Cucumbers Galore!

This is only about 1/3 of the cucumbers I picked this morning.  I've been in the kitchen ever since.

 

This was a totally unexpected day.  I had no idea how busy the bees have been, underneath those cucumber leaves.  I am so glad I peeked today.  Although they were larger than I'd like for pickles, I made them anyway.  We cut one up and tasted it.  Delicious!

I prepared 8 quarts of refrigerator pickles, and still had more cucumbers.

While I sent the girls to town for celery seed, I canned grape jelly. 

When the girls returned, I canned my first sweet pickle relish - 6 pints.


And I still have more cucumbers.........


It's 7:47pm and I am done for the day.  Now I need to go take my laundry off the line.  My three older kids are gone for the night (one went camping for several days), and my husband is gone.  That leaves my 12 and 9 year old to help.  Guess they are doing the folding for me.  It's 89° in my kitchen and I am ready to stop.  Tomorrow may very well bring on another canning day.

Modge Podge of Events

Well.  What's a farmgirl to do when she is stressed to the gills?

 And.............

 My favorite way to de-stress (and yes those are really my very own gloves)  I had a plan to box in a fight one time before I turned 40, but with moving twice, it never happened.

Besides, this farmgirl needs to get back in shape.  I seem to have lost it over and over and need to find it again ( ha ha ha). Once we get back into a routine, we get right back out of it, due to "life."  All it takes, is hearing my kids make fun of my flabby arms and thighs.  And I'm back out working the speed bag until my arms feel like falling off.  Then again, every day "stress" sends me there anyway.

Yesterday I took some of the kids to have a picnic and play-date in a park about 1/2 hour from home.  I sat under a picnic shelter, crocheting with a cool breeze coming through.  However, I should have been playing on the equipment with them.  After we get home, I see a video they took while playing on the "fort."  It was a large fort, so it's hard to see everything.  You know those play phones on play equipment?  The ones where one person talks at one end, where you can't see them, and another listens somewhere else?  Well, my very well behaved and innocent children did something.  One talked and one listened.  The one listening, was telling a girl to come over and listen too.

The girl leans down and my talking daughter spouts out, "This is Jesus!" and on an on they went.  

I guess next time, I will be playing along with them.  

When we got home they were bored again already.  So, two of them went out back and built this:

For information on what Farmerette and a Young Cultivator is, click on MaryJane's Farm.

It's still standing this morning, and the barn cats love it too.  Last night we were admiring it, and laughed when we saw that the barn cats were playing with lightening bugs.  It was so cute to watch them.

Today, I must get more jelly made.  I look out and see these

.......and think, I just can't let that go to waste. Even though mother nature brings it back every year, I look at them different now.  Just like dandelions.  I laugh when I over hear town people complaining about lawn care, and killing dandelions.  I am blessed not to have to worry about that, with living in the country.  I can choose to let them grow, and use them.  And have the freedom to not use chemicals on my lawn.  Life can't get better than that.

As for the quilt road trip, I am still waiting for more information, and e-mails back from the historical society.  

Family Quilt Goes On a Road Trip

I am not sure on the details of this quilt, and have sent e-mails to extended family for help.  I do know that my Mom, and two Aunt's used it on their bed as girls.  And yes they shared one bed.  

Backside

I'm waiting to find out if my grandmother or my great grandmother made this.  I think I was told it was made from old clothes and rags.  Back then, nothing was thrown out, so you know this is very old.  I was worried about taking it out and putting it on the line for the photos, but wanted to e-mail the historical society. 

Which brings me to the "road trip" part.  Because of the quilts history and fragile state, I am attempting to donate it to a historical society in my grandparents county.  Their original house burned down several years ago, and is not even standing.  Gosh that brings back memories.  Grandma's house smell, is still in the blanket.  I have not washed it, because the material would just fall apart.

Here is a close up of the pattern that was used.  The material is a bit faded, but this quilt is by far, heavier than any blanket you could buy today.  

As soon as I have more information, I'll be updating on the road trip and where it's going for display.

Again, The Toad Returns

Even after the kids took this toad clear out to the woods, it was right back in the pot the next day.  Clearly, this toad is not giving up on this new home. 

I finally caved in, and took my tree out.  It's now in another container, leaving this home for the relentless toad.

True Homestead Meals

We are making great strides to get our meals back to unprocessed, natural, and healthier meals.  We have many steps to make yet, but have gained over the last year. 

Tonight we are roasting two chickens we raised ourselves for meat, along with garden grown potatoes, and onion.  Soon we can add our carrots, but they are not up yet.  For a side, I picked a bowl full of green and wax beans.  I can season all of the food with herbs for the garden. 

It feels so liberating to know I can feed my family without buying something from the store.  Although I know that stores need support, there is a limit to what we buy. Anyone can sell anything to make a buck, but it's the buyer who needs to be alert and conscience when choosing what to buy.

While weeding the beets, carrots, more green beans and zucchini, I noticed we have a 3 inch zucchini already growing.  It will add to the meals, and desserts, nicely.

Organizing and Getting Projects Finished

I am working my way through my craft supplies, and finally started a set of flour sack towels for my 9 year-old's hope chest.  I just found out that my 12 year-old wants the same ones, but with black and gray cats.   These particular ones, will have orange cats, to match her own cat, Tiger.

Tiger, as a baby.

I also crocheted a bath rug, from 3 skeins of thick macrame yarn.  I purchased them at a Goodwill many years ago,and had not done anything with them.  

This was a bit of a challenge.  This type of yarn frays and I had to knot each end, and then weave the ends in.  Either way, I made a useful bath rug, and used supplies I already had. 

More projects to finish yet.  I also taught my 9 year-old to sew a button on, and to hand sew.  Now, all she talks about, is when we are going to rent the cabin again, and sit in our "rockers and sew." Ha ha ha!  She is such a "mini-me" through and through.  Now she wants to learn to do embroidery.

Backyard Camp Out

 The tent area.

The Campfire Cooking Area

Six girls camped out and cooked some of the food (some fell off the grill (ha ha ha!) over the fire.  This morning, they made coffee over the fire, and waited patiently for it.  Here is the recipe they made.  It's from a 1969 cookbook that my mother gave me many years ago.  I forgot I had it on my bookshelf, but the kids found it.

Cafe Au Lait

Brew 4 cups of coffee in the way you prefer.  Heat 1 quart of milk in a saucepan until bubbles appear at the edges.  With both liquids hot, pour them simultaneously into cups.  Add sugar and cinnamon, if desired (they did add this and it was delicious.  According to them, it was "refreshing" for a hot drink.  Makes 8 cups.

(Cookbook for Family Camping, by Elizabeth Williams, 1969)