Halloween with Nico

We took Nico trick-or-treating down in Purcellville Village. We dressed her as a dog!  She was not amused!

A Poem for my Mom on her 80th birthday

THE YEARS OF MARTHA

If I was putting your long life to rhyme

I’d have to go back a long, long time

In the year of our Lord, nineteen thirty

Martha came into the world looking quite pretty.

In the Village of Ash in the mountains of smoke

You were born to Carla and Athol, the bloke

It was an important year, not just for Grant house

For it also birthed Mickey, Mickey the Mouse

And a new planet, Pluto, was named as such

Not the dog of Disney, that would be a bit much.

Now Betty the Boop also made her premier

The depression had started, but the previous year.

In the year thirty-one the depression raged on

And finally to jail went Al the Capone

The production of Model A came to an end

But only just started little Annie the Orphan

In thirty-two the famous flier’s son is ‘nabbed

And Jack Benny radio made people laugh

And Buck Rogers airs for the very first time

While the FBI opens to start solving crime.

The next year in Cali birthed a bridge gold as the sun

And a soon to be despot crowned Chancellor of Hun

The Lone Ranger and Tonto gave episodic relief

And King Kong was big beyond our belief.

In year thirty-three evil things began

Gestapo and book burnings, quite insane.

Albert the Einstein flees to the States

For the Hun under Hitler, Jews now hate

Bonnie and Clyde rampage in thirty-four

But Donald the Duck we come to adore

Dust in a bowl swirls and storms in Midwest

But Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Rhapsody is the best.

Thirty-five brought Fibber, and Molly his babe

Another Babe played last on the field of the Braves

Social Security enacted for when we retire

Monopoly birthed for when distraction’s desired.

Snow White and Dick Tracy did their best to distract

But The Hun’s evil still grew becoming bitter fact

And his hated flag was now flown with arms askew

And the Dust Bowl heated up as tensions grew.

In thirty-six the magazine called Life was set to begin

And in Russia a Marxist died named Vladimir Lenin

In Berlin Olympics were ironically held

And Jesse Owens into history there sailed.

In the year thirty-seven Look Magazine was born

And into highest office Franklin was sworn

The Hindenburg exploded and was gone in a flash

And Martha was seven in the Village of Ash.

In thirty-eight we came to love Wizard of Oz

But Orson’s War of the World gave us pause

An ocean liner named for a queen set sail

But evil in Europe made all else seem pale.

The comic book Batman was born in thirty-nine

The most topical superhero of any other time

But he couldn’t stop Hitler or settle that score

And Hun’s attack on Poland started world war.

Forty brought Sinatra and many bravos

And Pinocchio with his exceptionally long nose

Churchill gave his speech of the Finest Hour

But Japan’s Pearl attack turned the nation glower.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo brought in the next year

Still Germans invaded and made people fear

Cheerios filled bowls and Coulee Dam made the juice

And the war of the world tightened its noose.

A future man of the cloth, yet still a teen

Signed up for the war to go places he’d not seen

So Clyde the Marine on a ship called Bataan

Sailed away as a boy but came home as a man.

In forty-two Anne Frank begins to take note

As she and her family hid and prayed as she wrote

This most horrid of years human lives were transported

To an outrage of death, humanity was distorted.

The Great Depression left the scene in year forty-three

And Tom Jefferson’s Memorial opened by Tidal sea

“Oklahoma” opened and Miller was “In the Mood”

But the mood of the world remained quite subdued.

In forty-four D-Day began as Paris was set free

Little Anne is captured, Miller lost at sea

Fourth time reelected, Franklin counted the cost

After a battle that bulged where thousands were lost.

In May forty-five both fronts came to an end

The evil Hun dead, Little Boy and Fat Man sent

The great Roosevelt died, peace not seen

And Clyde returned home, no more a Marine.

Skipping forward in time Martha and Clyde did meet

Looking over her John, their heart’s skipped a beat

It didn’t take long before the two became one

Then on to Texas cowtown, their lives had begun

Two baby girls were born and in Ohio a son

But before leaving Texas, Clyde’s graduation.

Then new pastor plus three left for the buckeye

In Kentucky and NC their family would multiply.

The 60’s were turbulent with a war that was cold

A president was killed, the Beatles went gold

Free lovin hippies meanwhile kept the beat

And the conflict in Nam continued to heat.

In the late 60’s we lived North of the Mason-Dixon

Close to the city with a white house later to be Nixon’s.

 With monuments, museums, and race riots abounding

We moved as Woodstock in the Catskills was sounding.

The Smith’s moved to OK by way of DC

For the seventies Norman is where they’d be.

A president ousted, and a King had a dream

The kids all grew up, overnight it would seem.

Bell-bottoms, hip-huggers and mood rings were worn

Some marriages happened and grandkids were born

Décor in the home was orange, avocado and shag

Two memorable trips to jolly old England you had.

The eighties brought a significant change

The plains left behind, for the beach you’d all exchange

North Carolina was home and where it all had begun

And back to that State they all moved one by one.

In the nineties disasters and tragedies abounded

Earthquakes, Diana’s death, and a Gulf War sounded.

Grandkids and great-ones brought joy to your heart

And a hurricane named Floyd tore Wrightsville apart.

 The nineties ended and the century turned

Life continued, good time, joys and concerns.

The twin towers fell and another war came

Your love went to heaven which brought you much pain.

In this life we take the bad with the good

It’s all part of life even if not understood

God holds us all in the palm of his hand

And when this life is over before Him we’ll stand.

The years of your life continue to go on

This dream of a life you once wished upon

Where once in your family there were only the seven

Thirty-five numbers your love in twenty eleven.

                                             -to be continued….

(For Mom’s 80^th birthday by Cheryl Smith Banks – 2011)

Fall Farm Days - Loudoun County 2011

Mr. B and I have spent two days on the visiting the breathtaking Ayrshire Farm in Upperville during their Fall Harvest Days. It's a mansion, sustainable farm, and owned by the founder of Cisco. Ayrshire Farms is comprised of more than 800 acres of farmland and produces organic and certified humane heritage beef, pork, poultry, and veal.  It is also well-known for horse and carriage show riding.  It was an amazing day!  The weather was beautiful and the tour of the farm was nothing short of spectacular.

Though the owner does not live on the farm, the main house (i.e. mansion) was built in the 1900’s and apparently is home to an incredible kitchen that is fully stocked with an antique wood stove and copper cookware.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go in the main house, so I’ll just have to leave it up to my imagination…

Can you believe that the building below was the stables?!  It resembled a French chateau and actually had chandeliers inside it and were filled with beautiful antique horse carriages.

These horses are definitely living a good life…

Check out these guys! They raise Glouchestire Old Spots pigs, which is a very rare breed of pig known for its spots, docility, and massive ears! 

Once we finished admiring all the pigs, we headed down to the farm’s compost system, which is huge and very impressive.  The farm is almost completely sustainable and composts everything, including animals that have died from old age, manure, and everything used in the kitchens.

Ayrshire Farm also has a store in downtown Upperville –which we visited later—that sells all their meat, as well as fresh eggs.  I ended up buying a carton on the way home ($6.99/dozen—yes, expensive).  Even though it’s a lot of money, I felt particularly good about spending more given how wonderful the farm was and how well their animals are treated.  It was the most informed food purchase I’ve probably ever made! 

And the eggs were very delicious…

It also produces all of the food for their restaurant/pub, Hunter’s Head Tavern, at the farm as well.  Hunter's Head is probably my all time favorite place to eat in the county and mainly offers Scottish and English classic dishes, such as Shepherd’s Pie, Bangers & Mash, and Chicken Pot Pie—all using meat and produce from the farm.  Luckily, we went there for lunch right after our tour. Farm to table!

I love visiting the Upperville area. It's so quaint and lovely.

A beautiful church in Upperville

The Train of Life

(Anonymous author)

Some folks ride the train of life
Looking out the rear,
Watching miles of life roll by,
And marking every year.
They sit in sad remembrance,
Of wasted days gone by,
And curse their life for what it was,
And hang their head and cry.
But I don't concern myself with that,
I took a different vent,
I look forward to what life holds,
And not what has been spent.
So strap me to the engine,
As securely as I can be,
I want to be out on the front,
To see what I can see.
I want to feel the winds of change,
Blowing in my face,
I want to see what life unfolds,
As I move from place to place.
I want to see what's coming up,
Not looking at the past,
Life's too short for yesterdays,
It moves along too fast.
So if the ride gets bumpy,
While you are looking back,
Go up front, and you may find,
Your life has jumped the track.
It's all right to remember,
That's part of history,
But up front's where it's happening,
There's so much mystery.
The enjoyment of living,
Is not where we have been,
It's looking ever forward,
To another year and ten.
It's searching all the byways,
Never should you refrain,
For if you want to live your life,
You gotta drive the train.

If I Was Putting Your Long Life to Rhyme (written for mom's birthday)

If I was putting your long life to rhyme

I’d have to go back a long, long time

In the year of our Lord, nineteen thirty

Martha came into the world looking quite pretty.

In the Village of Ash in the mountains of smoke

You were born to Carla and Athol, the bloke

It was an important year, not just for Grant house

For it also birthed Mickey, Mickey the Mouse

And a new planet, Pluto, was named as such

Not the dog of Disney, that would be a bit much.

Now Betty the Boop also made her premier

The depression had started, but the previous year.

In the year thirty-one the depression raged on

And finally to jail went Al the Capone

The production of Model A came to an end

But only just started little Annie the Orphan

In thirty-two the famous flier’s son is napped

And Jack Benny radio made people laugh

And Buck Rogers airs for the very first time

While the FBI opens to start solving crime.

The next year in Cali birthed a bridge gold as the sun

And a soon to be despot crowned Chancellor of Hun

The Lone Ranger and Tonto gave episodic relief

And King Kong was big beyond our belief.

In year thirty-three evil things began

Gestapo and book burnings, quite insane.

Albert the Einstein flees to the States

For the Hun under Hitler, Jews now hates

Bonnie and Clyde rampage in thirty-four

But Donald the Duck we come to adore

Dust in a bowl swirls and storms in Midwest

But Rachmaninoff’s Paganini Rhapsody is best.

Thirty-five brought Fibber, and Molly his babe

Another Babe played last on the field of the Braves

Social Security enacted for when we retire

Monopoly birthed for when distraction’s desired.

Snow White and Dick Tracy did their best to distract

But The Hun’s evil still grew and became bitter fact

And his hated flag was now flown with arms askew

And the Dust Bowl heated up as tensions grew.

In thirty-six the magazine called Life was set to begin

And in Russia a Marxist died named Vladimir Lenin

In Berlin Olympics were ironically held

And Jesse Owens into history there sailed.

In the year thirty-seven Look magazine was born

And into highest office Franklin was sworn

The Hindenburg exploded and was gone in a flash

And Martha was seven in the Village of Ash.

In thirty-eight we came to love Wizard of Oz

But Orson’s War of the World gave us pause

An ocean liner named for a queen set sail

But evil in Europe made all else seem pale.

The comic book Batman was born in thirty-nine

The most topical superhero of any other time

But he couldn’t stop Hitler or settle that score

And Hun’s attack on Poland started world war.

Forty brought Sinatra and many bravos

And Pinocchio with his exceptionally long nose

Churchill gave his speech of the Finest Hour

But Japan’s Pearl attack turned the nation glower.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo brought in the next year

Still Germans invaded and made people fear

Cheerios filled bowls and Coulee Dam made the juice

And the war of the world tightened its noose.

A future man of the cloth, yet still a teen

Signed up for the war to go places he’d not seen

So Clyde the Marine on a ship called Bataan

Sailed away as a boy but came home as a man.

In forty-two Anne Frank begins to take note

As she and her family hid and prayed as she wrote

This most horrid of years human lives were transported

To an outrage of death, humanity was distorted.

The Great Depression left the scene in year forty-three

And Tom Jefferson’s Memorial opened by Tidal sea

“Oklahoma” opened and Miller was “In the Mood”

But the mood of the world remained quite subdued.

In forty-four D-Day began as Paris was set free

Little Anne is captured, Miller lost at sea

Fourth time reelected, Franklin counted the cost

After a battle that bulged where thousands were lost.

In May forty-five both fronts came to an end

The evil Hun dead, Little Boy and Fat Man sent

The great Roosevelt died, peace not seen

And Clyde returned home, no more a Marine.

Skipping forward in time Martha and Clyde did meet

Looking over her John, their heart’s skipped a beat

It didn’t take long before the two became one

Then on to Texas cowtown, their lives had begun

Two baby girls were born and in Ohio a son

But before leaving Texas, Clyde’s graduation.

Then new pastor plus three left for the buckeye

And on to KY and NC where their family would multiply.

The 60’s were turbulent with a war that was cold

A president was killed, the Beatles went gold

Free lovin hippies meanwhile kept the beat

And the conflict in Nam continued to heat.

The Smith’s moved to OK by way of DC

For the sixties and seventies, Norman is where they’d be.

A disgraced president ousted, and King had a dream

The kids all grew up, overnight it would seem.

The eighties brought a significant change

The plains left behind, for the beach they’d exchange

North Carolina is where it had all begun

And back to that state they moved one by one

The years of your life continue to go on

This dream of a life you once wished upon

Where once in your family there were only seven

Thirty-four numbers your love in twenty eleven.

Silly poem written for my mom in 2011