Yesterday we went looking for pears to can Cinnamon Pears sometime this week and ended up at Mueller’s in Linden.  We got a small bag of apples also. When I got home I remembered I needed Cider to make my applesauce so we drove over to Parker’s Orchards in Millington for that.  I had 15 containers (canned and frozen) downstairs already but only two were my favorite made with Cognac so I thought I’d add a few more to the inventory.

This morning I went looking for the recipe and came across a Apple and Rhubarb Chutney recipe that looked pretty good so it was back over to Parker’s for more apples and I picked up another quart of cider in case I decided to make more applesauce.  All told I came up with 11 -8 oz jars of chutney and 7 and a half pints of applesauce.  I have enough apples left to may be make a batch of apple pie filling.  (We will see in the morning),

The pears however have to sit for about a week before we can do them.  Oh well I am not going any where!

Speaking of going anywhere I have to tell on me.  I have a habit of not wearing a bra unless it is absolutely in bad taste to go without it.  As Maxine says, “The most comfortable bra she has is a sweatshirt” and I agree.  Anyway I chose to wear one when I took Jay to the Doctor on Thursday and found it not too uncomfortable after I got home.  The only problem was I kept looking down trying to figure out what was in front of me.  I was most fascinated to find it turned corners a little bit a head of me!  Yep my pointers turned sitters, then flat out hang downs were trying to point again.

Last Saturday was Les’ birthday and Sunday Wes, Debra, Jasmine and her friend came up to help him celebrate.  Cindy , Jay, and I were there also.

We didn’t have to say Lordy, Lordy Les is 40 because the cake and decorations said it for us. 

Two important factors in this picture # 1 the gallon of dill pickles is a gift I remember to get for him every once in a while because he loves them.  # 2 the hat his wife bought for him—I love it!!

Jay, Courtney, Les, and Anne were feasting on lasagna and garlic toast. 

Along with Jasmine’s friend, Jasmine, and Wes while Debra, Cindy, and I manned the cameras.  I think it was a Happy Birthday!

….top the list yesterday starting after Jay went to Dialysis. 
I bought a peck of Romas and a half a bushel of regular at McDaniel’s Farm Market yesterday. 
I had everything set up by 2:00 pm and canned until after 11:00 last night taking a couple of short break during that time.
Jay help after he came in at around 5pm.

My results were 12 pints of Italian Herb tomatoes, 21 8 oz. jars and 1 12 oz jar of Tomato Jam, 14 pints of Mexican Herb tomatoes, and 2 pints of plain tomatoes.  I have enough Romas to do one more batch of the jam after I pick up some jelly jars today.  I also saved two large tomatoes for Mozzarella Stuffed Tomatoes for supper tonight.

My name is on the list at McDaniel’s for Concord grapes that should be ready mid September. That will be jelly and my last planned canning project for this year. (note the word planned).

Right now we are off to see Dr. Ross, Jay’s Retinologist, then the get the jars, then get more Avery labels and finish off the Romas. 

Later today I’ll try to get Les’ birthday party pictures up. 

Update:
Just finished the tomato project—see it at Jay’s Jammin’.

This picture has nothing to do with the following post .  I just needed something to calm me down as I typed.

On to my tale of woe!!

Whenever I see red on my hubby’s hand or arm I start checking for a leak.
Granted it didn’t look like blood but I checked anyway. 
I could find no scrapes or punctures so I started setting out the ingredients for the lasagna,
Upon opening the fridge I spotted the origin of my mystery.
A closer check revealed red liquid on the back of the third shelf down.
This meant red liquid in the drawer of the third shelf down.
Continuing down the shelves I found said liquid on the fourth shelf and in the fourth drawer.
It was also on the bottom shelf and in the meat keeper drawer.

Damn that meant pulling shelves and drawers, washing everything out not to mention rinsing the contents also.
Thus the disassembling began.
The back wall of the fridge had a spill running down to the bottom.
Removing the shelves and drawers caused said liquid to land on the floor, on the counters, in the sink.
Getting more pissed all the time I kept wiping. washing, and swearing at whatever this was that turned everything pink.
What could have caused a delay in my cooking?

The answer to my problem a freaking bottle of picked beets laying on it’s side in the back on the third shelf.

So yesterday was Cindyism’s 11th Wedding Anniversary.  Even if all she can say is she 35 now please give her and David a pat on the back!

Today is Les’ Birthday.  The big 40 and that makes me older than dirt!  Send him a big fat wish for many more years to come! 

The surgery for Jay yesterday went well and hopefully with another couple of tweaks he will have the greatest arm in dialysis. 

I was out yesterday spending money—grocery shopping for lasagna fixings for Les’ party here on Sunday along with some staples that needed restocking.  I think I’ll grab my cane and a bib and stumble around a bit for show on Sunday!!  A cane and bib are standard accessories for old farts and believe me with one son at 45 going on 46, the second son at 40 and Sweet Thing at 35 I think I need them!!

What do you do when the lightening flashes and the thunder rumbles all night long?  What happens when the rain falls in torrents and the umbrella falls over on the deck you are sitting on?  What do you do when the wind tears a clay bird off the wind chime and leaves it laying on the porch in the morning? 

Why you climb on the roof of the dome, blend in with the shingles so no one can see you and hang on like crazy!!!!

Let me start by saying I’m sorry I was absent.  I can’t get an excuse from my Mom because she has shuffled off this mortal soil.  Or as the family lovingly says she is where it is acceptable to wear plaid shorts with argyle knee highs, bless her heart!  The only thing I can do is tell you what has transpired in the last few days.  So if you are ready—here we go!

On Saturday after the plum fiasco Friday Jay and I went out to pick raspberries.  I had said the day before that I didn’t think my 72 year old feet would let it happen.  But by some miracle I found myself bending over Blackberry bushes picking. 

But when it came time to pick the red ones I turned chicken and bought the twelve pints I needed.  The results can be seen at Jay’s Jammin’  under Plum Crazy!  A full day believe me.

I knew Sweet Thing ( daughter Cindy ) was coming up on Sunday afternoon with another project.  She had worked the night before so it was after 5pm went she and David got here.  She brought with her three zucchinis a co-worker gave her to make bread with. 

As you can see shredding is not the most satisfying job in the world but she got it done after Jay tried to shred his thumb into the first batch!  The results were two zucchinis used with four loaves of bread ( with chopped Maraschino cherries and nuts in them) and a Chocolate- Zucchini cake.  We managed to squeeze in a partial pinochle game that the girls ( I use that term loosely) conceded because we were too tired to think. 

On Monday I picked up the afghan that I found in the box of yarn I had mistaken sent to Jay’s cousin’s house in Yale, MI.  It measured roughly 27 inches on one side and I had several skeins of the yarn in the box to finish it.  I called Pammie and ask her to measure the ‘7 inch square’ afghans she has been sewing together for The Ghana Project so I could finish this one off as one piece.  The results were 36 x 50 inches so I worked on that all day on it. 

On Tuesday we had an appointment with Dr. Webb at 11am so It was drive down to Southfield and back.  He told Jay that he needed to do the next procedure and tentatively set up Thursday for surgery.  So after making lunch and then supper I cleaned up the kitchen and sat down again with the afghan.  I was bound and determined I would not put it down until I was finished.

At 4:00 am this morning this is what I had!  It is ready to be shipped out and that little ball of yarn is all that is left of that yarn. 

  Oh I forgot to tell you about the mower deck in the back of our truck.  In trying to change the blades on Sunday David was unable to get them off.  So he loaded the deck into the bed of the truck.  Then yesterday afternoon I took it to Keene’s and they removed and sharpened the blades without removing the mower deck from the truck.  Now I still have it in the bed of the truck but at least it is sharp.  I am hoping my oldest son can help me get the blades tightened so we can remove them next time, get the deck out of the truck, and onto the tractor.  Boy life sure has it’s challenges don’t it.

Same old routine this morning except I weeded my side of the ditch.  Why because I took a letter down to the mailbox and it looked shitty down there.  I didn’t do the road side because the County is supposed to take care of that.

Next came prepping for the peck of plums.

I started in about noon just as Jay left for dialysis.  I had two plum sauces and jam ahead of me.  I decided on the Chinese Plum Sauce first.  I managed six eight oz jars.  I then moved on to the Tangy Plum Sauce.  I did only one batch because I still have some on the shelf.  This made four eight oz jars. 

Then came the jam.  I got so wrapped up in pitting, chopping, cooking, then measuring that I completely forgot the pectin and the butter in the first two batches.  At least I got the last one right.  Consequently I have nine eight oz jars of jam and 20 eight oz jars of either plum jam or syrup.  I won’t know for a couple of weeks.  Just got too tired to think I guess.  At least Brandy knew what to do.

I finished up around 8:00 pm and as usual everything is under control except the kitchen floor.  But at least it isn’t as bad as last time.  I think picking raspberries tomorrow is not in the cards for this old lady!!

For all of you out there looking for rain for your garden, wishing the sweat was not rolling down your forehead, or just sick of dry, hot,days This is for you.

I got up this morning when my arms would not allow me to lay on them any longer and started what is slowly becoming a routine. 

  1. Turn on the coffee pot and take Brandy out.
  2. Check the bird feeders for any outages and fill if needed.
  3. Fill the fountains so I don’t burn out the pumps.
  4. Take the chrome pail full of water and whisk broom to clean and fill the bird bath on the berm.
  5. Pull weeds on the berm.
  6. Pull weeds from one of the gardens around the dome.
  7. Come in and feed and water both Brandy and Molly.
  8. Empty the dishwasher.
  9. Check the calendar to make sure there are no appointments today. (I check it the night before also)
  10. I pour my coffee and take a sip.

  Now I must confess I don’t always pull weeds but if the morning is cool this is the time!
 
I thought how glad I was that I didn’t have a garden this year.  The hot, dry days would just kill things off faster than I could water. Something about pulling 50 to 100 feet of hose up and down the yard doesn’t appeal to this 72 year old body.  Don’t tell me to put in a sprinkler system—it is a yard with a field out back not a lawn. Every time I think garden I remember my poor strawberry plants wilting all over the place. 

The barrel Idea that Jay had was good but they were moved out by the shed when the new deck went on and never moved back.  Plus all the operations on his arms has limited the activity he can expend.  Maybe next year I’ll get them moved closer to the dome and take over the project. 

We had a visiting nurse in to teach Jay how to take the blood pressure in his leg.  She will be seeing him a couple of more times until he has the hang of it. 

The word on the raspberries is that we should be able to pick this weekend.  That is one of the four projects left for canning this year.  I don’t know if I mentioned this but I’m leaving the canning jars and equipment under the shelf of the pass through in the dining room until I’m done.  Every thing is ripening one after another and it makes no sense to haul every thing to the basement for the few days in between canning projects.  Besides Jay doesn’t see that well, we have little company, and Molly and Brandy don’t care what is stowed up here..

A brief interruption with Brandy brought a new experience just now.  I took her outside on her extendable leash and while waiting for her to finish a Hummingbird came up to within three inches of my hand to explore the red plastic handle.  It was a beautiful green color and of course I had no camera available.

I still haven’t gotten pictures of my Dad’s bedroom set and I have to tell you about the afghan I’m working on but I have been up almost three hours now and my tummy is calling for a bowl of cereal so all see you all later.  Remember Love, Laugh , and Live your life like it is you last one—because Dear heart It is!

We had a visitor while we were out Saturday.  He wouldn’t tell Les his name.  He was in the living room but wouldn’t say how he got there .  Les took his picture in hopes that we might know who he was.  Then he removed him to the deck for the rest of the evening..

Try as I might I just can’t identify him.  But I guess there was no harm done!