Oh my, Time slipped by!

Sorry, Aunt Lennie! (She frets if I don't post here regularly).

One day last week, I hit the mail jackpot! I got a package from my Aunt Lennie... Thank you Auntie! (She sent pot scrubbies she had made, pictures, and a gift card.) I got two real letters, a magazine, and a catalog. Over the next few days, the mail kept coming. Birthday greetings, and more letters.

Mr C went to Ohio, intending to help his brother refinish their Mom's deck. Weather didn't co-operate. So the deck refinishing is postponed to the better weather of spring. He did have a nice visit.

The Individuals and I stayed home and attended our respective jobs. I had a birthday. Sam said he "can see why nobody comes to my parties..." as we were deep cleaning on the house for several days. (meaning the "party" was the act of cleaning house.)

The boys and I drove down to the town of Lincoln, Arkansas. They have an Apple Festival there- which had happened the weekend of the reunion, but we still found plenty of apples for sale. I bought 3/4 bushel of combined Yellow Delicious and Jonathan. We peeled apples and made applesauce as well as apple butter. I have my second batch of apple butter cooking right now, using the last of those apples.
Yesterday, a neighbor stopped by and gave me a walmart bag of green beans. Seems another neighbor grew a field of beans for Allen Canning Co. . The field of beans developed 'rust' on some of the plants, so the entire field was rejected. The farmer said anyone who wanted beans was free to pick them and spread the word. However, we are expecting a hard freeze tonight, down into the lower 20*'s. So IF I get any more beans, it has to be today. Yesterday's bag yielded four quarts.
Earlier in the week, while Mr C was gone, I made some chowchow from a recipe my Mom said sounded like what her Mom used to make.
I learned a lesson.
"7 1/2 pints" is NOT seven half pints. Gotta read more carefully! I only planned to make six or seven half pints, until I know whether we LIKE this chowchow or not. I used thirteen half pint jars (all I had!) and two or three pint jars. Aunt Lennie's gift card for jars came at such a gracious time!
(And we all know ME! I cannot simply follow a recipe. I don't really like bell peppers, and this recipe used several. I didn't use as many as it called for. It did NOT call for jalapeño peppers, but I tossed a couple in for good measure.)
I just got the notion to take a picture of this years canning so far. Bear in mind I have given away at least three or four CASES of stuff, and we have been using it to eat as well.  And this doesn't count what is cooking right now.

The boxes you see... and the ones you can't see... are all FULL. All the height rises are jars full stacked upon full jars. What a bountiful blessing we have had!

Day Off!

Today is the start of my weekend... Hooray for Days Off!
I got to sleep in until 7:15!
Then the smell of food cooking awakened me. Mr C had done some whole grain pancakes- "grinding" Teff, Amaranth, and flax seed meal (which he added to a store bought baking mix). He had coffee made.
 I have to be up for awhile before I eat, though he did offer to cook me a pancake. (Tried one later, they were very good!)

Going over my list of things I need to accomplish this weekend, I realized I had not started (closed the lid on the washer) a load of white clothes I had put on to soak yesterday. So, got more clothes added and actually started the load.

Cleared off countertops... demanding the rotisserie oven be put back into the 'laundry room'. It takes up a lot of real estate, but cooks chicken wings better than any other method we have tried, with less effort. Put up all the little things that don't live on the countertop, but don't always get put away. Started the dishwasher- also forgotten last night!

Went to the garden and picked jalapeño  peppers for the jelly. Demanded the individuals perform such tasks as get out my big stainless steel pots- filling one with water for the jelly's hot water bath. Emptying the compost bucket before I started on the peppers. Getting out the slow cooker.

I got a roast beast on to cook.

Washed my canning jars, and then all the cast iron pots and accumulation of too-big-for- the- dishwasher items that have been begging to be taken care of since I cleaned the kitchen Thursday. (We take turns- the Individuals and I- as we all three work part time.)

Made the jelly.
Got clothes from washer on to dry.
And then it was 10:30.
Quite an auspicious beginning for the weekend.

Now Mr C and I are headed to Sleepy Hollow, we are out of a few products found most easily there.

The Reunion...

This past weekend was the annual Taylor Family Reunion in Broken Bow. I seized the opportunity to give my Mom a party.  Mom was one kid, five grandkids, and six great grands  short of all the progeny showing up. (Or that is MY count, I may of missed some!)

My brother Robbie and I were there. Four of my kids. Seven of my grands were there.


Kimber, Dakota, Alana, and Nickole
 

Connor, Tyrel, Kimber, Alana, Rose, Jasher, Dakota, Nickole

 

We had a really good time. I made all the little girls skirts, and the vests that Jasher and Tyrel are wearing. And if you can see them, I made little bead necklaces for the girls, and a stone necklace for Connor. Tyrel got a beaded key chain.

 

One funny thing- a family was having a birthday party in an adjacent park. Their guests didn't show up... and Nickole went right up and joined them. When called back, the adults throwing the party invited all the reunion kids to come!

 

Jennifer brought Connor and Alana down from Claremore. Glynna and her parents brought Nickole from Comanche. Laura Rose drove over from Duncan. Ben and Paula, Stephen and Becky, and their offspring all drove up from West Texas. Even my Dad, Kathie, Robbie and Ruby came up from East Texas. Ricky had planned to come, but ended up sick in bed.  (Jennifer took these pictures. I hope that others will soon have their photos shared!)

 

After the reunion, we went down and stayed the night at Dad and Kathie's house. We sure need to be getting down there more, and staying more than overnight, so we can help him get the house done. He has SOME stuff that could be done with supplies on hand.

 

Well, until next time, Thanks for reading.

 

 



AHctober

October the Twoth and the weather is nice, if a tiny bit warm. Still comfortable enough we aren't running the AC.
So far, our 40% chance of rain for the day has failed to put out.
My Auntie asked for an update... Yes, I am better. The "day off" was just that one day.
Last night though... seems I never learn. I had a frozen fruit bar after supper. In minutes, I was paying dearly. I suspect it has to be related to the hiatal hernia- but for whatever reason, there are foods that sometimes   often leave me feeling as if the food is lodged on my throat. Ice cream is one of those foods. Cottage cheese, orange juice, occasionally bread.
So I laid down early- by 7:00pm. Not sure when Tom came in, but he woke me... I was still in pain, so got up and had a drink of water. I was up for 10 minutes, maybe. Went back in and fell right back into an uneasy sleep. I don't know WHAT time it was, but Tom didn't know I had come back to bed, and whacked me with his arm in feeling around to see if I was there... That woke me up good, and I struggled to fall asleep... eventually getting up for another short while... but feeling much better.

I was 'done' with the shipping and receiving before 9:30 this morning. Wednesdays are usually blessedly light! Not that I got to go home. The long postponed planogram removing the AC supplies and putting out the warm gloves, ice melt, and car heaters had to be done. I was well under way when the boss-child remembered that ALL of the AC supplies had to have a new label attached to them. Each thumbnail sized sticker has to be precisely placed on every. single. can. bottle. jug. jar. instrument of the R134 variety, disclaiming the product is not for use in the Hybrid AC systems coming soon to a vehicle near you.
I used about 280 or so of the stickers, I estimate.
So... I didn't get clocked out until almost 2:00pm.
Got home and got started on my "Angry Birds" game for taking to the reunion for the kids to play.
I am recycling the cardboard tubes that my shipping labels, and my shrink wrap come on. Spraying them green. Sam will draw the eyes and such for me. Have to decide on beanbags or balls as the "birds".
I've been having a whole lot of fun preparing for this years Taylor reunion.

Went and bought a new skirt and blouse to wear to it yesterday. Sigh. when will I learn that I cannot CANNOT wear a medium sized shirt...?