Year: 2015

Baby, it’s hot outside

claudiaFriends, Good Eats

If you’re living through sweltering heat like us right now, here’s an easy little concoction that’ll cool you off at the end of the day. We can’t take credit for it – that belongs to a friend who showed up at our campfire last week with a big tumbler of this summer brew. I took a swig, begged for the recipe and we made some tonight after feeding the animals. And after two glasses that went down, well, way too easy, we had to stop so we could still keep our wits about us (it is only Monday, after all). But we’ll be making the drink lots more during the hot days of August. In honor of our sweet and funny pal, we’ve christened this cocktail “Shelli’s Squeeze.”
shellissqueeze

Shelli’s Squeeze

Raspberry Simply Lemonade

2-3 large lemons

Whiskey

Mix to taste fresh-squeezed lemon juice, Raspberry Simply Lemonade and your preferred whiskey (we like Maker’s Mark). Pour over ice into chilled Mason Jars, add lemon slices or fresh raspberries, then imbibe!

Makes 1-2 drinks

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Cute as can be…here’s Gracie!

claudiaAnimals, On the Farm

We have a new addition and her name is Gracie! This Strawberry Roan Tennessee Walking Horse made her way to us after her former owner passed away and a very kind woman in Northwest Alabama took in his whole herd to find them homes.

The only hiccup was that Gracie arrived at our farm a day early. I was out of town working and, well, hadn’t exactly gotten around to telling Mike we had a new horse. So when the trailer pulled up to deliver her, he was truly fit to be tied (and we won’t even talk about the battery of angry text messages that followed!). But time heals even the foulest of Italian tempers and now we’re all smitten with this sweet little mare. Plus here’s the kicker: it’s Mike D’Avanzo who’s loving on her the most. 😉

Welcome, Gracie, to your “forever home!”

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What’s in your nest?

claudiaInspiration

nestjuly2014

A poignant view on why clutter doesn’t always have to be a bad thing, Dominick Browning’s “In Praise of the Comfort of Clutter.”

“There is a reason we talk about nesting. Next time you are out walking, take a close look at a nest. Nests are full of twigs, bits of fluff, string, moss and bark. Stuff birds take home, and fit to a shape that accommodates their lives. Some birds even press their warm bodies against their stuff as they are making their nests, molding them to the shape of their breasts, so that they feel like…home. A home that is uniquely theirs, and uniquely beloved.”

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LinusLove5.15Does it get any sweeter than this?

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A Mother’s Gift

claudiaFamily, On the Farm
Our mom wasn’t one to stand on much ceremony. But she sure surprised Mike and me five years ago when she gave us Papa Brooks’ old farm bell on Mother’s Day. Grandma Brooks used to clang this bell to call our older brothers, Billy and Doug, up from the pond where they were fishing. I remember that big bell vividly, seeing it every time we pulled up to their farm. My little sister Janna and I loved ringing it as loudly as we could, only to be scolded by Grandma or some other adult standing nearby. When our family sold the farm after Papa and Grandma passed away, Mom sent Doug over in secret to retrieve the bell. Little did the rest of us know she kept it out back at our family home in a storage shed for 20 years. And on Mother’s Day 2010 she gave it to us as a gift for our farm. Now every time I look at it I think of her — and often tug on the old rope just to feel the bell reverberate in my ears…and in my heart. Thinking of you this Mother’s Day, Mom. We sure miss you..
PapasBell

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(Updated from the original post on May 11, 2010)

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