Holiday Magic

I spent the afternoon with E. and the grandgirls.  We made chocolate and peanut butter fudge.  They so love to "help".  I have not made Christmas candy or cookies in years since my kids left home and my husband became diabetic, he allows himself too much surgar without having the mass amounts I used to make for the holidays in the house.  I had fun sharing the kitchen with my family, it brings the holidays alive!

Season of busy

I have been working in the basement again gathering another 100 things to get out of the house.  This is the 5th set I have done!  Yeah, progress!  Alas my basement looks like a hurricane swept thru.  A garbage run would be a good start for the next set and the back corner will be completely cleared.  The truck is not running right now or a trip would be scheduled immediately.  Unfortunately, my kitchen table is a mess. Again.  I must try to clear it and the dining room table (college study area, mess).

I have been sewing a LOT!  We had two more 24 hour sew at my daughters,giving support and getting a lot done.  A homemade Christmas this year and yes, a bare minimum spent in the (box) stores.  I am so thrilled to keep the commercialism out of the holidays this year.  After the holidays some pictures will get posted (in case the curious want to peek).

Getting Away

My husband and I went to Ocean Shores for 4 days.  Stormy weather, unstructured days, a soaking bathtub is my idea of heaven.  The coast was hit with a moderate storm that kept me glued to the windows all morning with my tea, the book I brought forgotten, unopened.  Waves crashing up over the rock wall, Pelicans in groups heading out to sea in the a.m. (drafting each other like the geese do).  Also, deer everywhere we went.  On the third day it was decent enough to walk the beaches.  The a.m. was windy with dampness trying but also failing to soak thru us, watching surfers and sea lions.  In the afternoon, on another beach, we had a slow and meandering walk, enjoying the ocean sounds and smells.

Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area, Protection Island (a cape)  Ocean Shore on the horizon

Friday was spent with my daughter and a friend sewing for 24 hours.  Good company, very productive (Christmas gift making), and a movie till 2 in the morning.  Fun!  This week I have finished one of the projects to make way for the other that I cut out (baby doll carriers x 2 for the grandgirls).

A gray day ...... still beautiful!

Waiting to leave one of the most beautiful places (to me) that I visit regularly!

An Apple a Day . . . . or Fifty!

Since 8 am, I have been processing apples for winter storage.  First job was to hang apple peels and cores that I boiled last night, to drip for jelly (which I just finished, it's 9 pm now!).   Then more had to peeled for apple pie jam, trying out a new recipe.  Then MORE had to be peeled to load up the dehydrator again.  The peels were put in a pot to boil and sit overnight, in the morning I will make another batch of jelly.  All this from 3 bags of apples (only half were used), so the rest can be made into apple sauce in pint jars.  I am tired!  BUT, what a good addition to my pantry.

7 pints of applesauce, apple pie jams, apple peel jelly, dry apples

The best part of Monday was the help my 4 yr old granddaughter gave me.  She used the apple peeler with my help and ate a slice out of each apple we did.  She also helped me to arrange apples on the drying trays.

While the Girls are Away . . . .

for the weekend.  My sister in law and some friends stayed at a cabin on Hoods Canal (Tahuya).  We took long walks on the beach, sat on the deck in the morning with coffee (or tea), and played cards on the deck into the night. NO tv, yeah!  Cooking good food, conversation and beautiful days!

Sunset

Low tide, this is the Tahuya river that meets the canal during high tide

Oh my aching . . . . Everything!

This morning I made a batch of Italian plum jam, did 2 loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen.  This afternoon my daughter's family and I helped a friend by turning her compost pile, it took two of us to move that pile over  from 2 smaller piles  (for 1 1/2 hours).  Layering and watering, that was hard work.

When I arrived home, the rest of the bowl of plums were calling to me.  So another batch of jam was made!  I like to use my meat grinder on my mixer to keep the prep time down.  Plums are my second favorite fruit for jam.  If sour cherries were available I would be in heaven because they make the best jam!  After folding the laundry all I could think about is sitting down.

My husband asks  "could you make a blackberry pie if I pick them (7 pm).  Really!  My son pipes up  "I will", he is a good son.  Especially after he spent the afternoon chopping wood.