Whew

What a week it has been.  Definitely a week of good, bad and ugly!
We've had trips to the ER (don't worry, everyone is OK), my brother had surgery, another friend was hospitalized in critical condition, and I had my conference in Des Moines- all in the space of three days!  But, we survived it all and everyone is on the mend.  I've been trying to keep up with my workouts to get zombie ready although I missed two days due to the conference.
I am still doing pretty well with my Independence days challenge as well.  A very quick update:
Plant something- Not a thing
Harvest something-Broccoli, kale, chard, lettuce, radishes, spinach, eggs.  Not too bad for the end of October.
Preserve something-  Froze a bit more broccoli soup.  That's about it other than the preservation of my sanity once again.
Waste not-  The usual recycling, repurposing, composting and scraps to chickens.
Want not- umm.... nothing.  Oh, wait, I did stock up on a few things at Aldi's last Sunday and got some chicken feed while it was on sale.
Eat the food- Tonight it is enchiladas with homemade sauce with salads from the greenhouse.  Hurrah!
Build community-  Eggs to work but I think that's the end for a while since I've only got two hens laying (Zeva and Micah)
Skill up- not much unless you count finding my way around downtown Des Moines.

I'm really hoping that this coming week is much, much calmer.  I don't think I can handle another week like this last one.

And to all of you in the path of Hurricane Sandy (that includes Justine!!) please stay safe!!

Come on, you know you want to!

I've got space for one more in the 2012 Handmade Pay It Forward Challenge.  And I told Tom that if I get my 5 I'll re-up on his blog and take on 5 more.  SO BRING IT BABY!!

And for those who have signed up... that would be Tom Stewart, That's My Cuppa Tea, Patty and meemsnyc, I will need your mailing addresses.  You can email me your address to fullfreezer(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll get started making something just for you...

So, come on, one more...  or 6 more.  I can take it.  Sign up here or on the last post and send me that address.

Handmade fun- a challenge!

Susan at e-i-e-i-omg! has gotten herself into a challenge, and she has roped others into this craziness as well.   Of course I fell victim... er... volunteered.  Because it sounds like fun in some twisted definition of the word.   So, here goes....

I will send a handmade (by me!) gift to each of the first 5 commenters on this post.  This can be something large or small, my choice.  But,  there is a catch... of course, you knew there would be a catch!  The catch is that each recipient of my gift must also pass it on and give 5 gifts themselves... and so on and so forth for all eternity... or until people get burned out.
There is a year to get your gifts sent out, so I'll have a year to concoct something- until December 2012.  Who knows what you may receive from me: pot holders, placemats, soap, biscotti, a jar of jam... there are so many possibilities.

So, anybody out there want to play along?? Let's hear it for the 2012 Handmade Pay it Forward Challenge!

Plotting and planning

We woke up to a frosty 26 degrees this morning.  Brrr...  But I didn't have to go out in it.  Since I worked last weekend at the hospital, I had today off as a comp day.  We've got a busy, busy weekend ahead of us so this was a great opportunity to do some planning and prep work.

Tomorrow afternoon, J17 is having some friends over for a game afternoon (RPG, not video games) and she gave me a list of requested snacks for the party.

 Peanut butter cookies were requested by one of her friends.  I dug out my grandmother's recipe.  Yum!
And what's a role playing game without some brain food:

Yes, we're some of THOSE people who have a brain jell-o mold.
Jell-0, evaporated milk and just the right blend of food coloring

 and into the fridge it goes.  I'll get some more photos tomorrow when it's unmolded and completed with gummi-worms.  The perfect thing for Halloween weekend.
Then, in addition to other cleaning and party planning (I14 is being confirmed this weekend and we'll host a family lunch on Sunday) I spent some time thinking about an apron.
Susan at e-i-e-i-omg! is hosting an "Apron Sew-off"!!  How much fun is that!  I seem to have misplaced my apron during the kitchen remodel and had to can tomatoes this year with a towel pinned around my neck- efficient but definitely NOT stylish.
So, first I pulled out the apron patterns that we have.  Not much to choose from... we've got historical:

and not:

I'm not up for a full length apron- although the pinafore looks lovely it takes 3.5 yards of fabric!
I've got a fabric in mind- one that I picked up with an apron in mind a while ago:

But I've only got 1 yard, 6 inches.  I really liked the fabric and got all they had left on the bolt which wasn't much.  I really love batik and hand dyed fabrics!!
But I"m thinking...  The apron in the middle takes 1.5 yards.  I don't have enough

But, what do you think of my pick from the scrap box to coordinate?

I've got about half a yard of the dark fabric in an odd shape - it's a charcoal gray with orange pinstripes and green viney bits.  I was thinking of doing the center bodice panel, waistband and ruffle out of the dark.  I think it's a plan- it may not work but- it's an apron.  I can't wait to get started. I've got a November 21 deadline!  What a great project to jump start me into sewing again!!

A busy time

Things are hopping here.  Busy, busy, busy!
Work is busy, it is my last week with my student.  My, the last 3 months have flown by.  Our newest employee will be officially starting on Wednesday so that opens the door for me to cut down my work hours soon. Woo Hoo!
We're gearing up for guests and party.  I've really got to get myself in gear. My BIL arrives in 10 days.  EEK!  And the party is on the 13th.
And I'm taking on a few other projects as well.
First, this is the week for the Eat Local challenge from our local food co-op. We do pretty well anyway but we'll be making a special effort this week.  This evening, we had pasta with pesto and sauteed peppers, onions and a few fresh tomatoes. Yummy.
Second, I'm taking part in a challenge of sorts.

Susy at Chiot's Run is hosting Alphabet in August.  So, for every day in August (Sunday's off!) I'll be posting something about myself beginning with the designated letter.  I'm going to try to do some fun photos to go along with it but we'll see how much time I've got to spare.  Just posting every day could be a challenge.  It should be fun and maybe I'll learn something about myself in the process. Join in, the more the merrier.  Tune in tomorrow for the letter A.
I'll also be trying to post a few 'normal' posts- as if I ever post normally!

Then and Now- Part 3

The BIG projects
For a significant discount, we purchased our property 'as is'.  We knew there were issues with it and that the previous owners weren't interested in fixing them.  Two of the known issues were key talking points.  Both the well and septic failed inspection.  The well water was 'bacterially unsafe for human consumption' and the septic tank was an ancient concrete block affair that was not-so-slowly crumbling in on itself.  They couldn't deny us occupancy because of the septic but the well- well, I was unwilling to live in a house where the water isn't safe to drink.
The biggest problem with the well was that it was a 'pit well'.  Yup, the well head was in a shallow pit outside the house with a slab over it.  There was a hole through the basement wall into the well room:

The previous owners had put a door over it to cover it up from their clients.  But, the 'roof' leaked, necessitating a sump pump in there and it was also another major entry point for mice as well as letting in a ton of cold air.  But, extending the well head to bring it up to code was beyond our abilities, so we called in professionals.  Oh, to save money we did a lot of the work ourselves but they moved the pressure tank inside for us and did the work on the well.

 The pit, however, we filled in ourselves.  V had to install new blocks in the basement wall to seal the hole and then we spent forever (or at least it seemed like it!) filling in the pit.  The bottom is filled with rubble from the pit walls and then we did lots of manual labor moving dirt to fill the rest.  We leveled off the hillside where the pit is and used that dirt for fill.  That now-flat area will become a patio and is nearby J16's goth garden.
The septic was a whole other matter.  The well was imperative so we pinched pennies to make that happen (actually, we took out a home equity loan on our old house!) but we knew we couldn't afford the new septic system until we sold our old house.  Unfortunately, our house went on the market just as the housing market tanked so it took us a while to sell.  But last summer, after about a year of living here, the ground opened up....

And we had a huge muddy mess. The South yard still hasn't recovered.  We still have a 'reserve' pile of dirt that they left us and it's a good thing- the septic tank settled tremendously over the winter and now we will have to backfill  areas where there is about a foot difference between the tank and the surrounding soil.  But, we knew it was coming.  Now that the heavy earth moving equipment is through, I can start on my plans for the herb/flower garden that will be in the spot in the foreground of the picture above.

People have asked me in the past how we have been able to afford to make all these repairs.  We were fortunate enough to have fully paid off our previous home in town so didn't have a mortgage there.  We did take out a home equity loan that gave us a 'cushion'  for repairing the well and purchasing materials -which we promptly paid off as soon as we sold the house in town.  Then, a portion of the money from the house sale has been put into savings for the rest of the projects. We are careful about how we spend our money, making purchases in advance, when possible, when supplies are on sale and storing them in the outbuildings.  But mostly, we have saved a TON of money by doing the majority of the work ourselves.  I'm so fortunate that V is a jack of all trades and has the skills needed.  We have all learned lots and it has been a great family project with the children working with us to achieve all this.  I'm still waiting for at least one room in the house to be COMPLETELY DONE.  But, I can live with the chaos because it is all part of my dream.
Tomorrow I'll finish up with the house stuff before we move to the outdoors and what has happened out there.  Not as much as I would like has happened outside as we're trying to get the house more livable first but things are progressing....

Then and now- Part 2

Top to bottom renovation

In the past two years, we have worked on this house from top to bottom and side to side.  Here's a few highlights:
One of the first tasks (to keep mice and birds out of the attic) was to replace this soffit

 With this:

 In addition to adding the venting on the soffits, we added roof ridge vents to help keep it cool and a new chimney cap to keep out the water.
And also in the attic- even though the previous owner said that there was 'plenty' of insulation- we disagreed:

 And added significantly more...

 We ripped out and rebuilt entire walls that had water damage:

And a portion of the main girder for the house... eeek!!!

 We replaced a door...

and added storm doors to keep out the rain.
We finished the basement:

Well, kind of- it's still a work in progress with many tasks left to do.

All this in addition to both V and I working for $ (me full-time outside the home), raising our three children, growing a garden and preserving the harvest.

We've been busy little bees, but the journey isn't over yet.  Tomorrow I'll recap some of THE BIG STUFF.  The stuff we couldn't do ourselves (or at least did with help).  And then, the journey will continue on...  it's a never-ending one.

And don't forget.  It's not too late to get in on the 2 year farmiversary giveaway!

Then and Now- Part 1

There's a mouse in the house...

Well, there were.  Lots and lots of mice.  Many of you know that when we bought this house, it had 'issues'.  Many, many issues.  Not the least was the mouse infestation.  The property had been a combination home and vet clinic for about 10 years before we bought it.  The couple who owned it poured so much money into their business that the house had been sorely neglected.  And the neglect obviously goes back further than just those owners.  The house was in really rough shape- and parts of it still are.

When we purchased the property, the house had been vacant for over a year and the mice had made themselves quite comfortable.  The vet clinic had obviously had a mouse problem, evidenced by the 'mouse proof' room where they stored feed (rather than try to solve the problem they pop-riveted sheet metal on the inside of the closet) and the numerous 'stick up' air fresheners near the dark room (aka Mouse Central Station- more on that another day.  I think I have PTSD from that)

The house was not liveable when we closed.  In fact, it took until July before we could even move in and even then it was touch and go.  Part of the fine print of our mortgage agreement was that the property had to be our primary residence within three months of closing.  So we had to get to work quickly.

One of the first things we did after we closed was to entirely gut the basement.  

 The children had fun demolishing the walls.

Above is some of the ugly evidence.  You can see the track of the tunnel and nest area that was in the insulation in the wall.  ICK!!
We geared up with masks and gloves- and sometimes even gowned for protection:

 At this point V said he felt violated because of the sheer amount of mouse feces everywhere.

There were places it had soaked into the insulation.  ICK, ICK, ICK!!

We have worked long and hard at sealing up all the places we could find that they were getting in.  This is a prime example:

This was what was left of the mudsill behind the deck when we removed it.  It was a bit like the mouse equivalent of an expressway.
In the past year, we have had only three mice in the house.  Thankfully cornered and/or dispatched by the cats.  So, one challenge down, many more to come.
Tomorrow, I'll take you top to bottom of the house for more adventures.

Mangled tree Monday IDC and a new challenge!

The tree manglers arrived today. The tree trimmers for the power company made their way along the road. Eeek. I almost wish they had taken the entire line of poplars out. They look really pathetic:

But, I guess they did to us a favor. They cut out all of the wild cherry trees that were in there. We wanted them removed because they have a fungus called Black Cherry Knot that can spread to other cherry trees. We do want to eventually plant cherry trees so these needed to go. The majority of the limbs they cut they shredded (we'll get a delivery of wood chips later) but they left the cherry for us so we can burn it to stop the spread of the fungus. They were loathe to shred it along with everything else because whoever gets this load of wood chips would have gotten fungus spores along with it. Not good. So we're going to have quite the series of bonfires when it dries out.

Before I get to my usual Independence Days update, I've got to report on a new challenge that I've joined. I know, I know, like I've got enough time to do something else!! But, this one is right up my alley. Kim at The Inadvertent Farmer is hosting a challenge about gardening with children. I figure that I'm already doing this so I may as well play along. Those of you with children, come play along (you know who you are!) There are even prizes!!

And now on to my usual Monday update.

1. Plant something- Oh, Yeah, Baby!!! Let's see...onions, carrots, beets, chard, peas (shell and sugar snap) lettuce, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower plants in the garden. K10 thinks the "pea hut" will be fun to hide in. I still need to make a bean teepee- we've got these huge, long poles from the apple tree pruning that I want to use for that. Other than garden, I planted out my apple trees, raspberry plants and the rhubarb. I really need to finish the raised bed. I've got strawberries on the way soon and they will need a home.

2. Harvest something- alas, again only chives.

3. Preserve something- not yet but I have a few sad little apples in the bottom of the fridge that I think will be dried in the near future. I'm the only one who has been eating them and I can't eat them as fast as they are going bad.

4. Waste not- Hmm... the usual: composting, repurposing and trying to reduce food waste. I've been repurposing old fencing to make cages for around little trees and bushes to keep out the bunnies.

5. Want not- stocked up on coffee and tea that was in the discount basket at the store. Also purchased a tiller and a dump cart to use for hauling stuff around the acreage.

6. Build community food systems- Utilized the local orchard to obtain apple trees. Registered for my next permaculture class.

7. Eat the food- I've been trying to use stuff out of the freezer but life has been crazy and I really need to get myself more organized again. I didn't get meals planned this weekend and we ended up stopping at the grocery store on the way home this evening because there wasn't anything thawed. We should have more beef arriving next week so I need to get that freezer cleaned out!!

I'm starting this week already tired and it looks to be another busy one. But, then, it's SPRING!!

Challenges abound

I'm participating again this year in Sharon Astyk's Independence Day Challenge. This is her third year of hosting this challenge. I joined in quite late the first year but participated fully the second, although I have been pretty lax about posting updates this winter.

The challenge is fairly simple. You report on your progress toward Independence using 7 categories:

1. Plant something- this is pretty self explanatory.

2. Harvest something- again- pretty obvious.

3. Preserve something

4. Waste not- reducing food waste and waste of other resources

5. Want not- non-food preparations. I was pleased to find that you can even count those really good craigslist deals that you score or repurposing items.

6. Build community food systems- getting involved!

7. Eat the food- YUMMY.

I've also been meaning to post about my participation in another challenge hosted by Melinda at One Green Generation.

I'm kicking it up to the extreme edition. The rules here?

1. Grow at least 3 crops from seed- No problem here!

2. Plant the seeds in 3 other people- here for me is the real challenge. The goal is to inspire three other people to grow food from seeds. Unfortunately, most of the other people I know already garden- at least a little. I'm going to have to work at this one.

3. Share your progress in challenge check-ins.

and for the extreme edition:

4. Make it 'seed to seed'.

I was thinking about the Real Food Challenge. But that is something I already work on and I've got a lot on my plate right now so I may give it a pass this year.

Now, to just remember to report in on both of these challenges on a regular basis.

A new challenge!

Melinda at One Green Generation has issued a new challenge.  It is a tweak of her challenge last year.  Since I'm a newcomer into this blogging community, I missed out on last year's challenge- but this one is going to be great!  The challenge is to grow something from seed to seed.  That is, plant from seed, harvest and save seeds for next year's garden.  

I did a little bit of seed saving this year but am far from an expert.  This should be a good learning experience for me.  I need to do more research on it- it seems so natural but I'm sure there are tricks to the trade.

I really need to get together with Roger to plan the 2009 garden.  Time's a wastin' and I'm impatient for spring.  I've got my list and I know he's got his- we just need to make them work together.  

Farewell brave pioneers

Lamp lit evenings

It has been an interesting week here.  With the exception of entertainment we did pretty well on the Pioneer Week challenge.  Of course, entertainment was going to be the biggest challenge for us anyway.  We already try to conserve energy and water and I cook most of our meals from scratch or nearly so.  But still, it was an interesting week.  I never did get around to trying to make my own ricotta cheese but we did make pasta and I've got the lasagna in the oven.  A few bread sticks ready to pop in when it comes out, make a tossed salad with the last of the garden veggies and we'll be ready to feast.  

I did do some shopping today.  When we were cleaning before J14's party a few weeks ago, we stumbled across a $50 gift card that my MIL gave me for my birthday in June.  So J14 and I went to Michael's craft store.  I would have liked to shop locally, and I know there are small yarn shops here in town but they were having a yarn sale (50-70%off) and having publicly stated that I am incompetent at either knitting or crochet, I have vowed to learn.  So I got some yarn, a how-to book and some needles.  J14 also scored a beautiful picture frame and mat for  $4.50 to frame a print she received from her mentor. It's been so long since I actually purchased a picture frame I hardly knew what to do.  Most of ours have been salvaged from dumpsters or such and then refurbed.  J14 also got another ball of hemp so she can make some more bracelets for her friends (and I'm guessing herself).

V finally got up on the roof to clean the gutters before winter really sets in.  Unfortunately it was already down to 29 and some of the leaves were frozen in since it was raining recently.  I brought in one last hanging basket from outside.  I hadn't planned to bring it in and was just going to let the annual flowers in it freeze but they had survived last week's killing frost and the pink geranium was bravely blooming up a storm so I relented.  It looks lovely sitting on the floor but I didn't really need ANOTHER plant in the house.

Tomorrow is back to work (SIGH).  Gotta go uncover my lasagna.

Oh, I nearly forgot... For Rob's make do and mend, not much to report this week.  Sewed a button back on but not much else mending.  Did a lot of making do but then don't we always....

Pioneer week- day 3

I'm tired.  I was up way too late last night watching election returns (sorry pioneer week, but TV and laptop were both on).  That coupled with a horrendous day at work made me ripe for giving up on pioneering principles.  But I held true.  Well, mostly.  K8 is watching TV right now because I'm too brain dead to argue with him about doing something else.

Cooking from scratch was a challenge for me tonight.  In other circumstances I may have succumbed to ordering a pizza so I wouldn't have to cook.  But I didn't.  We had what was on the menu for tonight and I cooked the beans for chili tomorrow. I had set them soaking this morning before I left for work.  So tomorrow is chili and cornbread- with cornmeal ground from my parent's farm and local honey.

In other news I was reading at Casaubon's Book and Sharon has a new challenge of a sort.  She's calling it The Competence Project.  It's a challenge to get us to try those things/skills that we've never learned or have always been 'too hard'.  So whether it's learning to stop a leaky faucet or build a chicken coop, there are many skills to try.  V and I are both pretty handy when it comes to practical stuff.  Since Santa has promised me a pressure canner this year, that is one of the skills I want to learn.  Even though I grew up with helping my Mom can, doing it on my own has always terrified me.  But I'm ready to try.  I also want to learn to knit or crochet.  I can sew just fine and my Mom tried to teach me to crochet years ago but I quickly gave up.  J14 is better at it than I am since my Mom was teaching her.  I've got several friends and acquaintances who knit so maybe I'll have to ask for lessons.  Hmmm, something to learn in the winter when the snow is flying.  That's coming too soon, I think

Challenge check in

Well, since it's November,  I am participating in 3 challenges.  We're in luck with the Freeze Yer Buns challenge since it has been warm the past few days.  It reached 70 today outside and with the sun shining and baking cookies this afternoon it is currently 76 in the house with no heat on.  It looks like the warm weather will last at least part of the week, with forecasts predicting highs near 70 for the next couple of days.  

I"m also doing Rob's Make do and Mend challenge.  Halloween is a great time for making do.  The children did a great job coming up with costumes that really didn't cost much.  The only expense was a pack of cheap mens' white t-shirts for J14.  And those are something that will be used again and again.  I already finished my market basket and repaired a pair of sweatpants for K8 and re-stuffed one of the dog's favorite toys.  He had chewed a hole in it and was happily unstuffing it.  

The final challenge starts tomorrow.  We're heading into Pioneer Week starting tomorrow.  Fortunately the weather is supposed to be nice and I hope to cook outside on the grill since I don't have a fireplace or woodstove at the moment.  Those are both on the list for the 'house of the future'.  I baked bread yesterday using the 7 grain flour I picked up last weekend when my MIL was here.  I think it doesn't have as much gluten in it as whole wheat because it wasn't quite the same.  Different even from when I've made bread with rye flour.  It seemed too sticky and I had to add extra white flour- more than I usually use for the same recipe.  But it tastes great. We started eating it last night and have already gone through half a loaf. K8 requested it  for his sandwich today for lunch- even though we had a bit of 'store bought' bread left.

Busy week ahead.  Especially since NO convenience foods this week.  And there is the election to worry about.

Locally, this election, we have the opportunity to vote on a $20 million bond proposal.  The money is to be used to acquire land for conservation and community use over an extended period of time.  I'm amazed that there are so many people opposed to it, citing the increase in taxes at a difficult economic time.  Considering that the tax burden is going to end up about $2.20 a month for someone owning a $200,000 home I think that's not too bad. If that amount is going to push someone over the edge financially, I think they would have had trouble anyway, even without the bond proposal.  I think the benefits outweigh the cost.  Having the chance to save wetlands (or any other lands) for future generations and for our own use is worth the price of a large coffee a month- not that I generally buy a large coffee a month.

Regardless of whether you have a local bond issue or not,  get out there and exercise your right and responsibility to vote.

Pioneer week

Oh, Oh, Oh! Hitch up the wagon!  Pioneer week is arriving the first week of November.   Time to live like Little House on the Prairie.  I may need to talk the family into this one.  J14, I know should be an easy sell,  V maybe a little harder, but the boys... no TV or video games for a week!!! What kind of Mother will they think I am.  Well... they know what kind.  We've done no TV week before and they have survived.

What exactly is involved in Pioneer Week you may ask.  Here is how I envision it at our house:

1. Food.  

The rules call for making everything from scratch.  That shouldn't be too bad.  I already do a lot of cooking from scratch. I know I need to bake bread for the Bread for the World service at church on Nov 2 so I will just make enough to get us through the week.  As long as I don't need to make my own cheese.  Yogurt I can do- although learning to make cheese could be interesting.  I'm willing to go to the cheese factory in Kalona to pick up some more cheese to make sure it's local if it becomes necessary but I will need to do that before the week starts.

2. Energy use.

I already reset the thermostat to get ready for the Freeze yer Buns challenge.  V lit the pilot light over the weekend but we haven't had to use the furnace yet.  Hopefully the weather will hold and we can get through awhile without using it.  As far as lighting goes, we've got lots of candles and oil lamps that we can use.  We also use the lamps as auxiliary heaters to add a degree or two to the temp in the house.

3. Conserve water.

This will probably be the most difficult.  I can be pretty quick in the shower.  I learned to be one summer when I was one of 20 dirty archaeologists using the water from a 80 gallon oil barrel that we used for hot water.  That's efficiency.  J14 will need the most work on this one.  She tends to take a long time in the shower.  We have a dishwasher but frequently hand wash dishes anyway.

4. Transportation- walk as much as you can.

This one shouldn't be too bad.  I have walked to work for the past 14 years.  J14 and the boys walk to school.  V is the only one who drives to work and that only since he started his new job in August.  I think he should be able to ride the bus but he likes to have the car to be able to get to the children quickly in case one of them gets sick or something. (I have a 25 minute walk home.  His previous walk was about 10 minutes now he drives about 4 miles).  The only driving I do during the week is to take J14 to orchestra rehearsal on Mondays and to pick up I11 from band practice on Wednesdays (their after school program provides transportation there).

5. Rethink entertainment.

Now, with the election on Nov 4, I'm not likely to give up on my TV completely and I'm not going without my computer (or Ipod for walking to work).  But we could institute a modified 'No TV Week'.   I need to pull out a few projects that need finished so this could be a good opportunity.

6. Watch your Wallet

Now that's a given.  Unless V decides to make some more online train purchases ;) we should be pretty well set.  We've got plenty of food stored and unless we need milk or eggs (no critters of our own except the dog) we should be set.

Sounds like an adventure.  Hope we can follow through.  V is actually related to Laura Ingalls Wilder through his mom's side of the family so MAYBE I can use that as a selling point.  Or maybe not. Where's my bonnet and shawl...

Busy Sunday and check ins

A busy day here.  Since I had to work yesterday I feel behind on all the usual stuff I try to get done on weekends.  I have been up to my ears in laundry.  I know, V would do it but I am kind of OCD when it comes to how laundry is done and hung on the lines to dry.  He has pretty much given up, mainly because I complain so much when my shirts come out stretched and/or wrinkled beyond belief.

I11 was busy cooking this morning.  I cooked some bacon that I got at the local farmer's market and he decided he wanted eggs to go along with it.  I'll have to pick up some more bacon for the freezer on Saturday because that is the last weekend market of the season.

I also made it out to the garden today.  My friend, Roger, said that they will probably plow the garden under later this week so I thought I'd better get what's left. I've got another market basket with ripe tomatoes in it as well. 

The funny thing about this particular basket, besides the fact that it is big enough to hold a baby, is that it was a dumpster find this spring.  That's one of the perks of living in a college town where a large part of the population moves out each May.  I'm always amazed at what the students throw out.  V has an amazing list of things he has found, everything from several hundred dollars worth of music CDs to a tux and a trumpet- all of which work and/or fit.  I've got a beautiful silk shirt that was in a dumpster- still in the dry cleaning bag with the tags attached.  I really don't understand that kind of mentality...

I also picked up a few of these. These are the last few White Wonder cucumbers. These are a heritage variety from Seed Savers Exchange.  K8 got a packet of seeds last year at the homecoming parade as a prize.  They were outdated and I wasn't sure they would grow but they did well.  K8 LOVES cucumbers so I plan to save some seeds from these for next year.

Now time for a challenge check in.  The Make Do and Mend Challenge over at Rob's is on.  It's been a slow week for mending.  I did manage to sew a few buttons back on pants for both boys and mend a split seam.  I plan to try to soak my market basket so I can repair the handle before it completely breaks. I made the basket a few years ago when a friend (who happened to be the pastor of my church at the time) offered to teach me how to weave baskets.  The handle is beginning to slide out and I don't want it to come completely out since it was woven in when the basket was made.  I really hope that the reed hasn't become so brittle over time that I can't fix it.  I guess I could always get new but I think you have to order it in rather large batches and I'm not sure I want to take up basket weaving in my spare time in order to use it all.  

Tomorrow is another busy day.  I've still got lots to do before my MIL arrives Thursday.  Wish me luck.  

J