Finishing Up ~ Surprise Mail

Found this unfinished project buried.  I pulled it out to work on a bit (hand towels).   I work on these in the evenings.


Today, I am just now putting 4 jars of relish in the canning pot, made 4 jars of hot pepper jelly earlier, put two loads of laundry on the line, watered all the gardens (lacking rain here again), weeded, harvested, and now have to get the clothes off the line.  I was hoping to finish earlier, but did not.  Here are more projects I am working on when I have the time.

Finished another pot holder set.

I'm still working on this Christmas crocheted lap blanket.

I started working on my handmade Christmas ornaments.  You'll soon see what these are for.

I'm continuing to knit washcloths for my Aunt, using a country blue cotton yarn.

Speaking of my Aunt, she sent me a surprise box of books.  I was so excited to have it delivered on a day where I needed a "pick me up."

Canning, Harvesting and Stocking Up

 Sweet Pickle Relish and Spiced Pickled Beets

I've been very busy stocking up the garden.  I've updated the stats that I've been keeping track of on the left side of my blog.

Basket full of beets (buried underneath), cucumbers, green peppers, and carrots.

I intended to weight all of our produce and keep track of that, but I'm running out of time and often forget.  I've frozen about 4 quart bags of green peppers already.

Our carrots did much better this year.  Longest one so far has been 8 inches.  We planted them in a different part of the garden.  I dug some up for dinner.  I won't have enough to freeze or dehydrate, so we are planting more for a fall crop.

 Cut and dried more sage, rosemary, oregano and thyme.

More From the Homesteading Journal. . .


Staked 38 more tomato plants using pieces of wooden drying racks that were beyond repair.  Pulled out the pea and bean plants and replanted for another harvest.