows as they change, develop, and disappear daily

They grow long, shrink short,

Compress together until many shadows become one

The sunlight moves upon the land making all the shadows

Ripple and move like silk

Until the land is deep into the dark

But the full sun also forms magic shadows

Shadows all brought to us by that exquisite sky

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

Watching the Sky, Listening to the Wind—-Thursday, December 13, 2018

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The sky was full of warning…or at least full of the promise of snow

Gusts of wind plummeted clouds here and there and all around us

Then around three-thirty in the afternoon

Rare flakes started falling here

The sky quickly darkened

And the ground slightly filled with fun little flakes of wonder

It wasn’t a lot, but it was nice.

Then a wee rain came, turning all to ice

But who am I to argue with the weather Gods…

It’s still white, it’s still moisture and the mountains are shining brightly today with even more snow!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

Dancing in the Crisp Light — Wednesday, December 12, 2018

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I tried my hand at photographing birds again.

It’s actually rather hard….at least for me

They skitter away in a flurry of wings at the slightest sound

Silently streaking off into the sky, safe from me and my camera

I have many shots of their backs as they swirl quickly away from me

Or I get their portrait through very dirty upstairs windows 🙂

The air is alive with singing

In a tiny shard of time

A hawk flew by looking for supper.  He is that weird shape next to the building.

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons Learned from Our Cat—-Tuesday, December 11, 2018

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Mindy Min-Min Lou is/was a feral cat

Who arrived at our house one day determined to live with us.

At that point, she was around five years old.

When she arrived she had a split lip, which had to have hurt terribly when she got it.

She survived and continued to hunt.

But she is very, very, extremely watchful over big birds and dark flying shadows in the sky

As for the Lessons Learned from this cat:

  • Fix what you can and move on
  • Your life is your choice
  • Canned cat food is NOT as good a mouse…just say’n
  • Being impulsive is never a good idea
  • Beagles make good friends…well, at least one beagle does
  • Nothing.  NOTHING! Beats a nap in the house!

From my heart to your world,

Linda

 

 

Small Bits of Happy are the Lubricant of Each Day —-Monday, December 10, 2018

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Terry and took a wee ride about the farm, just for the fun of riding.

Our neighbors to the west of us also have their cattle grazing on last year’s stubble. Their bull watched very carefully everything we were doing.

They already have sweet little babies on the ground

Tiny little bits of happiness!

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

 

 

 

Finding Wings—-Sunday, December 8, 2018

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While I was out collecting the firewood for the evening, I decided to take a walk first

Since the evening was coming on fast; long shadows stretching across the farm road

I knew if I were going to find things of interest I needed to be about it

The wind was rather sharp, but not strong or cutting, just brisk with a chill to it.

The sky was beautiful

Making my walk even more special

The colors swirling around me

On the way back to the farmyard, the woodpile and the warmth of the house…I saw a glittering little heart-shaped rock.

Giving joy to my soul and wings to the essence of myself!

From my world to your heart,

Linda

 

THEY HAVE ARRIVED!—-Thursday, December 6, 2018

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Late afternoon, as the sun was sinking over the rim of the Uncompahgre Plateau

The cows arrived!

OH! JOY of MY HEART! ´*¨`*• ♡¸.• •❥

┊　　┊　　☆

┊　　★

☆

♫

Onto the dry brown alfalfa, golden corn stalks and rustling dead weeds scattering everywhere ran the cows.  (And I do mean RAN)

The Rancher and his crew shut the gates and drove off.

By morning the farm was alive with COWS!

♬♬♬ °❤❤⊱彡 °❤❤⊱彡~♥~ ♬♬♬

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

 

Warmth Waiting to Happen—-Wednesday, December 5, 2018

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We got the call from the rancher the cows would come in today.  Off Terry and I went to check all the fences one last time, check the fence around the other house, and the electric fence at the horse corral.  After a wind sometimes big weeds get into the electric fences and cause them to short out.

It’s been a spell ( a whole year) since these cows have been here; they will be wound up and very excited searching out their new pastures…

Having the cows run through a non-working electric fence would NOT be a good thing.

After lunch, we warmed ourselves up

Splitting some firewood for the house…warmth in splitting the wood; warmth in the fireplace.

Then, as the long dark shadows started showing in the sky we headed in…satisfied everything was good to go for the house, the cows, and the farm.

Your friend on a western Colorado farm,

Linda

My Take on a 9th Century Feast—-Tuesday, December 4, 2018

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A while back I read a whole wonderful series about the Saxon-Danish era in Engleland. (Angle Land) Now known as England.

The Circle of Ceridwen Saga (taken right from her webpage https://octavia.net/  Octavia Randolph)

Young women with courage. Swords with names. Vikings with tattoos. Warfare. Passion. Survival. Sheep. And Other Good Things…


Set in war-torn 9th century Anglo-Saxon Britain during the worst of the Viking predation, it tells the tale of the coming of age of 15 year old Ceridwen and her struggles to resolve the conflicts of divided political loyalties and the pull between heathen and Christian realms. The Saga continues on the Baltic island of Gotland in Books Four and Five, following Ceridwen and her circle into new challenges and adventures. Book Six returns us to Angle-land and the new generation.

Sidroc the Dane: A Circle of Ceridwen Saga Story
The Circle of Ceridwen: Book One of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga
Ceridwen of Kilton: Book Two of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga
The Claiming: Book Three of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga
The Hall of Tyr: Book Four of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga
Tindr: Book Five of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga
Silver Hammer, Golden Cross: Book Six of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga
All the books are written by Octavia Randolph and a huge delight.  Octavia Randolph website is full of information and a free 9th-century Cookingbook(let)
 I created my first 9th Century meal in October using her cookingbook(let) and wanted to have another one using more of the recipes.
So Sunday I did!  This time I turned off all the lights, took out the silver candelabra and filled the tumblers with sparkling apple juice fresh from the big box store in town.
Then we feasted.
The menu was (and I forgot to take photos of the dishes…darn it!)

Roasted Pork with green sauce…which is delightfully yummy.  Everyone took one look at it and decided they were not going to like it.  But they all tried it and fell in love with the bright, fresh flavor.  In the cookbook, it is used on fish, but we had people who could not eat fish so I substituted the pork baked in a flour casing (which recipe I got from a Medieval cookbook I own.) FYI—you don’t eat the casing.

We also had the Roast Fowl, Two Ways, (I have hearty meat eaters in the family) The chicken was beautiful, moist and delicate to the palate.
Then, since I fix the Honey-glazed Carrots and Parsnips the last time, I went to my Medieval cookbook….(I own two books) and fixed Carrots with butter and thyme, very savory carrots. The kitchen smelled wonderful as everything baked in the oven.
The next dish was Browis, of which I used Oats, with carrots added for depth.  Browis was another dish everyone wasn’t sure they were going to like and fell in love with.
Browis was eaten for all meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, anytime you were hungry.  It was the meal of all goodness.  We all agreed it was very yummy.
Then to finish it off I made Skyr.  A type of Norse yogurt on which I sprinkled cinnamon.
I used Cinnamon because our daughters are married and we don’t need to save for their dowry. 
Cooking like this has been so much fun.  Lots of work but very satisfying.
From my world to your heart,
Linda