Stitching More in Red ~ Puttin' Up Squash ~ I'm a Winner!

First, I apologize for the long "coffee hour" post today.  It started out short, but it kept raining, and I kept typing.
 
Thursday and Friday cooled down to the lower 70's - perfect camping weather.  It was just the most amazing porch talk weather, the best ever sleeping weather this summer yet.

I've been bug picking, coop cleaning, and simply staring at our garden.   I am starting to worry that I am running out of exciting, happy moments to post here.

 A dentist visit allowed me
more handiwork time, and I almost completed an entire towel there on Wednesday - 18 year-old Daughter got her widsom teeth out.  I was the only person in the waiting room, that was not on a smart phone.  One person had buttons on her phone that had a bubble popping sound, like an underwater "blurp."  Drove me nuts.

Anyway, the chicken with the umbrella made us all laugh, and Daughter is feeling good now.  She was in pain and not feeling well, and I could not make her homemade ginger-ale - no carbonated drinks for 24 hours.  So, instead I brewed her some hot ginger tea with fresh ginger. 

I was thrilled to find more zucchini in the garden.  This put 3 pint size bags into the freezer.  We typically use all our squash over summer (salsa, relish, meals), so this is wonderful.

I was also thrilled to get more yellow squash.  This also put three pint bags in the freezer. 

We also had about six to seven more large yellow squash, and every year we look forward to eating squash patties.

These patties are a one summer dish we look forward too.  Since the weather is not in our favor this year, I decided not to freeze the last of the yellow squash I harvested.  I only had about a 1/2 cup of cheese this time, but made the patties anyway.  I fry them in a non-gmo, organic canola oil, and top them with organic sour cream.  Oh my gosh, they are so good, and worth all that shredding of the squash.  My hot pepper husband loves these with chopped jalapenos in them.  We all like them just as they are too.  If we get more squash, the happier I'll be.

My 16 year-old helped me stake almost 30 tomato plants.   It felt good to get in the garden. I could hear her boots squish into the mud as I tied up plants and she pounded stakes.  We had to work fast, as the mosquitoes were having us for lunch.  Despite rainfall, those particular plants are loaded with green tomatoes.  If I can keep them off the ground, we may get some of them this season.  It was too wet though, to pull old pea plants. If it dries up this next week, my plan is to get that done and attempt to fall plant the shell peas. 

I woke up to an early morning thunderstorm.  Poor Jesse is beside himself.  The news station told me that we've gotten 19-20 inches of rain (before today's rain).

On the positive side of all this rain, we are glad the corner of the big barn collapsed.  It put the reality of tearing it down, smack into our brains.  We are actually looking forward to getting it done.  We just need some dry days now.

 

I entered a drawing over at Fiber and Flea Village Blogspot, and won.  This arrived in the mail a few days ago.  I haven't decided what I'll make yet, but I love the colors.

I have three drawers ready to get pulls installed on them.  They are painted and sitting on tables in the kitchen.  That is on the weekend chore list - visit the hardware store.  As I work on each one, I empty it, wash it out with vinegar water, and go through what's in the drawer.  If I haven't something that was in the drawer, it either goes to the thrift, the girls hope chest, or the garbage.

If my Mom is reading this, she'll probably laugh.  It was in one of my kitchen drawers, and had been moved twice.  That's how fast the kids have grown.

She bought this material for us in elementary school, when they were required for messy projects.  As you can see there are paint marks where my own kids had fun.  They built playdough castles, and painted many many pictures on this mat.  I turned it over and found my oldest sister's name written on it in pen  It is very old.  In fact, the material felt almost melted from years of use.  In the trash it went, but with a smile on my face. I could picture my kids having so much fun with such little utensils.  

I'm actually starting to feel content with my kitchen.  Before I felt it was not put together just right, and didn't feel like a home.  It's getting there.  I just need one more vintage flour sack towel.  And a few tweeks here and there.


Thanks for sticking around and reading today.  Have a wonderful weekend.