Category Archives: Bucket List

A “Twofer”

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That is, checking two things off my Sixty@Sixty list. Today being Friday, it’s a day we tend to take day trips. It’s also an errand running day, so we combined the two things. We also gave the pickup some needed mileage. It doesn’t get used much in the winter. We set the GPS today to do back roads, going and coming.

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You know, shortest distance, avoid highways. One of our favorite ways to explore. I was on a mission. I wanted to get to Catoctin Mountain Orchards before they closed for three months. They close February, March and April every year. I wanted to pick up some salad dressings and salsa to use a basis for making my own. I wanted to see the ingredients. Compare the taste. Use my frozen fruit from Larriland and Butler’s. I have peaches, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries in the freezer.

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We also found a bonus for my husband. Venison sticks and sausage. We get venison sausage when we visit Linden, and here was a version from Pennsylvania, for him to try. Not sure where we will use it, but what the heck.

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We also found cow’s milk feta from Hagerstown. Time to compare to our favorite from Bowling Green Farms. After leaving Catoctin, we decided to stop at a market we never visited. Gateway. One of my goals on my challenge. Visit new markets and farm stands. Nothing like a candyland, farm market, convenience store and liquor store. Gateway is truly interesting. If you are into candy making, they have one incredible wall full of molds, ingredients and other things you need to make candy.

They also have bins full of penny candy. Not that it is a penny anymore, but these fulfill my challenge to relive childhood memories.

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These are the candies we bought before going to the movies. They bring back memories of Saturday matinees, and bad for your fillings chewy candies. My husband has already gotten into them. I did pick up a few other favorites. Rock candy and coconut slices.

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The rock candy will be used two ways. In tea, in place of honey. Really strong tea for when you feel under the weather. And, with some Pikesville rye. Making memories like my dad did. Rock n Rye.

The coconut slices. Yum! An old friend. Something that just makes you smile.

All in all, a good day tripping Friday. Here’s to more adventures in the coming months.

Sixty @ Sixty

Yes, sixty years young, today. This is one of those significant birthdays. Worthy of doing something different to commemorate.

I recall one of my fellow volunteers talking about traveling to celebrate a milestone birthday. Something like 50 days for the 50th birthday. We traveled way too much when we worked. We are really enjoying our surroundings and doing things we never got to do while we were in the work force.

So, I decided. Sixty is, of course, six decades. Six times ten. Six things, ten times. Or, ten things six times. I settled on more experiences with less to accomplish in each. It looks simpler to do. We shall see. I have been doing research already to find things that interest me.

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This year, no New Year’s Resolutions, just the pursuit of these stretch goals, for lack of a better descriptor. Some are fun, some may be difficult. If I enjoy this journey, I may make it into a page. A journal of sorts. Since I am an avowed locavore, locapour, and still a foodie, many involve cooking, eating, gardening, farming, the county and nearby places.

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My list —

Visit six festivals and/or fairs that are new to me
Taste at six new wineries never visited before
Seek out six new farmstands or markets to expand my locavore network
Do something different or visit someplace new in six states other than MD
Eat at six small business restaurants and/or diners
Eat/drink or experience six childhood memories
Log six new birds not seen before
Cook and eat six new proteins, i.e., meat, seafood, beans or nuts
Grow and/or eat six exotic fruits, veggies or herbs
Tackle six rightsizing projects

Some are self explanatory but others will take some initiative. Rightsizing projects include things we inherited from our families and things we accumulated over our 60+ years. Things like pictures, CDs, books, tools, clothes, shoes, whatever lurks in closets and cabinets. Having the space here makes it one of those often avoided projects.

The childhood memories include things like — riding a ferris wheel again, or a merry go round, or eating cotton candy, or a root beer float. Things we did as kids.

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For my first project, my husband bought a pomegranate at Wegmans yesterday. I have had pom juice, and pomegranate balsamic, but never tried getting the seeds out and using one in cooking. Tonight’s salad will have pom seeds on it. Maybe using my fennel we bought, and oranges. I am making my own birthday dinner, doing things I want to eat. Rockfish. Salad. Roasted cauliflower. None of it hard to make, and no worries about driving in the slush/snow/ice/whatever we have on the ground tonight.

It is still snowing out here. The red bellied woodpecker and one of the squirrels were out there chowing down this morning while I was prepping the fish in a marinade.

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This is a new young red bellied woodpecker, who is more skittish than the older ones are. He bolts when he sees the reflection of my camera. As for the acrobatic squirrel, he is lucky today. I don’t have the two layer baffle system on the large suet holder, and he can defeat just one. Besting the squirrels is a major undertaking here. Or, at least keeping them under control.

Who knows what this year, 2013, will bring to us here. I do know I intend to make it somewhat memorable, and certainly don’t intend to be bored.

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