Tag Archives: retirement

Young at Heart

Posted on February 6, 2013 by AnnieRie

At least that’s how I feel these days. Even though at times the body tells me I am doing too much. I was putting items of interest onto my calendar. Volunteer naturalist training. Habitat restoration. Wonder walks. Program committee meetings. All at the Conservancy.

Add to that the bird club events, programs, and the Great Backyard Bird Count coming up the weekend of the 16th-17th of February.

There’s Greenfest, Earth Day and mixed in with all the rest there are cellar dinners, get togethers, luncheons, and family commitments.

I can’t believe a year has passed since I was getting ready for neck surgery. Thankfully, that is behind me and I am filling our social calendar with possibilities of days out and about. It may be the last month of winter, but things are getting busy. This weekend besides the Ray Bosmans event at the Conservancy Saturday, on Sunday there is the first event at the Little French Market in Ellicott City with River House Pizza selling wood fired pizza.

If you think retirement means days passing time sitting at a senior center playing cards and getting your blood pressure checked, think again. There is so much more out there to do in Howard County. Oh, and I almost forgot. We are having a much anticipated bloggers and friends party at Union Jack’s on February 26th. Check out the link and sign up if you want to meet many of the bloggers on my Blogs I Read page, and from hocoblogs. I may be one of our oldest bloggers out there, but still, I insist that retirement is my second childhood and I will definitely be enjoying myself.

hocoblogs@@@

2 Comments

Posted in Birds, Community, Food, Hobbies, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Nature, People, Retirement, Volunteering and tagged birds, community, Food, foodie, hoco loco, hocoblogging, Howard County, howard county conservancy, local businesses, Locavore, nature, real food, retirement, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

A “Twofer”

Posted on January 11, 2013 by AnnieRie

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Posted on December 29, 2012 by AnnieRie

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

hocofood@@@

17 Comments

Posted in Adventures, Birds, Bucket List, Day Trips, Farmer's Markets, Food, Gardening, Hobbies, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, miscellaneous, Nature, Real Food, Remember When, Restaurants, Retirement, Rightsizing, Sixty@Sixty, Travel, Wine and tagged birds, cooking, day trips, farmer's markets, Food, foodie, gardening, hobbies, hoco loco, Howard County, local businesses, Locavore, nature, photography, real food, retirement, sixty@sixty, traditions, travel, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Snow Days

Posted on December 26, 2012 by AnnieRie

I don’t mind snow days like these. We needed the rain, and we got almost an inch so far today. It is snow mixed with sleet and rain, so it will be gone soon. The birds are frantically looking for food. It’s junco and blue jay reunion out there. Although the blue jays flew away once the camera came out.

Today was one of those stay inside and do projects kind of days. I am cleaning out the bedside nightstand drawers and doing some shredding. I did put tuna and tomatoes, with a base of canellini beans, in the oven on slow cook. A good hearty cold weather dish. Using some of my oven dried tomatoes that I froze. Plus, that end of the Costco tuna loin. It looks so dark and meaty, you wouldn’t think it was a fish dish.

We are keeping a close eye on the trees to make sure they don’t get weighed down with wet snow. We lost too many branches during those storms a few years back. We were supposed to have the final high tree pruning today, but the weather forced a cancellation. Without leaves, though, the deciduous trees will do OK, it’s the coniferous trees that worry me. We have a wind advisory for tomorrow with a potential for downed power lines again. The big question always is, “Should we fill the tubs with water in case we lose power and can’t flush toilets?” With all the weakened trees after the hurricane, power losses are still possible.

I do have to admit that it is beautiful out there. All Christmasy with the twinkling lights. Glad we don’t commute anymore, but can enjoy the view.

hocoblogs@@@

4 Comments

Posted in Birds, Food, Howard County, Nature, Real Food, Retirement, Weather, West HoCo and tagged birds, commentary, community, cooking, Food, foodie, heirloom tomatoes, Howard County, Locavore, nature, real food, retirement, tomatoes, weather, West HoCo. Bookmark the permalink.

Round Up Those Resolutions

Posted on December 3, 2012 by AnnieRie

Having a blog means getting to see what you said you were going to do in your New Year’s Resolutions. And then, when you revisit them, see if you made any progress, or just forgot about them. I did revisit in April.

Then, I did forget to see if I did anything. It’s been almost eight months, and I think before I make any resolutions for 2013, I should see if I accomplished any of the 2012 ones. Why make resolutions just to ignore them, or shelve them?

I did get that freezer. It is full. I am using it. Garlic scape pesto, chicken and turkey broth, chunky tomato sauce, all being used. CSA veggies being preserved in it and nothing going to waste. I think I can call this one a win.

pesto, fruit, veggies, broth ready for winter

We didn’t bid on a 4H animal this year, but I am getting venison tomorrow. Changing into almost 100% locally supplied beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb and now, venison. Not buying from grocery stores. That is a huge change in our consumption. I think that is another win. I even started buying bones from the Mt. Airy butcher to make my own stocks.

beef bones for stock

I did lose weight, even with the set back of surgery. Not very much, but down from a year ago. That will be another major goal next year. Make it a double digit loss, though, instead of a cumulative single digit loss. Still, six pounds down from a year ago isn’t bad.

Didn’t do chickens, or a cold frame. We think we will pass on the chickens, until we find a better place for my garden and get the radio towers positioned. Still want to do the cold frame.

As for baking and cooking. Didn’t bake that much, but did get cookies done for the Holiday Mart. Decided baking and losing weight are a problem, unless you bake to give away.

Cooking, on the other hand. Doing lots more and getting creative. Pumpkin hummus. Ajvar, now a staple in my recipe file. More cinnamon, garlic and other Mediterranean flavors. The venison will become many stews and chilis. I want to use tomatillos in it. I have branched out to new items.

ajvar and hummus

All in all, I am pleased with this year’s changes. And, yes, we did a bit of decluttering. The boxes in our garage from my husband’s office are gone. The shed has been cleaned to remove all leftovers from the roof, gutter and siding replacement jobs. Now, to get the tractor out of the garage so my car can go back in it. Before we get SNOW! That is one of my final big goals. But, at the moment tower parts, cable, rotors, antenna parts, all are still in the shed and the tractor needs just a bit more floor space than we have there. Hope that getting this crank up done this week will get me back in the garage. Keeping my fingers crossed.

making progress on the first tower

I guess I will make public resolutions for 2013. I seem to have done OK this year. Still loving the CSA and knowing I can eat locally year round in Howard County was a very pleasant surprise and motivates me to keep doing it. I need to update the local resources page to keep it current and show where things can be bought in the winter.

Oh, almost forgot. Still volunteering and loving it. In 2013, I will be helping with programs at the Conservancy to showcase local farmers and artisans. Can’t give up that precious gift of time.

hocofood@@@

1 Comment

Posted in Commentary, Community, CSA, Food, Hobbies, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Retirement, Rightsizing, Volunteering and tagged amateur radio, commentary, community, cooking, CSA, farmer's markets, Food, foodie, gardening, Howard County, howard county conservancy, local businesses, Locavore, real food, retirement, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

I Helped Build a Hex-Beam Yesterday

Posted on December 1, 2012 by AnnieRie

What did you do? Anything as insane as helping build an antenna? Not what most people do on Friday afternoons.

My husband is replacing most of the wires hanging off the attic with a 50′ crank up tower with a multiband antenna mounted on it. We put it together yesterday. Here’s hoping the deer don’t run into it before we get it mounted on the tower. I did the girl thing. I read the directions to be sure we did it right.

It is sitting protected in the yard, while my better half puts anchors in the ground for the guy wires and puts the base of the crank up tower in place. At least you won’t see this tower from the house, or the patio, or the road as it sits in a clearing behind the oak tree.

Looks like what? It is definitely an interesting antenna. I think it looks like something from Star Trek.

Next week, stay tuned. The crank up tower, pictured on the right, gets put up.

What fun things did you do Friday? Ah, retirement, always an adventure.

2 Comments

Posted in Adventures, Hobbies, Retirement and tagged amateur radio, hobbies, retirement. Bookmark the permalink.

Giving the Gift of Time

Posted on November 27, 2012 by AnnieRie

It’s Giving Tuesday. Another new one I never heard of before. A number of posts around about philanthropy, nonprofits, giving to local charities and such.

Me, I think the best gift we can give is our time. If we can’t always give money, or if the cause needs volunteers more than money, what is the value of your time? Even something so simple as signing up to tutor, or mentor, or chaperon a field trip, or put your name on the list to bring nurses and aides to work during snow storms. These and other types of volunteering opportunities are all around us.

I volunteer at the Conservancy now that I am retired. We just got our year end newsletter and mailing. Volunteers worked last Monday to put the mailing together. Volunteers lead the hikes with those 3955 school children. Volunteers pour wine at Wine in the Garden. Volunteers help children make critters at the crafts fair, park cars at the Transit of Venus, and the Fall Fest. There are only a half dozen employees there, almost all of them part time.

For me, it would be simpler to write a check. Leading a dozen or more hikes a year and running four or five programs takes way more effort than writing the check.

How about other opportunities in the county? The County Rec and Park department is always looking for volunteers. Whenever we did the county trail hikes on the AT or C&O canal, the leaders were volunteers. Robinson Nature Center? Needs docents and other volunteers.

Sometimes writing a check is a good thing to do. Sometimes it directly benefits you, or indirectly. We like to keep our donations of money to local efforts. Even being good citizens and supporting our volunteer firefighters.

Or, we can always support a fundraiser. Even if it is volunteering to work at an event. But, there are simple ways to give. Like this one. Not the $100 a plate fundraisers. Something as simple as the firefighters’ event on the 8th of December.

Giving is easy. Just pick up the phone and invite yourself to support something you believe in. Now, I need to go get those cookies made to take to the Conservancy for the crafts fair.

hocoblogs@@@

2 Comments

Posted in Commentary, Community, Howard County, Retirement, Volunteering and tagged commentary, community, hoco loco, Howard County, howard county conservancy, retirement, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

Day Trippin’

Posted on November 23, 2012 by AnnieRie

One of the pleasures of retirement. Going places during the week. Today, though, being Black Friday, it seems everyone took the holiday or didn’t have to work. That’s why we decided to head off down the back roads and have lunch at Linden, with a visit to Glen Manor as well.

We decided that heading down an old alternate route through the scenic byways was a perfect way to spend time. We hadn’t been on Blueridge Mountain Road past FEMA’s Emergency Operations Center since the GPS years ago took us on that road.

At 1800 on top the mountain it gets pretty windy and the road can be quite treacherous. But, once the leaves fall, like now, the views can be tremendous. We remembered those views and enjoyed the vistas down into the Shenandoah Valley while carefully negotiating the twists and turns, back down to US 50. If you want to see a map of how crazy the roads are, here is a bike loop that shows on the left the route we took.

We then took the scenic route down Leeds Manor Lane, seeing all the hunters parked along the road to the state wildlife management areas. Passed one of the many crossings of the Appalachian Trail which follows the mountain ridge in the same general direction we took to get to the wineries. We encountered a few hardy bicyclists, climbing that second major hill on Leeds Manor, one walking his bike up it, two resting at the summit, and a straggler far behind. These are hidden gems of scenic routes, for drivers and cyclists.

This AT crossing is right near the Avenius vineyards, which contain plantings used to make one of the single vineyard designations for Linden. You can park just up from the crossing and hike up to look across the ridge. One day, when we decide we are adventurous, we will climb that trail to take photos from the top. We went to Linden first, to sit and enjoy a bottle of Chardonnay with some local cheeses and one of their crusty warm baguettes.

2009 Linden Avenius Chardonnay

They are already all decorated for the holidays and the winter arrangement of the screen porch has replaced the extra tables and chairs out there the other seasons. This is one of my favorite places to sit when it is cold, to savor the fire in the wood stove and take in the view.

When we arrived at noon, there were about 10 of us in the winery. By the time we left the lot was full and they were two deep at the tasting set ups. Obviously lots of people decided wine tasting was way better than shopping malls on Black Friday. The deck and porch were empty when we arrived, but hopping when we walked out. The Christmas decorations are really beautiful. This is a great place to visit.

After our stop there, we headed into Front Royal to our original destination today, Glen Manor. We haven’t been there since April, and we wanted to pick up some Sauvignon Blanc. We tasted some other new releases, their Vin Rouge and Cabernet Franc. Since our last visit, they have added an extension to the building to increase working space. It is still lovely as always, and there were people out on the patio while we went through a tasting.

This is one stellar site to sit and absorb the beauty of the Shenandoah while drinking a glass of some of Virginia’s best wines. Even though the trees are mostly bare, the surroundings are bursting with fall foliage at the ground level.

No wonder we keep returning to these hidden gems in Virginia. Brought home a few white wines as well. What better gifts for Christmas from a locavore and locapour than dessert wines from Linden and Glen Manor. They both are offering a Late Harvest Petite Manseng. They will make someone very happy you bought them these lovely wines as a gift.

2 Comments

Posted in Adventures, Day Trips, Locavore, Retirement, Travel, Weather, Wine and tagged day trips, fall foliage, Locavore, nature, retirement, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Things to Be Thankful For

Posted on November 20, 2012 by AnnieRie

Two days left before the holiday season kicks off with Thanksgiving. For us, a little bit hectic but not like it was when we had two sets of families to juggle with visits. Now, we are pretty much all residing in Maryland and my brother hosts many of the holidays.

My mom lives about 30 miles east of us, and my brother about 30 miles southeast near Annapolis. Both are easy rides. I am thankful we can avoid the holiday traffic on the highways. I remember when I was still going to Hopkins at night to study electrical engineering and we had class the night before Thanksgiving. We worked in Silver Spring. I never made it to class. Sat for three hours trying to get up the highway to Baltimore. So, I am very thankful I still have family locally.

I am thankful they found my collapsing discs before I had permanent nerve damage, and that I had a great neurosurgeon repair it. Health is something we take for granted when we are young, and don’t know how hard it is to recover from injuries or illnesses as we get older. I still have bad days after doing things for the first time since the operation. A little Tylenol and I cope. It could have been life changing if I hadn’t found out in time.

I am thankful my husband and I could retire and enjoy it. Enjoying our hobbies, our friends, the local events and get togethers. Finding my niche at the Conservancy to still feel useful.

Him connecting with the radio clubs and getting to do something he loved as a teenager. Something he gave up when we lived in Columbia in a town house. Having fun at field day every year.

Putting up the antennas and getting on the air is his hobby. No, he doesn’t play golf. He never wanted a boat. All those hobbies that many people have, he wasn’t into those things. His hobby is practiced right in the rec room, on his radios. Maybe I do get a little tired of “CQ contest, CQ contest” for up to 48 hours. I like the CW (Morse Code) contests better. I can’t hear him using the keyer. Phone contests I get to hear him call stations and give the proper exchanges to validate a contact.

I am thankful we went through the derecho and the hurricane with minimal damage. We were counted among the lucky ones. For that, we are making sure we help those who still need help. Giving clothing, non perishable foods, toiletries, and contributions where we can. We lost a few trees. We lost some food after the derecho. Nothing earth shattering for us. We know we were very fortunate. The largest ones were caught in others and missed our home.

I am thankful we live in such a pleasant and relatively safe environment. Even with all its warts, this country and, personally for us, this area are peaceful. Civil unrest, riots, financial crises like those across the pond, we are relatively insulated here. I am thankful I got my degree, thanks largely to encouragement from the good nuns in my high school. They insisted I take math and science. From thinking I would do a business curriculum and get a job in Baltimore at 18, to getting to go to college and major in math. Without that push, I would have had a vastly different life. Instead, I got to experience amazing things.

young and adventurous, my month at an ice research station

I am glad the Dream Act passed. Education is key to making a life better. Any type of education. I learned that. So did my husband. Both of us worked our way through college, and made better lives for ourselves. Without that education, we wouldn’t be retired and enjoying life. I am so eternally grateful to our parents for helping us, even though they struggled. My dad was a policeman. His dad a coal miner, then a factory worker. We know that our education, his in engineering, mine in math and computers made us marketable and employable, even during the recession in the seventies when we graduated.

We have much to be thankful for. Thursday we are off to visit my family and celebrate the traditional turkey day the way we have for many years. Dinner, a nice long walk, then some football.

Today is CSA day. We are getting good things for my dinner. Tomorrow I pick up my Maple Lawn turkey. Then, off to England Acres to get a centerpiece and some things that won’t be in my CSA box today.

This weekend our little private personal Thanksgiving, a tradition we started years ago when I wanted to learn how to cook a turkey, we will give thanks again for what we have.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my cyber readers, and my cyber circle of locavores.

3 Comments

Posted in Family, Food, Hobbies, Local Businesses, Locavore, People, Retirement, Travel, Volunteering and tagged amateur radio, commentary, cooking, family, Food, hobbies, howard county conservancy, local businesses, Locavore, real food, retirement, volunteering. Bookmark the permalink.

One Year Old

Posted on November 2, 2012 by AnnieRie

Today is the anniversary of launching this blog. I looked back at my first month of blogging to see what I wrote and what I thought I would do with it.

I uploaded wordpress and tried out the software. Used a friend’s sunset pic, and off I went. I wrote mostly about my CSA the first month, and a few random posts. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a food blog …

my “frozen” pizza

… or if I wanted to post about retirement, or the west county where I live. Turns out, I run all over the place, so I suppose I fit most in the category of personal.

Life in retirement in west county keeps us busy, between hobbies, projects, volunteering and traveling just a bit. I settled on being a locavore, locapour, foodie, retiree. Too many interests? I think not. Add to that our birding, and amateur radio, and we keep out of trouble most days.

Life continues out here as we clean up the small mess the storm left behind. This puppy is one of our favorite purchases, as it becomes invaluable to me as a gardener.

the leaf vacuum, branch chipper, my mulching friend

Right now my better half is creating mulch from all the small tree limbs I collected off the property, for me to use to cover the garlic for the winter. The garlic has sprouted, so it needs a warm cover to overwinter. It obviously loved all that moisture the past week and came up with quickly. I noticed it this morning.

organic garlic planted in October

Besides the tree limbs, the mulched leaves turn into compost for us and our rake and take partner.

Also around here at home, the antennas were re-hung yesterday in advance of this weekend’s contest. I will be hitting markets and shopping, and my husband will be calling CQ. He got the 80 meter antenna up yesterday with a little help from me, and is now on all bands but 160 meters. Not bad with wires. The crank up towers should be going up soon, which will get him better directionality once he gets a beam or two in the air.

Obviously we have enough to do and I have enough to write about, just here in Howard County. Let’s see if I can continue to find inspiration and new topics, as well as report on what’s happening. Saturday I will be popping up to Glenwood market, then heading over to the Fairgrounds to check out the Craft Spectacular. Sunday, up to Olney to see how they are going to transition to an indoor market this winter. I want to talk to their organizers.

Out at the Conservancy, we are working on having a one day, market fest, winter style, in January. Who knows? Maybe we can get something going more often here in Howard County. Can’t hurt to look into it. At least, by having a market in Olney this winter at the Sandy Spring Museum, we have some local goodies to buy year round.

Another project I will love to put on my plate. Year round locavore. With lots of friends around here getting interested in supporting our farms, we could do this.

hocoblogs@@@

4 Comments