Traditions... Do you have any?

Traditions, that have come down through the family or you have even started with your own, that you hope will carry on long after you are gone....


I am lucky, I come from a very sentimental lot, that believes in traditions and the fact they enrich our lives, not very many are passed down through the family generations, but created in the last few that we hope continue... Some are related to the holidays, some are related to weddings, some are just for the sake of passing down sentimental items...


I was the third generation upon my wedding to receive a very special set of crystal dishes, that had passed from mother to daughter. I have been forever afraid to display them knowing that it was expected they would be passed on to Samantha when she wed's.



Another wedding tradition (which is my favorite) is that the father (or parents) of the bride, gifts the husband their favorite (baby)photograph of the bride, so that the groom will always remember that his bride is also/and will always be someones little girl...


At Christmas each child is given a new Christmas tree ornament, so that when they leave home and have their own first Christmas tree, they already have special ornaments that encompasses all the holidays before... I loved my first tree with all the ornaments my mother had given me... I still love all those ornaments, and I take very special care with the ones I pick for my kids...


The Easter egg hunt, is something my parents created for their grand kids and they take it to the extreme... There are 6 grandchildren and my parents would hide anywhere from 300-400 eggs in this one part of the woods. It is quite amazing to me as an adult to walk into this part of the woods with stuffed animals hanging from the limbs in the trees and the forest floor just covered with Easter egg color everywhere. The last two years they scaled back the number of eggs and for the older children we have started a scavenger hunt, which I have to say we enjoy watching the older ones do, every time they find a clue, us adults that have the master list are ohh and ahhing over whether or not they are heading in the right direction for the clue, usually yelling"no the other way" or "who thought of that stupid clue" (which makes me pipe up and stay "HEY, you want to help with the clues next year, ya I thought so... shut up!)(brothers!). It is one of the things I cant wait to do for my grand kids...


Like I said I am lucky, there are so many I could keep going forever... but I guess I would rather challenge some of you to share your traditions and inspire someone else to start something new in their own families, help enrich something for the future generations... I think our traditions are something that keeps us together, gives us the loving memories that make a family a family...

For Pops....

happy birthday, Pops! My parents own a old woods that has never been logged so parts of it are thick with old growth, that reminds me of being in a fairy glen... Some day's I just need the peace of this place it makes me feel whole and humble... So this is for you today, Pop's for having this magic place where I find myself, again...

This walk in wonderland is quiet almost sullen… The smells of moss, last years leaves that graced the long limbs of the tall ones make a soft carpet. The chattering of the blossom tails alert the other small woodland friends that an intruder is in their mist. I take up residence on a fallen tall one that no longer had the endurance to withstand one more strong wind from sister south. Light peeks and filters through the dense canopy from above, playing tricks in the weaving ferns, making their dance appear full of poise. As I close my eyes to hear what the wind is speaking, I swear I hear an old whisper from this grove that speaks of time in the turning of seasons, the growing of tree rings, rebirth of the young and the dying of the old…

Taken a break....

From the photo shoot we did for Sam's Senior Photo, in search for the right one to show her diverse personality... This is one of my fav's but did not make the cut... Here is Nate, just pooped and passed out, I love this photo, the back of his shirt says Dawg-pile and here the dog comes over and lays on his arm... Too cute...

another piece of random writing....

The magic of a heart song, is that it is a tune only one other can hear… It is mystical in that place of in between....The lyrics are melodious, it always has a beat that only two can dance to for it is the beat that makes two hearts pick each other from the crowd. In a roar or in a place of great stillness, nothing can deafen the heart song, for from the first note it brings an overwhelming sense of joy, peace, bliss and the calm of knowing….that in life there is true magic….

More from the weekend in Western New York

UPDATE: This friend has moved on to other pastures, the distance just didn't fit into his schedule ***sigh***Glad I got to know him*** wish him the best in his search for that special lady***

Ok, for friends and family(down south) whom have been waiting (patiently) and for Linda and Mary Louise, whom I know are bouncing in their office chairs over this(sit down before one of you gets hurt!), for Heidi out in the Land of Dairy... I have been given permission to post this photo of a very sweet, wonderful, be still my heart, where the hell have you been all my life, kind of guy.... for his protection (and to keep all you other drooling ladies away) we will call him JMM. Yes, his other a.k.a is "Rooster Killer" (stop crying, Linda H. the roosters didn't feel a thing and NO there is not an old chicken home they could have gone too!, good grief) he has many a.ka's Farmer JMM, Dad JMM, Grandpa JMM to name just a few and he is great at all of them.

See, Lin, here are a few that are still alive... a couple of JMM's girls out for a early morning stroll, and enjoying the fact that there is not 3 feet of snow....

Here are JMM's sweet little goats, hanging out on the round bales in the hay bunk, getting some sun... JMM, on his way to rescue a neighbour, whom had gotten his tractor stuck, do you think he is happy to be on his tractor in the sun shine after a long winter or is that grand smile for the girl taking the photo? hmmmm.....

Another one of JMM's herd... trying to figure out why I am taking it's photo, when it would prefer some feed... Geeze, lady get with the program around here, your never gonna make it...

Spring Like Weekend - Finger Lakes, NY

This beautiful natural wonder "Taughannock Falls" is about 5 minutes from my home. Here in the Finger Lakes Region we have many wonderful places to visit and explore... A little blurb from the sign at the falls.....

Here a few of my favorite pic's from my visit to Western New York this weekend...

Who do you think you are little guy?

Hey, is that for us? Come on we are waiting...

This sun feels soooooo good!

Time Warp back to 1980's

Well here are some musing of the early 80's for our friend over at http://edprescott.wordpress.com/.

In the early 80's, I was in my high school days. Yes, the cartoon's were much better but Ed forgot the Smurfs... I recall having a shirt that stated "RELAX", my mini skirts and leg warmers. AC/DC, Judas Preist, Madonna, Cindy Lauper and the Bangles were our "music". Riding around with Trey and company in the yellow convertible Barracuda (god I loved that car)... Hanging with my bud Mike and getting the bug for riding motorcycles... Hmm... yes, I remember trying weed and puking till I thought I would die, so that is where that ended...(sorry, Mom and Pop). Now my brothers can stop holding that over my head...

Camping trips with all my best buds in the blueberry patch, and almost burning our tents to the ground, I have no idea how we survived or how the toad got in (BLANK'S) sleeping bag, I SWEAR!. I do know how the snake got in the ice chest and a nameless person actually had an accident in her pants when she went in to get an illegal beverage. The rest of us almost had accidents watching the event, he.he. (it still makes me laugh, badly) The guy's sneaking up on our tents in Pop's hayfield and enclosing them with huge round bales so when we went to get out in the morning we were trapped... skinny dipping at the creek...until someone screamed leaches... I still freak-out at the thought of leaches, YUCK!

All us girls working the motorcross hill races, did we really work or just look good... I remember one of us causing a very bad crash.... But the poor guy got up with a crazy grin on his face... I seem to remember those two getting married....(how many kids do you guys have now?).

As for technology, I did have a Walkman but the TV only had 3,5 and 9. The town kids had cable, but us country kids watched mostly, fuzz.... Unless one of us would go mess with the outside antenna and then everyone wanted to watch the stupid person taking their life in there own hands to go out on the roof, so no one was watching the TV anyway.... Gosh... I miss all that fun... Thanks for the inspiration, Ed...

dance of circles....

my dreams for today are simple, my dreams for tomorrow are full of promise, my dreams for the future are larger than life unfolding in continuous fragments pulled from the very complicated past. Some how it seems unfair that the past should have such a stake in the future because didn't it already have its chance full of promise, didn't it already share it's joy or spread its sorrow? But I guess if it did not play out its full role we would never know when we have come full circle, like the drops of rain on an open bed of water the circles are infinite, entwining forever until a wind of change wipes the slate clean for the next dance of circles....


Well friends I have no idea where this stuff is coming from... maybe I am starting to lose my mind, if someone finds it rolling along in the wind, would you mind just dropping it in the nearest post office bin, I think I stamped my name and address on it at one point...

For all you ladies on the way to the barn....this morning...

As she walks through the beginning of her day the mist rises from the ground at her feet reflecting the rising of the new day. The trees sing of the sweet warmth swaying through their masses. The small winged ones sing the songs of the new day and the promises of the wonder it brings. The woodland creatures titter and gather for the instructions of the old ones. The smell of spring is heavy on the dewy air and reminds her that all things begin with spring and the renewal is a never ending process to be coveted and nurtured like a wee one… And thusly she walks through her day until the hour of midnight arrives to whirl a cloak of stars around her weary shoulders and moonbeams rain a million kisses upon her starlit face…

Willow Witch

Are we born with Farming in our blood?

Two weekends ago a friend took me to visit a large dairy out Buffalo way... First stop was one of the calf barns, with all the little pretty girls lined up in their pens, batting their long eye lashes... Most were timid to these strangers just walking in with out food in hand, a few were curious enough to come and sniff and give a lick or two. There were free ranging goats and chickens weaving in and out of the alley ways, pretty much being clean up crews which really is a good idea, leaves nothing left for the rodents to feast on.

So why do I ask if it is in our blood? Because instantly I was thrown back and ready to just dig in and work not a moment of hesitation would I have had if given the opportunity to feed, water or clean pens... I work in a very non farming environment with "city" folk, who just don't get me...
Why would I rather take a day off to go to the New York State Farm Show, but not take a day off to spend at the mall, well duh.... I couldn't climb on a huge combine or chopper at the mall... Which both were really Awesome, and I can't believe how much machinery has evolved since I was a kid riding on my Pop's very old Gleaner... or the 1968 Massey (he still has both).
Most people I work with don't recognize me nights or on the weekends if I am out and about because I am in my barn cloths and rubber boots, vs. heels and a suit...
Which do I like most... well that's easy... Which one pays my bills, well... Some day's it really pisses me off that the actions of others have taken part's of my life away, that were/are really who I am and I have no control over getting them back...

So back to my visit to the dairy, next stop on the visit was to heifer/dry cow barn and we walk in to a cow with a pair of feet hanging out the back... The breeder was there getting ready to pull this breach calf, he claimed this not to be his job, but since he put it in backwards, he would take responsibility and fix his mistake (what a guy :) ). So we watched him pull this nice bull calf and I just itched to get in there and get my hands dirty (well slimy, any way). Momma was a little slow to get him cleaned off and on his feet... I should have just thrown him in my van and brought the little guy home, with me. So then we walked the massive alley ways of eating girls and I just love to look at them all lined up the different faces and it always makes me laugh to see the one's with high foreheads and these crazy tuff's of hair (like punk rockers). The smell of silage and yes, cow crap.... I know its not for everyone, but I like it because I was born with farming in my blood....

So for those of you still there on the farm, keep it going and enjoy as much as you can, deal with the bad stuff one day at a time, because it really is hell to be on my side of the fence.....