Christmas, 2013

We had a wonderful Chrstmas holiday with family!  Christmas eve was a major change up but very nice.  We spent the evening with a cousin, my husband, son and a friend of my son's.  We had simple dinner of roasted rack of beef, steamed vegies, coleslaw, and pumpkin pie.  And some good visiting.  Christmas breakfast was the usual.  Rolls, eggs, bacon, champagne and OJ (with a list of 17 people coming but 4 couln't make it).  And a wonderful time with family.  My parents stayed home this year and grandpa came (he is 95), we had 5 generation of family together.  It is such a joy to share this time with family.  My daughter did wonderful job of opening her home for the holidays.  The evening was spent with my brother in law and wife, my husband and son.  A simple evening with good leftovers from their Christmas eve dinner, visiting and working on a puzzle

A list . . . .

. . . . .  of my non-commercial Christmas endeavors, I love to give things homemade.

Fudge (chocolate and peanut butter), gave away 2/3 of both batches
Pecan pie (for my Dad)
Pumpkin pie (to take for dinner)
Sticky cinnamon rolls (to take for Breakfast tomorrow - 2 batches)
Hat/scarf combo and mittens for the Grandgirls
Christmas Isicle ornament (for daughters tree)
Flower press (helped my son make this, my dad made the cuts)
Ruffled scarves for my 2 sister in laws
'Jewels' for the Grandgirls (5 yr old V asked for these)
Wove a paper grocery bag basket (for my Mom)

Holidays

Tomorrow is pie baking day!  Two pumpkin and one pecan, my son will also make one (maybe apple).   The two grand girls will also be here (they will go with us to dinner on Thanksgiving day). Their mom just started a job this Monday and has LOTS to do.  So I will have a busy day with baking  helpers, pies and a little home schooling and picking up the girls.  Then a family day for dinner with 21 people and NO black friday shopping (something I never do anyway).

Christmas?

. . . .  is fast approaching!  And I am well on my way to being prepared.  Gifts are made for my 2 sister in laws, I have a big present for my son and husband, a bunch of small things for my daughter (sorry honey, not revealing until THE day),  my oldest grandaughter's (lessons),  crocheted ornaments that need starching (accumulated from the last couple years).   I estimate that as half done!  Yeah! Writing out an official list is top priority now and coming up with something for my parents, they can buy anything they want so this takes some thought. 

Canning

I have had a busy 2 days.  My son in law picked a box of apples from his mom's house and delivered them to mine.  Sweet guy!  Possibly 80 to 100 pounds.  So far I have filled my dehydrator 3 times and made 2 batches of applesauce, 13 pint jars.  Three Two failed to seal right, too much seepage under the screw lids.  No problem, they will go in the fridge to be used first.  I have barely used half.  They are buggy but with small holesl which adds to processing time.  I don't mind, I love to recieve free fruit!!  My worms love the extra compost food.  My daughter actually has some of the best apples that hold their shape and have LOTS of flavor (they are what was canned last year). Every little bit helps.   I am HAPPY!!  with my efforts. 

Update:  Another batch in the dehydrator.  Life has interfered with getting more of the apples done and not too happy about it!

Zucchini

I have wanted to try dehydrating zucchini, so yesterday I did.  I used a large holed grater so they looked chunky and spread it all out on 5 trays.  The dry zucchini  filled a pint jar 2/3 full.  Not nearly enough but now I am looking forward to using them, maybe in soup!

Accomplishments:

• Sunday 9/1           Picked plums (not ripe enough)
• Monday 9/2          Made 2 batches of jam (they taste very good)
• Tuesday 9/3          Going to my parents (not quite, drove to the VA TWICE, UGH!)
• Wednesday 9/4     Spent 6 hours lugging boxes down a flight of stairs 
• Thursday 9/5         More of the same (exhausted)
• Friday 9/6             And more!   Arranging and post prices for a garage sale.
• Saturday 9/7         Garage Sale day!  6 hours (exhausted)
• Sunday 9/8           About 3 hours to clean up, pack up for goodwill pickup, Finally!
• Monday 9/9          Pick plums, it's hot out there.  Cut up and fill dehydrator.
• Tuesday 9/10         Make a batch of jam (and bread, brown rice and quinoa)
• Wednesday 9/11    Make a batch of jam and half fill dehydrator (used them up).

So the garage sale project has been in the works for 3 years now.  A very good friend of my moms has Alzheimer's (I have know her also for about 40 years).  She was so artistic and had a very large room full of sewing, knitting, floral supplies, paints,   quilting, etc.   Junk had also found it's way in, the theory being the Alzheimer's had affected her bringing home stuff that people had pawned off.  When I first saw the room, my jaw dropped.  It was the show "Hoarders" and I wanted to quit before we even started.  That first year we only pulled out garbage or contributions.  At least 50 big black bags worth in 3 years.   The garage sale was HUGE with only a quarter of what was left in the room, filling 7 tables and in boxes on the floor of the covered parking.  I thought a lot more would go, my guess is we packed up 2/3 for charity.  Sales netted quite a bit at .50 and .75 prices.  It is now finished, what a relief.

The plums came from my sister in law, my trees did not produce this year.  I have never seen so may on one tree.  One branch that was 15 feet straight up had bent over almost the the ground.  The tree is still fully loaded. An overload of dishes!  my guys didn't do any while I was gone and the fruit production has added doubled the days work.  We don't use a dishwasher.  I am tired!

I have also started on Christmas presents!  And a afghan project started before we moved in this house (maybe 7 years ago)  It's called a crayon colored pattern, knit on the diagonal with 2 yarns.  One yarn is the same constant color and the other changes constantly!  It uses up the little leftover balls that sit around getting tangled up.

Yeah !!

Filled my son's truck with garbage.  What was left from my last sort and toss, some house garbage and some from outside.  We came back and loaded 6 bags of pop cans, his aluminum scraps and steel scraps.  He made $24 and I made $20.  There is regular recycling and some stuff for Habitat for Humanity left to take.  (The truck loads are always in a small truck)  The basement is getting better!

Update
We took one load out of the basement a couple days later.  Half to H. for H. and half to Goodwill!

Keeping busy with

putting up the tent to air it out,  it's clean  and in good repair. Still.  Also looked over the tarps, then put it all away again. I will take it to my parents next week  and camp out in their yard.  My kids will come, grandgirls and my brother and family from Oklahoma.  I am excited.  Seeing my brother is an every 2 or 3 year event.

Last week I made some bike panniers for my son for the front.  They hang from the center of the bike on a front rack.  He modified a rear rack and had a buddy weld a bar on both side.  After constructing the bag, he put together a rigid insert for the pocket on the inside to hold it away from the tire, modified some metal supports that reinforce corners in construction into hooks.  He is pleased with them.  He also made 5 gallon bucket panniers for the back.  After the first caping trip, I had to modify them a bit and now he is off again.

On the news . . .

. . . .  tonight the weather comment for our area " 61 degrees and over for three days in a row is considered a night time heat wave".  The reasoning being is that we are not used to any heat overnight. (I had to laugh) For so may years now, I have have always read or heard from the experts that tomatos can be planted outside when the tempuratures reach 60 degrees everynight. NOT here! We have had warmer than usual nights for an early summer especially after last year (so cold, that the comforter stayed on the bed till mid July, it's been off the bed for a month now).

Rain, rain come again!

Summer rain, soft gentle droplets that are cool on the skin and welcome!  The air is warm and close, no wind at all.  Trees rustle and ping under the gentle movement of the rain, the dry grasses whisper.  Nature is making music, again.  If you stop and listen, be still; we are rewarded with beauty.  So outside I have to go, to take in the beauty that nature offers.  It's 11 pm at night, the darkness wraps around me with a feeling t=of security, yet I feel freedom.  Then the sounds of the highway break thru! Bah humbug, a very discordent,  human interference.

Rain, real downpour rain is desparatly needed.  June is usually a very wet month, not this year.   We have not had a drop of rain in July.  This soft rain is dry almost as it hits the ground.  Please RAIN!!!

I love our green cool springs and summers, so far it's too dry (also a recipe for fires).

It will never happen fast enough . . .

. . .  but my community had a town sponsored spring clean event at which you could dump for free.  I don't mind the dump fees but it is the electronics that can cost money to get rid of.  Since I don't have a truck available my little car was filled with 2 medium sized TV's, 2 old CPU's and 2 monitors.  More out the basement.  Now I need a truck for 3 dressers and a desk.  My husband said NO to putting them out in front of the house (it's done a lot around here).  Maybe I will put one out and see what happens!

My idea of Heaven

Here I am, on the ferry to Whidbey Island and my thoughts turn to childhood memories.  I realize that we came to the island so often that it felt like coming home.  Back then it was just a piece of raw land that we treated like our own private campground. Carving trails, gathering fern to sleep outside on (my bother and I), learning to stack firewood, tending bonfires. Now the land has a house and barn on it but the woods surrounding them is still wild.  The lots are big (2.5 acres) and many are still not developed.  The peace and stillness is addictive.  This summer I will again bring my tent and camp out in the side yard.  It's a little piece of heaven!

Mile stone

 . . . .  in my family !  My husband is 60 yrs., my daughter born on Friday the 13th.  On her father's birthday, the 13th of April. A double blessing, my beautiful baby daughter !!! Now 29.   I love You!

Snow? ! !

We have snow (first time this winter), it started at 3 this morning and is still coming down at noon.  Everett was lost in a white out for a while, we probably accumulated a couple inches.

Sewing . . . .

. . .   at the Midnight Sew!  Yeah!  Fun, always inspirational (mostly quilters) and productive.  I worked on a project for my daughter.  A request for a wall hanging out of denim and pockets for her sewing room ( I made one years ago).  The the panel is done with the backing and 3/4's of the pockets are sewn on.  A decorative piece across the top made from the back yoke of the jeans, a hanging sleeve and binding, it will be done.

I had a great time, as always!

Progress

100 things challenge number 7 out the door.  Woohoo!  I delivered a trunk full to the goodwill truck, today (and took a truck load to the dump, last week, this includes regular garbage also).  I have a few big pieces for my son to take to the Habitat for Humanity store that sells construction leftovers (the profits support the building of houses for low income families).

You would think that everything is pretty much gone!  NOT.  We have here an accumulation of STUFF over many years.  And I'm not counting everything individually, for instance a stack of papers as one count, every 2-3 magazines as 1 count.  Some things I am not currently using but can't let go are quart canning jars and gardening equipment.  I have 2 bench seats from a van we sold, a desk, a chest of drawers (tall), a bulky bedroom vanity and a lowboy.  All in the basement taking up more room than I realize because of not really "seeing" them.  They need to go and I need to decide if they have any value because furniture is good to have for a garage sale.  I am keeping another desk; it is delicate, a ladies desk and it was my grandmothers.  We also have an old tube radio from the 30's maybe and I don't really want it anymore but hubby has to be in on that decision!

What you don't know is that the daylight basement is huge with the single garage in it (no walls to separate it from the basement.  This house was built in 1939.

Spring is calling!  For over a week the song birds have found their voices and are multiplying.  I noticed the grass in the field is 6 inches high and sparkling green, the crocuses are blooming (my most favorite spring flower).  The morning sun is warm and inviting and a few sunsets havebeen colorful.  I love the rebirth of spring!

Some thoughts

Did a lot of browsing thru blogs today and now facts are ratling arund in my head  (and clinking very loudly.

A father who upon hearing a college grad speech is doubting his parenting skills, "providing everything his family could want".   Chaos, economic decline are welcome and will lead to globalization of the world.   Possibly the lack of in depth in the household on the state of the world is leading to this belief.  I believe this comes from the breakdown of the family unit.  Both mother and father work outside the home, trying to catch -up on the never ending chores leaves not time for parenting

An article I read touched on the subject of over complimenting our children.  That once you start down this particular road it gets worse by questioning bad grades (especially when they were earned), giving trophies no matter how a team did (sports) or questioning umpire calls, coaching decisions.

In baseball, my husband had a parent banned from a season of games for "touching an umpire",  had another parent (assistant coach) start yelling because his kid wasn't put in the game ( the boy could not run and we needed the point) the parent quit coaching and never talked to us again.  We took another coach before the board and had him removed because of flagrant rule breaking against  half the kids and yelling at the umps and coaches of another town.  He also could not attend any of his sons games the next year.  My husband took the team over with the son on it and treated him very fairly.  The board continally begged him to coach because all the kids were played in accordance the the rules and he never favored our son (this gets noticed).  We believe that activities are for the kids to experience,  NOT for the parents to live out their fantasies.
                                                                                                                                                               My son played baseball from the age of 6 to 19 yrs and I saw some of the worst parenting.  This is just a tiny part of the parenting world, but I see evidence everywhere I go of over-indulgence.  And yes, I wanted everything for my children but they wouldn't have benefited from objects.  We had experiences:  horses, picnics, hunting, camping, star gazing, etc.

My kids want off of the crazy rollercoaster ride created by my generation and taken to extremes by the next!  I must agree because I want off too.

A MAJOR change in Scenery!

I am in an Oklahoma City suburb visiting my brother and his family for two weeks.  They are going on a 7 day cruise from Texas down to centrall America.  Here I am with two nieces whom I don't know and they don't know me.  The 14 yr old is so sweet, helpful and accommodating.  The 12 yr old is sweet, stubborn, exhausting and very independent with special needs.  At 13 months old, she had E. coli! with devasting results, brain damage and siezures, eye surgeries and physical therapy.  Being told she would be a vegatable basically did not keep them down.  With the best care and many prayers, country wide, she runs, talks, goes to school and does chores.  She is a miracle. 

My sister in law does not get more than a few hours 'off'.  So they asked is I would come and watch over them.  I kinew what a constant challenge she is.  The first siezure, I had to leave the room.  I could not keep the tears back, watching while mom cradled and talked to her daughter thru out a grand mal and half an hour of lesser episodes.  My brother and sister in law are also a miracle to me because so many couples do not make it thru the stresses of this lifestyle, they are strong, united and in dire need of time away and together.

She had them 3 days in a row which tested her mom's strength but hasn't had a seizure since they have left.  I am watchful!  My days have been full of puzzles, Go fish, yahtzee and movies.  A scary experience but one we will all survive,

It's been 4 years since they last came for a visit home to the Pacific NW and will be coming this summer, so I will see them twice this year!

Oh and the water is sooooooo nasty here!  I drink room temp water and it goes down better here if it is cold.

A good way to start . . .

. . .  the new year!
I did a '100 things to purge from the home' weekend challenge! The 6th one.  It's fuuny, when down to the last few items to look for, I must get a bee in my bonnet because my keep boxes get revisited and purged some more.  All good because I can't keep everything!  I have decided not to do the sack a day which sounds like a good idea but the daily motivation was not there.  It is amazing the amount of stuff that accumulates over the years and with the moves every 7 - 10 years the unpacked boxes have grown, these are what I have concentrated 75% of the purges from.  I get excited after each challenge (rushing out to deliver the goodwill sacks).  Yeah!  The dump runs have to wait for a truck full (went last week) because it's wasteful otherwise (I have a list of bigger items to go on the next run),  generally most everything goes to the goodwill.

This is not always the easiest process.  I have let go of many things that would have a good use in the future.  What is even harder is the things that are in the toss pile that get taken back out, by my husband ("it's useful to me").  After years of sitting in garages and basements much of our stuff is mildewed, had rats or mice in the boxes (these have been OLD houses) or become junk thru non-use and becoming outdated.  Some I have hid under piles but most of the rest has been mine.  A did go thru the "can't decide, set aside pile and to goodwill more stuff did go!

Anyway, my basement is a mess BUT progress is being made!  I am feeling lighter and daylight can be seen.

Review 2012

On my to do list, the dump runs and sacks hauled to the goodwill were a huge success!  Only three out of the six were successfully worked on: sort and clean, sort basement, 100 items (thrilled with this one).  This list will stay the same.

'To Do' list (supports goals) for 2012

• Save money
• Sort/clean out living spaces
• Sort basement for the dump 
• Re-pack anything left in basement
• Have a garage sale
• 100 items out of the house x 5
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The new skill list was a bust!!  The only accomplishment is the kombucha!  The rest will stay on my list.  I love to learn new things but I think 2012 was a "in a rut year".  I need to work on this.  On the positive side, I enjoy helping my grandgirls to sew, they are so eager.  Devoting more time to their projects needs to be more consistant though.    Also going to try 30 days, 30 sacks = declutter, simplicity.  A different appoach from "One hundred dollars a month" blogger.  Hopefully this is more productive to pick a smaller are like a closet or a corner of a room.  The 100 items was a push to see stuff and I would overlook those I really don't need.

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New Skills to Learn in 2012

• Cheese
• Kimchi
• Kombucha ( keep up on the brewing)
• Living Happly with Thrift
• Master Recipe List
• Root Vegie Kimchi
• Sourdough (delve deeper)