November

"No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November!"
- Thomas Hood

My yard has an abundance of leaves…and nuts. I should be out there raking but I am not. I am waiting for them all to land and will do it in one fell swoop. #2 daughter is home sick so she needs babying right, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.

#1 daughter came home for the weekend. We didn't do much but she did finally get her picture taken for her license. Afterward we stopped at the thrift store and I found a Singer Tiny Serger for $4.99. I just ordered the manual. Hopefully it works but if it doesn't I am not out a whole lotta money.

While we were shopping the man went and picked up the pork. Almost didn’t have enough space for it but we squeezed it in. Thawed out and fried up some bacon as we haven’t had any in a while because I am too cheap to spend money on it when I had some coming. It was delicious and well worth the wait. Now just to wait for the sauerkraut.

Then she went with me while we took care of my cousins alpaca. Her first question was "Why don't you have some of them?" When I hit the lottery maybe. I finally remembered to bring the camera on Sunday. Isn't he adorable. His name is Donner. He doesn't stand still very long when he wants food. This same cousin and a friend bought me this at Rhinebeck... It is called High Strung and is done by Sheep Incognito Conni Togel. You have to see some of the others. Isn't it adorable? It now hangs above my knitting/spinning chair.

And that chair has finally seen some action. I have been in a knitting funk so I spent alot of time cleaning. Well, I woke up at 4:55 yesterday morning because my body thought it was 5:55. Knowing there was no way I was going back to sleep, I spun a little and then started to crochet a tree skirt. Too much crochet and my wrist start’s to hurt so then with the early darkness I sat down and started knitting. I finished a Cherry Garcia cabled neck tube and then started a feather and fan cowl. Do I need to say while the Yankee's were winning? Hopefully I will finish that today as now I find I have projects in the queque. It's good to be back to knitting.

Snout to tail

"snout to tail, everything but the squeal

Another week has gone by so quickly. Monday I had a funeral to attend, Tuesday I spent at the Doctors with #2 son and his yearly physical. He failed the eye test miserably and now we have an eye doctor appointment. After dropping him off at school there was shopping to do.

Wednesday, I went over my friends and they taught me how to make liverwurst. Thursdaymorning, I helped get everything cooked and ready for the next day. Thursday afternoon was spent cheering #2 son and team on.Friday I helped my friends make the headcheese. OMG I should have run when they started the headcheese but stupid me figured that if someone was willing to teach me to do something I should hang around and help them do their thing. The liverwurst was delicious but the headcheese will never cross my lips. The smell of it being poured into the pans was horrendous. I have driven by roadkill that smelled better than this food that one is to consume.

Friday evening, I blanched and froze 16 pounds of broccoli. Saturday it rained. While the man was at work, I froze 4 1/2 gallon bags of sliced apples. It was a nice mix and should make some awesome pies, cakes and crisps this winter. When the man came home we worked on organizing the basement....Is this futile? I am storing things for the older kids, keeping momento's for all the kids. Somebody brings in more and it gets piled until there is time to do it. I have piles of stuff for friends, salvation army, library etc. I foresee doing this many times in the future.

Sunday, was more of the same. Late afternoon, I lost hours looking thru some of my mother's knitting and crochet books. Some of the pamphlets are from the 50's. I found the original Hemlock Ring doily in one of them. Looking thru them is like looking at a timeline of my mother's life. She crocheted first, doing doilies and then bedspreads with cotton thread. She moved on to afghans, baby sets and sweaters. Then came knitting small things like cabbage patch kids clothes when #1 daughter was into them and clothes for us and the grandkids. In looking thru totes I found the vests she had made the kids with animal heads on the front and tails on the back. To this I added the afghans she made for each one of my kids to give to their first child. My SIL has the same for her kids. The christening set she made is also packed away for use by future generations.

Monday was spent putting everything where it should go. I put away the canning equipment as all I have left to can is sauerkraut which wont be done for a couple of weeks. I have been working with it/around it for months and although I love the product, I am getting tired of it. I do believe this is the latest in the season I have ever canned. Mom and I were usually done by September.

I also put all the seeds away that were taking up space on all available flat surfaces. Then I got into cleaning...I started putting Liquid Gold on all the woodwork and doing the windows...The holidays are getting near....30 days until Thanksgiving when I am due to get a house full and Christmas is only 58 days away.

Now it is back to work. Next time I will show you a picture of a post-Rhinebeck present I received.

Rhinebeck 2009

The cider mug simmered slow,
The apples sputtered in a row,

And close at hand the basket stood,

With nuts of brown October's wood.
–John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–92)

I planned a fishing trip for husband and crew on the very weekend that I wanted to go to Rhinebeck and he is my driver. I wanted to buy a pair of combs. I looked on the internet and found ones a friend of mine had so I just ordered them.

Then friends came to the rescue and offered to drive so #1 daughter and met up with M & D and went to Rhinebeck. Now D went to Endless Mt. It was her first fiber festival...she is fairly new to the spinning part. She came home and had already made up her mind to buy a 2nd wheel that Grace had for sale. Her husband is much like mine...very understanding. Which is good because she came home with a carder this time. She was eyeing the electric but ended up with a Strauch Petite with the brush. Otto didn't want to give up his demo so sent us down to another vendor that had one in stock. Funny part is D had brought her credit card but then left it in the car so she would behave. She ended up writing a check instead!!!

M was the only one not enticed by the fumes of wool and sheep. She said she has enough wool roving, wheels, carders and yarn and really didn't need anything....The girl either has willpower. She bought some Jacob roving and a rug punch.

Now #1 went with us spur of the moment. Towards the end I saw some beautiful mohair but decided not to get it as I wasn't going to buy anything but then ended up with wine, jerky, dips,a Shetland lamb fleece and rug punch. So #1 went back and asked to purchase it with her credit card but they didn't accept credit cards. #1 asked them if they knew where the closest ATM was located. They bagged up the yarn and said just give us your name and phone number and mail us a check later!

WHO DOES THAT NOW A DAYS!?!?!

I was amazed. So I am the happy owner of 1000 yards of brushed mohair in September (#1's birth month!) colorway from Kid Hollow Farm. It is gorgeous and the pictures just don't do the colors justice. I have to do a search for something suitable to make from it. #1's instructions were to make something for myself so that might have to be put on a back burner until January.

I did make these for myself out of the roving I dyed and then spun. Of course, I forgot to take them to Rhinebeck!

In other news....The guys came home empty handed. The pigs went off to the butcher. I picked up two egg crates of de-husked black walnuts for black walnut brittle. Monster child (my nephew) found a chicken nest with a dozen eggs, so now I know where to look.

Yesterday I got an email about the combs I ordered...back ordered 6-8 months! It will be Spring and I hopefully will be able to visit family and go to MD S&W!!!

We are suppose to make liverwurst today but it has been postponed until tomorrow....#2 son has a doctors appointment I forgot about. Have you noticed I have been doing that alot lately?!

Predictions

"When the number of factors coming into play in a phenomenological complex is too large scientific method in most cases fails. One need only think of the weather, in which case the prediction even for a few days ahead is impossible." ~Albert Einstein

The weatherman foretells of cold weather and dare I say the word...*SNOW* for tomorrow. He says cold temperatures for the weekend. Now, for all intents and purposes I don't care if it does snow tomorrow so long as it doesn't snow on the weekend. The guys are going back to the Pulaski area for more salmon fishing. #1 and Sir T are driving up from Philly. I don't want them driving on slushy roads and I don't want to miss out on Rheinbeck. I have not be able to go in several years so I am looking forward to this diversion from normal duties.

We got our first freeze on Monday and are suppose to get snow on Thursday! Things are moving much to quickly for my body to adjust. I succumbed and fires are a nightly ritual now. The geese didn't even have time to adjust. It was so cold, Monday morning they decided to tuck their wings in tight to keep themselves warm and float south!

In other news, my pullets are laying. Yeah, I know about time and everyone else's already were. The pullets were in a small coop without nesting boxes. Well, the man finally finished the addition on the hens coop and all of the pullets were moved in there. Now that they have the use of the hens nesting boxes they are not hiding their nests around the yard and I am able to get the eggs.

I did a craft fair this weekend. I was worried about the weather but it was beautiful. I spun a full bobbin while there and made some money. #1 and Sir T tell me I should charge more but I don't do it to pay my bills, I wouldn't be able to. I just sell extra's. I sold enough to buy 5 of us dinner and a trip to Home Depot for some molding, stain and poly.

The man took today off so we can finish (hahaha) the fall chores before the snow flies. The pigs go to butcher Sunday night. Tuesday, the man scheduled the day off, to go get the meat from the butcher needed to make liverwurst and zwiebelwurst. A friend is going to show us how to make it....it maybe a one time experience depending on the grossness scale! In exchange for his tutelage, he gets the heads for headcheese. Now THAT I have no interest in viewing/learning.

And NOW the man is ready to motivate so motivate I must....and to think I use to miss him when he went to work!

Autumn marches on

By ripping cheeks,

with cold breeze,

with twitter of sparrows,

Autumn came! ~ Mula Veereswara Rao

And she is showing her strength today-it is windy! While standing at #2 son's football game the other night, I thought winter had passed autumn by! When we arrived the sun was shining down on the lake beyond the field and it wasn't too bad. Then the sun set, the winds picked up a little and the sun's warmth disappeared...quickly. It got dark, the lights came on on the field and I froze. By the time the game was over I could not wait to get to the car and turn on the heat. It is time to bring mittens to the games.

I spun and plied the roving I dyed the other day. It is strange multi-color but I like it. I might have to make mittens out of that later on. #2 daughter put in a request for mittens in school colors..one purple on one hand and white on the other.

My hands were purple but not from mittens. A friend and I did up the red cabbage. The nine heads we bought made 60 pints and 3 quarts of sweet and sour cabbage. I feel like this bee, trying to get as much out of summer's bounty as possible.

More Vege Tales

Plant a radish, get a radish, never any doubt. That's why I love vegetables, you know what they're about! ~Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt

Wednesday a friend's husband came over and we took the 90 pounds of cabbage, shredded it and salted it. In a couple of weeks there will be fresh pork and sauerkraut for dinner. I can't wait.

Friday I took those same friends to the farmers market. They loved it and went home with quite the haul. I didn't do too badly either...I grabbed some eggplant for my SIL, some cauliflower for the friend that got the broccoli and some dehydrated mushrooms for the man. I also got two squash, a 8 pound Long Island Cheese and a 13 pound Fairytale Musquee de Provence. The LI Cheese I love and is usually what we use for pie.
The Fairytale is new to me, but so far I like it. The seed cavity is about equal to the LI but the flesh is a much deeper orange, a little stringier and drier. I am told they are a little sweeter. They are presently processing. We also bought some red cabbage which I am going to learn how to can as sweet and sour cabbage at her house on Tuesday.

Last night I tried canning meat for the first time. I asked on a canning forum if I could can venison that was previously frozen. They said I could, so I tried it. If the family likes it than I will can any venison we get this year as it will open up freezer space.

Remember when I canned beets the other day...well you know that I had to dye something even though I read it doesn't hold well. Here are the results....white and gray wool roving. Then because I was in dye mode I got out the acid dyes and dripped it here and there for this roving...In knitting, I finished another stocking. My original idea was to do the heel and to in green. Then I grabbed the wrong green and it was heavier than the red so I decided to not do the toe green. I should have turned the heel in green...oh well, I am only human. I am thinking of trying to add a tree on the leg. I added the little "patch" but it needs something more.

And keeping things interesting around here...Thursday night I took the man to the hospital ER. He had a little mark on his wrist Tuesday night. He said it was hurting and thought there was a splinter of wood/metal in it. I checked and some puss came out but no wood/metal. We cleaned it and put drawing salve on it.

Wednesday when he came home from work, his wrist was swollen. I said maybe it is a spider bite and suggested a doctor but manly men know so much more. By Thursday night his hand was swollen and his arm hurt almost up to his elbow. Pain does wonders, it motivated him to go see what was wrong. The ER doctor wasn't sure if it was a spider bite but told him drawing salve was "witchdoctor medicine"! The Dr. gave him Keflex and an antibiotic ointment to put on the sore. Last night his arm was throbbing and he went to bed early. He just came home from a 1/2 day of work and the sore is very infected. I think he should go back to the ER. He has to help a friend and said he would go tonight! WTF! They would totally understand.

And then, coming in from work behind the man was #1 son. He needed me to take pictures of this... his 2009 Dodge Ram that met a deer on the way to work. I had to call the nearest Dodge dealer and send him on his way to get an estimate. What makes my family...well actually the men, think I need all this excitement?

Fruits, Vegetables and Nuts

The mellow Moon,

The changing leaves,

The earlier setting Sun,

Proclaim at last, my merry boys,

The harvesttime begun.

~Charles G. Eastman (1816–60)

The farmer's market was quite the success. I bought 20 pounds of broccoli for $8, 26 pounds of beets for $12 and 33 heads (90 pounds) cabbage for $20. I picked up 4 large leek for $3.

The broccoli went to one friend, the beets I split with another friend, the cabbage will become sauerkraut tonight and the leek, with our potatoes was dinner last night-potato leek soup. Yesterday was a soup day as it was windy and cool, so it was perfect.

The pears I got from my friend, became pear bread and tutti-fruity jam. As the rest of the pears ripen I will be making more of the bread and freezing it for snacks.

My share of the beets became 13 pints of canned beets, some sliced and some whole. The shelves are getting pretty full, which I love. I love it even more in winter. At some point I have to put all the info on what I canned together. It lets me know what I have to change/grow from year to year as we try new things. This year I had to buy most of my tomatoes due to blight, but the cucumbers and peppers were awesome. And speaking of peppers I was able to pawn mine off on someone else!

So it was a good day. The wind made it perfect for line drying clothes. The tricky part is getting to the line without getting hit in the head with a hicklory nut. I have a squirrel that sits in the canopy chewing off the husks and dropping them down on everyone. A cat had him in his clutches the other day and I rescued him, you would think he would be more appreciative!

And here is a picture of another nut. My son came home from football practice like this! The "friend" that did it to him was no barber and we had to shave spots here and there as he/football buddies have decided they are going to keep it for a while. Thankfully he has a decent shaped head! As long as the school doesn't have a problem with it, I don't. It is funny watching them change - in the beginning of the year he had long ringlets, he let his sister cut his hair to a presentable level for formal and now the mohawk! They keep it interesting.

Keeping Busy

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many.~Oliver Wendell Holmes

There are more than a couple of gray hairs showing in Mother Nature's locks right now but it makes it even more beautiful. I love all the seasons but temperature-wise, I would have to say Spring and Autumn are the best. The 50-60's are perfect weather. The Mystery Lily's must agree because they gave a second wave of blossoms...shorter but just as beautiful.

I have been busy all summer canning but I feel busier now. I am going in a hundred directions and then crash into bed at night.

I am ripping and tearing the garden. I picked seven pounds of celery and froze it. I also picked more of these...I haven't done anything with them yet. I was thinking of passing them on or dehydrating them. I have already pawned off bags of them-they are starting to be like zucchini where people hide when they see you coming. I almost pulled the plants but decided to leave them until the frost hits.

I picked some pears at a friends house which I need to do something with. My kids like the pear honey but prefer a grape, blackberry, elderberry or raspberry jam. They don't like pears canned so I found a pear bread which says it freezes well so I am going to try it and see what we get.

I have been knitting. I made the two pair of baby socks,

the Christmas stocking, and finally did the last finishing touches of the Apple Blossom baby sweater. The i-cord isn't in because I trying to decide if I want it or not. I don't want a baby to pull the ties and choke themselves. I may end up putting a button on it.

And I went through some bags of fleece that were given to me and washed up some of that and dumped what I didn't want to be bothered with. We went to shear our sheep this Saturday and the man replaced a little part and now the new shears don't want to cut. He needs to figure out what he did because I need them sheared NOW....of course they are calling for rain pretty much all week.

The Christmas countdown on the last post really kicked me in the butt. I have been working on some Christmas presents and picked up quite a few this weekend. I have always loved Christmas but I am really having fun this year. Of course it is early still so I may burn out before the holiday gets here.

I was suppose to go to the farmer's market early Friday but ended up helping a friend who needed to go to the doctor. So today I am heading out to see what is coming out of the farmer's fields and ovens...Apple cider doughnuts are calling me, gotta go.

Welcome Autumn

"But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my possessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head ... The harvest has dwindled, and I have grown apart from the intense midsummer relationship that brought it on."- Robert Finch

As the days have passed the sun is coming through the windows at a different angle, the air has cooled and the sleeves are getting longer. It was 43 Saturday morning...#1 daughter mumbled something about fire and woodstove but I didn't quite catch that. I have to see how long we can go without it. This morning the weather man said we should expect our first snow in approximately a month. Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to use heat until then? Just because the woodpile is growing on a daily bases doesn't mean we need to burn it all before the real cold gets here.

The canning is still continuing but at a slower pace. I still have to do apple cider and sauerkraut. This year I swallowed my fear and used the pressure pot a lot more. I also tried several new canning recipes, including this carrot cake jam. Yummy! It is definitely a keeper recipe.

The house sadly neglected during canning season and summer now calls for drastic attention! And so I have begun fall cleaning. I will be the first to admit, I am not a disciplined person. I will get cleaning in one area, find something that has to go to another area and start cleaning a space there. Needless to say it causes even more of a mess. So much for the simple life.

Sunday the menfolk returned from the annual salmon fishing. I had made reservations for next month too just in case this trip was unsuccessful. It was Sir T's first salmon fishing trip and I think he enjoyed himself. He got to yell "Fish On" but sadly did not land it. They did come home with one but they didn't catch it, it was the gift of a fellow (luckier) fisherman.

I have been knitting. I started a Christmas project - once, twice, three times.First my mind couldn't get it, then I screwed up which needles the stiches were to be on by trying to correct another mistake and then I did a k1 p1 ribbing instead of a p1 k1 ribbing. I think I finally have it right...we shall see. I put it aside for now to concentrate on things for a small craft show I am going to. And speaking of shows, I went to Endless Mt Fiber Fest. I did come home with some more yarn...I foresee socks in the future! I didn't buy any roving as I have so much and hadn't been spinning. Of course once home, I ended up sititing in front of the wheel and not stopping until I had spun 8 oz. Oh well, shearing starts this weekend.

Even though things are winding down there is so much that still has to be done before the snow falls, including getting more hay hauled here for the winter. We are sinking back into the school routine and even #2 son gets up without much of a fuss. Soon football will be over and we will all be in the house by 6 pm huddled around the woodstove. Am I pushing it too quickly? Well here is an eye opener-there is only 91 days until Christmas!!!! HAHAHAHAHA

September

"The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze."
- John Updike, September

Today it feels like a fall day. It hasn't hit 60 yet and it is raining. But I am not complaining because it is an absolutely marvelous day....oh heck it has been a pretty good week too.

Sunday we followed #1 daughter and Sir T down to Philly with some more things for their apartment. They treated us to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Having never heard of or been to one I thought they were taking us to the filthiest place on earth when I walked in and saw the floor. And the noise! I think everyone in Philly had a birthday that night! But the food was delicious - especially the margaritas and sweet potatoes with cinnamon butter.

Then Monday the man and I spent some time together...without kids!!! We left them home, went to the farmer's market, craft store, lumber yard and food shopping.

Tuesday, I was babysitting for a friend. Her girls and #2 daughter went swimming for probably the last time this year. It was funny watching the leaves come floating down the river while they were swimming.

Wednesday, school started!!! Now, the first time you send your kids to school you pace trying to find something to do to waste away the hours, then as they get older you celebrate that day. I miss them but enjoy the peace and quiet that is not here when they are home. I also enjoy things staying clean for more than 5 minutes. And honest mothers will agree that the best cup of coffee/tea is the one right after the kids get on the bus.

#2 daughter was nervous as it is her first day in the high school but she did great. #2 son will be there next year and she will be able to show him around.

Thursday was an errand day. While riding around I noticed the roads covered with leaves. At the football game, #2's team lost but it was great sitting there with the breeze off the lake and the sun shining down.

Today started at 5. I got everyone out the door, took the car to the shop, walked home and did the animals. And then the rain started so I came inside and listened to it while I did two loads of laundry, 2 batches of apple butter and 2 batches of applesauce. After lunch I plan on making apple pie in a jar. Then it's shepherds pie with a salad for dinner. I over bought on the milk forgetting the kids were going to school so I might even use some up making rice pudding.

Like the song says.."And I think to myself, what a wonderful world."

Right as I was getting ready to hit publish post...the electricity went off. A tree fell on the line coming over to my house. Several hours later my power was restored and I had an unplanned afternoon of knitting. Not what was planned but still a really good way to spend a day.

Tomorrow morning I have to resume canning and then it is Endless Mountain Fiber Fest...Another wonderfull day!

Slowing it down a bit.

The faster I go, the behinder I get. ~Lewis Carroll

The canning has continued but at a slower pace....the garden has taken note that I mean business and has bowed to my will. LOL!! In truth I am exhausted and can no longer see things through the weeds!

This is the last week before school starts so we are slowing things down to enjoy these last days. We are getting our hair done, going for rides on sun dappled roads, taking time out while picking elderberries to watch the fish in the stream, laying under a tree and watching the clouds drift past, getting the car ready for winter (that one was pricey). The guys are doing more fishing to get ready to go salmon fishing in Pulaski the weekend of the 18th.

We took #2 daughter to tour the high school where she swears she will get lost... she probably will, as will alot of other kids. And #1 and her bf came home to spend the weekend. They both had birthdays recently, so we are going to celebrate them.

And is it the smell of the earth, the crunch of the leaves, the waning day light hours, the cooling temps, the lengthening of the shadows? I think we have long lost most of our primal instincts but for some reason I have been doing more fiber....It could be that things don't stick to you as you are trying to work with them...whatever it is I have finished a small throw that I had started for a friend of mine, knit a swiffer cover and started a second. I am enjoying this resurgence and have some things planned for the holidays...we will see if my body can keep up with my want to do list!

Peace and Quiet

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands.... 1Thessalonians 4:11

Quiet is defined in many ways. If you go with the "free, or comparatively free, from noise" definition...well with a houseful of kids and animals the summer has been anything but quiet.

However, if you go with the "free from disturbing thoughts, emotions, etc.; mentally peaceful" I think I have finally reached that.

As with most families, the death of a family member does not always bring out the best in people as each strives to deal with their grief in their own way. Such was the case with our family. My brother and I who daily lived thru my mothers illness had a difference of opinion than my sister who only moved back to the area recently. For a while this bothered me and then the other day I sat and re-read the Desiderata on the side bar.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly...

...Avoid loud and aggressive persons

...in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

We had spoken the truth, it was ignored so I have choosen to avoid the situation and I did find some peace. I know what I did for my mother. I know what my mother wanted. If her wishes do not get done, I am not the one that needs to answer for it. You can not make people be what you want them to be or do what needs to be done. And having realized that I can sleep peacefully at night.

My mother's birthday was the 31st so her grandkids made her one downfall...ice cream. We had a crank ice cream maker and each year when we got out our canning supplies we would say we needed to make ice cream with the kids. Canning always intervened or in the end Dr. appts. So when I received the ice cream maker I decided that this would be the year to finally make it.

What a sticky situation that was, with the kids mixing and measuring. Then after all the cranking we found the bowl was turning but the dasher wasn't. We clamped some vise grips on the top of the dasher, held the bucket and let them turn that....problem fixed. We added some orange sherbet to the bowls of vanilla ice cream for a mock orange creamsicle and ate away. Then we froze because the temperatures are getting cold at night! It was only 42 yesterday morning. Yeah I know there is worse to come but my body hasn't acclimated yet.

Of course the cooler temps means it is much more enjoyable working with yarn...I finished the baby afghan.

It is a simple crocheted shell in Vanna Whites baby yarn in color Ducky. Looks like our chickens egg yolks but I am thinking the name Egg yolk wouldn't sell as well as ducky.

Then I knit a replica of the Jacob Black (from Twilight) hat. It was a simple k2p2 and I used some slubby handspun and #2 daughter who is a huge Twilight fan is very happy.

And finally a picture of the one sock I said I had finished. The second one is on the needles. For some reason we all fell in love with the color...Red Heart Heart and Sole in Green Envy.

So today we have elderberry jelly to make, hot peppers to pickle and a football scrimmage to attend. I found a round crochet afghan that needs attending to so I hope to get some work done on that. I might eventually catch up on all the UFO's as this weather continues!!!

Taking a break

“Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest” ~ Ashleigh Brilliant

GASP!!! That was me coming up for air!

It has been so incredibly busy here. The canning seems to never end…as hot and tiring as that can be, it is a good thing.

I froze 30 more pints of corn, and canned 24.5 pints of salsa, 16 pints of hot pepper mustard, 7.5 pints of strawberry jalapeno sauce, 7 pints of hot dog relish, and 11 pints & 3 quarts of bread and butter pickles. It continued on and I added 6.5 pints of green tomato relish, five ½ pints of orange jelly, 19 ½ quarts of pickled hot peppers, 4 pints of green tomato salsa, 7 quarts & 24.5 pints of green beans, 18.5 pints of tomato soup, and 12 quarts of crushed tomatoes to the shelves. It has been a very busy 2 1/2 weeks! At one point I got so tired of it that I gave a bunch of cucumbers to the pigs. I should feel bad for wasting them but they were rather large and I would have had to take all those seeds out and make relish and I just wasn't up for it.

Football practice was a nightly thing. I thought I would have all this free time to knit…hahaha! My old neighbor’s son is in football too. We sat on the bleachers watching them and gabbing away. Now son is doing the two-a-day which means I drop him off at 6:30 AM and pick him up at 3:30 PM. I sat holding his helmet one day and saw this sticker. It reads "...no helmet system can protect you from serious brain and/or neck injuries including paralysis or death. To avoid these risks, do not engage in the sport of football." What a happy sticker.

Along with canning and chauffeuring, I also took some time to take the kids to the fair. They had a new company handling the rides and there were more/different rides so the kids were happy. I went into look at the judging and got annoyed. In the baby afghans there was a two strand worsted weight crocheted shell stitch one vs a worsted weight knit lace (can't remember the pattern). As I can do both and know the difficulty of them I was amazed to see the crocheted one took first place! Of course you were not allowed to pick them up and look for errors so maybe the lace had some mistakes. I would still have picked the lace one. I found solace in a blooming onion.

With all this driving it was bound to happen... #2 daughter and I came upon a bear. He was definitely not interested in us and sauntered away into the woods. Although beautiful to look at in their natural environment I don’t want them near my animals. Last week we had a bobcat come down out of the woods and snatch a chicken with #1 daughter standing right there hanging up laundry. She was only 20 feet away and it was oblivious to her. I don't think she will have to worry about seeing one again as she moved to Philly this past weekend.

Today while driving it was all turkeys. They are coming out of the woods and into the road. I stopped in the middle of the road for three different flocks and saw two flocks in peoples yards.

Knitting/spinning/crocheting is almost non exist but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We picked a bunch more cucumbers tonight and are planning on picking the last of the beans tomorrow afternoon. Then it is on to elderberry jelly and sauerkraut. The squash can go into the root cellar and then we are done...I think.

Tomorrow I get a slight reprieve in the morning (coolest part of the day) to go to #2 sons first scrimmage, which I would not miss for the world. Then-as if things could get better-Saturday there is a local fiber festival at Fort Delaware in Narrowsburg, NY. I can't wait, a day of sitting and spinning and fiber, that is what a would call really taking a break.

Memories

"In the childhood memories of every good cook, there's a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom." ~ Barbara Costikyan

My mom wasn't much for a simmering pot as she hated to cook but she loved to bake - the bread, the pies and the cakes oh my! Seventeen years ago when I moved back home I was a size 3..............let's just say I am not anymore. She taught me to can so she has been on my mind a lot as canning season goes into overdrive.

We did all of our canning at her house. We had our own system down pat and it was hard at first to find a way of doing things solo. I persevered and it may not be perfect but my new way is starting to work for me. I got another 14.5 pints green tomato relish, 20 pints of salsa, 16 pints of bread and butter pickles, 5 pints of chili sauce and 5 pints of strawberry/jalapeno sauce done. A friend was able to get me two boxes of paste tomatoes ($21/box!!!) and I have one more box to finish up. I think today's canning will be more chili sauce and salsa. Sir T loves him some salsa. Where as I had no interest in canning (other than eating it) when I was a kid, my daughters and my nephews are very interested, slicing, stirring and measuring. The younger ones help for a bit, then leave only to come back later and help some more. Mom would love that they are involved and even if they don't do it later in life I hope they will look back and remember it fondly.

Another thing that popped up to remind me of my mother this week is what she called the Mystery Lily. I went looking for more info and found it is also known as the Magic Lily, Resurrection Lily, Hardy Amaryllis, or Naked Lady. As the flower gardens have been sadly neglected this year, its sudden appearance made me sit back and realize how many flowers in my garden are from her.

And because I have Mom on my mind and because her favorite color was yellow and because the knit list was talking about the Apple Blossom Cardigan so much that I had to take 5 and go check it out on Ravelry and because I just so happened to have some yellow yarn laying around...I started the cardigan and I am done with 2 of 6 repeats on the lace section. Canning is getting in the way of it's completion.However, #2 son has football practice nightly now so my knitting will increase significantly as I sit there watching him.