New Discoveries ~ Wild Black Raspberries!

We discovered several wild black raspberry bushes on our property. With 6 acres, there is still more to discover. We are delighted to find these this year. They are delicious.  I'm glad we can enjoy these - grown without harmful chemicals.

Summer Puzzle Mania

We could be calling these hot days in June, "dog days" already.  Even the dogs are laying around underneath ceiling fans, hardly moving a muscle.  We opted on not using our window air conditioners this year.  Our decision came from the high cost of electric here. We will be saving the most money in July, August, September and October.

We stay clear from the direct sun, during the hottest part of the day, as much as possible.  Today I noticed several puzzles set up around the house.  One daughter has a 750 piece puzzle going, one just finished a 100 piece puzzle, and another is working a 500 piece puzzle.  The last one had me cracking up.  It's a puzzle of jelly beans.  I'm guessing she will be working on that puzzle for a long time.  Then again, maybe not.

I'm glad I kept a few easier puzzles in my closet, because hot days like today are definitely for slower paced activities.  Perfect for puzzles.

Garden Bounty - Potatoes

This is our first year to grow potatoes. Extended family purchased starters and shared them with us. Next year we plan to grow red potatoes. I have plans to chop them up for frozen hashbrowns after we harvest them. Right now we are digging around the plants and pulling the smaller ones to boil up with green beans. They sure do taste better than potatoes from the store. When these are pulled from the ground, they are very hard, unlike the softer ones you find in the store. Same thing with turnips, beets and other root vegetables. It's so nice to pull something from the garden and made a dinner with it. And is chemical free, grown with rain water and good ol' sunshine.

I can't wait to see what we will eat next. It's been hard work taking care of the garden, but it has been a huge help with living frugal and healthy.

Keeping Productive

During the craft sale, over the weekend, I made another pair of baby booties. I just need to add a tie or ribbon to complete them. I used leftover yarn and will probably use scrap ribbon. It was too humid to make much more. I think this I'm getting even better at making them and will have scrap yarn on hand for this. It's perfect to tote to doctor appointments, waiting time in the car, and for when I just get tired of doing other things. I'm sure a center would love to have them donated.

Big Eggs

No wonder one of our hens has prolapse. A few of them give us double yokes a few times over the summer. Here is the latest larger egg.

Craft Sale Gone Bad

We crafted,we loaded the car, we unloaded, we set up and sold.  Or so we thought we would.  The cost of a 12 x 12 foot space was $25.00.  We sold to 2 people and made $22.00, putting us $3.00 in the hole.  We were not happy people.  By 3:30pm we were so hot and sweaty we tore everything down and went home.  My daughter made over 30 bracelets, 2 necklaces, keychains and earrings, all made by hand with hemp cord and beads.  The items were beautiful, so this was upsetting for all of us.  The money raised would have paid for her cost of a class trip next school year.  A very expensive, all class trip.

Now, the question is, should we try another place at another time?  Or do we say we're done?  It's too hot to decide today.  I guess with the recession, it's even harder to sell handmade items because people have cut back on spending. 

And here we were more concerned that we would get rained out and it still hasn't rained.

I think I will head to the porch and read a good book to relax.  That is, if the rain and predicted storms don't force me off the porch.

Lettuce in the Garden

I had my first salad today, using fresh home grown lettuce from the garden. I even cut about 3 long green onions and snipped it in to the salad. Yum! I can't wait until the tomatoes, green peppers, spinach and everything else is up. It's great to be eating so healthy too. It's also nice not to have to drive to town and buy lettuce.