Perpetual vacation

Much has happened in the past few years, but the short story is we decided to travel fulltime in a motorhome more than a year ago.  It was a long and arduous journey - selling, storing important items, shipping everything for the motorhome to Florida so I'm sure my brother may never speak to me ever again, and getting rid of the rest via donation, selling or letting the picker take the rest.

                Let me give you the short version.  Last summer we decided to get the house ready to sell.  We had already put in a new tankless water heater and new Rinnai boiler that also hangs on the wall, very state of the art.  We had the landscaping redone and steps to the backyard rebuilt.

We hired another contractor came in and cleaned out the pond, added a fountain to aerate it, then we added 6 Koi last year and 4 big ones this summer.

They all seem to be thriving, and once we fished out about 3 dozen catfish, the goldfish started growing and propagating.  We also had the decks and most of the inside repainted, insulation added, driveway resealed, and many other upgrades

When all the work was finished,  we finally put up the house for sale in August 2014 just before Labor Day.  Not a good time and the only potential buyer was turned off by the smell of smoke, so we took it off the market for the winter.

I had my left hip replaced on March 17 2015 and told my family to destroy any ashtrays and cigarettes, so I have been smoke free since.  Think of the money I've saved, my health restored, and the house smelling fresh and smoke-free! But it's ironic that the buyers both smoke.

We have also shipped 25 boxes to my brother in Florida which will get when we have a home.  We'll go shopping when we get there to find a Class A RV for our home for the next few years.

After the picker came and took away all the books and much more...

Empty spaces, everything gone.

Mementos are now in storage...

an empty house symbolized by an empty closet.

The car is packed for the trip to Florida.  Can you see one of the dogs in the picture?  Don't worry, they had plenty of room on their plush dog beds behind the front seats and the cat ran free.








And.....off we go to greet our future!

9/11

I have no photographs, they are on a locked external hard drive  that cannot be opened.  I have pictures of the WTC site, the trees being delivered to the Winter Garden after it was destroyed, views of the Hudson River from my apt in Battery Park City where I lived.  I have many photos of the memorials hung on the fence at St. Paul Chapel from all over the world, all gone.  But memories linger, never forgotten.

 

So let me tell you my story.  In the spring of 2001, we decided to move to NYC to give Carla opportunities to pursue her dream of singing and acting, but decided not to make the move until my other daughter Nina graduated from HS in June 2002, so we had a year to plan.  My father has passed away on Christmas day 2000, so we had no reason to stay in Chambersburg PA - no family, few friends.  We decided to finish work on the house we had purchased to make more living space before putting the house up for sale and moving to NYC. 

 
Then 9/11 happened.  I was at work, and the nearby Army depot was closed for lockdown.  We kept refreshing our computer screens for the latest information and realized we were being attacked!  At home Lily was having kittens, so Shelly had no idea what was happening.  Our office closed, and I spent the rest of the day watching TV and for the next few days, weeks, stunned. 
We stopped, we evaluated, we pondered, then after a couple weeks decided to continue with our plans.  We finished the house, put it up for sale on Valentine's Day in 2002 and it sold within a week, not what we expected.  We ended up with 4 people cramped in a 2 room apt for 4 months in anticipation of moving to NY.  We finally moved in the spring of 2002 to a 1 BR apt in Battery Park City, across the street from the WTC site.  It was on the Hudson River Esplanade, with views of the river, marina and Winter Garden.  It doesn't get better than that - a doorman building with great neighbors that I will never forget. The front of the building where I lived was blown off from the collapse of the WTC buildings, but it was repaired by the time we moved in.   I got a transfer to the Social Security office in Midtown off Times Square and life was great.  But the stories of the residents and my co-workers will haunt me forever. 

 

 On the 1st anniversary of 9/11 attacks, our neighborhood was inundated with TV trucks parked everywhere, so we went to a local pub to have dinner.  The place was crammed with people, firefighters and police officers and everyone was having a riotous drunken time after the ceremonies, until a bagpipe group walked through.  I will never forget the tears of grown men that night.  I will never forget walking past the pit every day on the way to work.  I will never forget the streets being watered to keep the dust down, the sound of fire sirens when a body is found, the 24 hour lights as workers searched for remains and hauled debris. 

   

  The lights of the towers will forever haunt me.  I was there, and saw them and was awed to tears.  I walked past the pit every day on they way to work.  I saw the crowds of people who came downtown to see the pit.  I saw hawkers selling books, t-shirts and hats.  It was like a circus, but I sympathized with the tourists who came.  They needed to come.  Most of them.  I didn't mind that they invaded my neighborhood, blocking my way to work.  They needed to be there.  It was reverent. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can never forget those days.  

I don't have the pictures, 

but I have the memories.  

Peace.

gah, it's been sooo long!

Where has the time gone?  Why have I not posted here in a millenium?  Taxes.  That's it.  I started inventory the beginning of the year and have been plugging away in between orders ever since.  I finally submitted them last Thursday through TurboTax and will wait to be audited. 

So what else have I been up to?  We found out we needed to buy new tires soon and needed to replace damaged brake linings on the Kia Sportage.  Nice car, right?

So instead of buying tires and brake linings we have to save up for, what did we do?  We bought a new car instead!  Hey, isn't that the best solution?  Help the economy, that's #1. 

Well actually, it's a bigger car, more space for when I do shows and especially when I need to take my tent.  The payments are a little bit less, we got a great trade-in, so it's all good.  Not that I'm doing a lot of shows this year, but I do have a couple outdoor shows.  So that settles that. 

What else?  Orders have been coming in at a good clip this year, and it looks like this year is going to be even better than last year.  I've had a little bit of time to experiment and added a few unique fragrances to my line (Play Dough, for one.  I know, wierd, but I had to have it.)

I've developed a new design for larger diameter candles, the Endless Candle.  It involves a special technique so that a tea light can be placed in the center of the candle without burning the main candle.  I developed it because I cannot find a wick large enough for a 4" diameter candle to burn properly, but the process can also be used in a 3" diameter candle.    

I've also begun making 2-tone soy candles for Kim at http://www.weddingfavorsjustonline.com/unitycandles.html  She does stunning designs on some of the candles I make for her. 

I'll be getting ready for the Indie Garage Sale coming up this month in Utica NY  http://indiegaragesale.org/.  And I'll have lots of new fragrances and blends available, including the aforementioned Play Dough and designer fragrances.  Stop by and say hello!  Mention this blog and receive a 10% discount. 

Thanks for stopping by, and now that the holidays and taxes are finally behind me, I'll have more time to talk to you soon.

Happy spring!

marty

Happy New 2012

It seems that just yesterday, it was the Millenium Y2K hoopla that had everyone crazed.  Here it is 11 years later, how time flies.  Not knowing how many New Year's Eves I have left, I try to savor and reflect on each and every year I enjoy on this planet. 

Upon reflection of this past year, it was a good one.  We had wonderful parties and bonfires during the summer months. 

Nina and Carla shopping for party necessities

The grill

Friends

fun in the hot tub

I did well at shows, but didn't attend as many this year.  The ones I did were fun because I always love meeting new and interesting people at craft shows.  If my knees and hips hold out, I'm looking frward to this year doing shows once again.   

I enjoyed my beautiful and loving Beagle, Wilbur, who's a joy to my life, even if he's stubborn as heck when he has a scent and forgets why he's out for a walk.

My daughter made her debut at Carnegie Hall as a soloist for Handel's Messiah

I'm not a complicated person.  I may not know the details of the world economy or politics, I leave that up to hopefully just leaders.   I isolate myself, knowing I can't change the course of the universe.   I just want to enjoy my life, embrace my family and friends and be as much a friend of the planet as I can.  I don't have lofty goals such as losing weight this year, although I do want to be healthier.   I want to enjoy the fruits of my labor, my family, my microcosm.  It's all I can do.  If I can live by example, I hope to instill upon those around me my vision of a good life, an honest life.   I value my friends, my family, and the memories of those who have passed before me. 

Happy Good Year and live life well. 

Putting Up For Fall and other Random Thoughts

My garden has been dismal this year, so almost no produce was yielded as a result.  The tomatoes did not thrive, nor did the peppers.  Onions are still in the ground where they will stay until the last minute.  The Swiss Chard did well, however.  My battle with the rocky garden continues, but I will try again next year!

I love canning and putting up for winter.  If I had enough tomatoes, I make a killer tomato juice, spicy and delicious.  My dad used to come every fall with all his tomatoes from the garden and we'd spend a couple days canning tomato juice and split the proceeds.  We always had a great time working together.  I've also canned fresh Pennsylvania peaches in the past, and they are nothing like the canned peaches you buy in the store.  I remember a friend who had an entire wall of canned goods each year.  It was thrify and homey, and I admired the creativity she put into each recipe.  This year I have already made blueberry jam, and have 20 lbs of beets and 50 lbs of cabbage to process in the next couple days.    I already blogged about making sauerkraut last year, so I won't repeat that this year. Needles to say, I'm making twice the amount this year: http://dewonapetal.blogspot.com/2009/10/making-sauerkraut-old-fashioned-way.html 

I bought 60 ears of corn from a local farmer and have already put of 24 pints and 9 half-pints of corn relish.  We still have regular canned corn from last year, but ran out of corn relish pretty quickly, so we made extra this year. 

So I thought I would post my corn relish recipe tonight for you.  The basic recipe is from CountryLiving, but I've added more turmeric, fewer onions and more celery seed to suit my taste.  You can adjust any of the seasonings to suit your taste, except the vinegar and sugar.  You can also add hot peppers if you want to add some kick.

Ingredients:
Corn cut off the husks, about 10-12 ears making 8 cups
4-6 onions chopped (about 4 cups)
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups vinegar (cider or regular)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp turmeric

Add everything to a large pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.  The turmeric will make the corn a beautiful rich yellow. 

Sterilize 6 pint jars and lids in hot soapy water.  Get your water boiling in a large canning pot with a rack, filling it about half full.  Using a wide-mouth funnel, fill each jar with the corn relish, then go back and add the hot liquid, leaving 1/2" headspace.  Use a chopstick or skewer to remove any bubbles.  Place the lids on each jar, add the ring and finger tighten.  Place them on the rack and lower into boiling water.  The water and the jars are both hot, so it should start boiling again pretty quick.  Process for 15 minutes, then remove jars and place on a towel, not touching each other.  Pretty soon, you'll hear the popping of the lids sealing the jars! 

 

Store in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight and enjoy the bounty of your havest throughout the year!  These also make great gifts. 

This and That

I've really got some catching up to do since tax season ended.  I've been busy getting my garden ready, but wrenched my back over Memorial Day, so planting fell woefully behind.  I finally managed to plant some tomatoes, onions, Swiss chard and jalapenos.  They are coming along, but late.  We had an extreme heat wave, but as soon as I bought a lawn sprinkler, we've had rain every day.  Figures.

 
I went to NYC for Carla's graduation from Juilliard this spring.   It was such a happy event! 

She spent the summer at Central City Opera where she perfomed in Carmen.  She crosses over from right to left and squats with a cigarette.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE1l2-5yROY

And she's such a clown in this scene, the baby on the right in yellow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2x6gU__zAw&NR=1

I wish I could have been there, looks like so much fun!  Once she's back in NY, I'll be sure to attend her shows.  I can get Megabus tickets for as little as $5.00 as long as I order ahead of time.  I hate driving in the city and paying the big bucks for tolls and parking. 

I did a show in Skaneateles this spring.  I really packed the car for this one!

This is my new display, ever changing.  Although I finally bought some shelving to lighten the clutter.

 Life goes on, business is either all or nothing.  The Indie Garage Sale is coming up in 2 weeks and I need to get ready!  My printhead went bad on my printer, so I'm patiently waiting for a new one so I can get back to work.  Luckily, I can print shipping labels at the local library. 

While I'm at it, please check out this wonderful shop.  Her products are awesome!  I purchased a sampler set and everything is amazing.  I love the lip balm and the facial cream is so luxurious.  Everything is organic and made to perfection. 

 http://www.hollybeth.net/

Good night for now, and I'll be back soon! 

Catching up, taxes done.

I have been incredibly busy since the beginning of the year trying to get my taxes done and filing my NY sales taxes in between filling orders and staying warm. I started out doing inventory in early January, then I decided to do my own taxes instead of depending on someone else (who royally messed up my taxes last year), so after I take a small break, I will be filing an amended return.   It's been a very cold and long winter out here in the country and I am so ready for spring and digging in the dirt once again. 

Last weekend was my first show of the season, the Indie Garage Sale in Utica NY.  It was a cold and rainy day, but the crowds were steady all day.  It was lovely seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  I've added glycerine and goats milk soaps to my line, but only for gift and spa sets to compliment my candles. 

It was a great show as always, but not fun packing up and driving home in the pouring rain.  I unloaded the car on Sunday, cleaned and re-organized my studio and since it rarely stays that way, I decided to take a few pictures in its pristine condition. 

This is just about everything I take to a show except my folding stool.  If I take my tent for an outdoor show, there's just enough room in my car.  I pack meticulously after each show so all I have to do for the next show is re-stock. I keep everything by the door for a fast exit! 

I am stocked up with nearly 200 lbs of wax.  The white box is extra wicking,  Most of the wax will be gone in a week or so. 

My primary work area is this table, covered in plastic then butcher paper to keep it clean.  My wicks hang above the orders clipped with clothespins, the table to the right is for my tools and important recipes are tacked to the bulletin board.  To the left are my molds and under the table are more supplies such as tins and tea light cups.  I make all my wicks, mix fragrances and pour all my candles at this table. 

My mold shelf (no, not moldy shelf) is getting pretty crowded as I continue to add new shapes and sizes to my inventory.  As you can see, the door opens on to my driveway, making it possible to open up shop to the public some day, should I ever decide to.  Of course I would have to eliminate the spare bedroom around the corner.   I like to keep my options open.

Fragrances

Staging table for finished products and packing table.

I haven't shown you the sauna packed with shipping materials and my tent, the other bedroom I use for storage, or the room where I melt wax and store even more supplies, but I enjoy working in my studio with the radio or stereo on.  It makes the time go by during long hours.  

Thanks for visiting!

A Recipe for Stuffed Peppers

Ok, so a few people have loved my stuffed peppers, so I made them tonight. Everyone has their own version, so this is mine.

Ingredients:
2 large peppers, cut in half, cleaned and rinsed
1lb ground beef
1/2 c rice, cooked
1 med onion
1 med can tomato sauce
8 oz cheese, grated, chedder works, but so does Swiss
Worcestershire sauce
assorted herbs, like Italian, parsley or whatever you like
garlic powder

Parboil the peppers in boiling water. Cook ground beef and onions until cooked through. Cook the rice.

Add about 1/3 can of the tomatoe sauce, about half the grated cheese, worcestershire sauce, seasonings and cooked rice to the beef and onions and stir thoroughly. Lay the pepper halves into a pan to form cups.

Spoon the meat and rice mixture into peppers, top with the rest of the tomato sauce and top with cheese.

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 1/2 hour until cheese melts completely.

Spoon onto plate and indulge!