Archive for September, 2011

A Plot Of Veggies

by admin on September 6, 2011 in Adventure and Me, Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me with No comments

We have been eating very very well off of our little plot at the community garden. I was so prompt about posting pictures of this spot, while it was still dirt, I thought I had better show you the lovely luscious life that is now abundant.

Here are some pictures from a harvesting trip we did as a family this past long weekend.

(South side of the garden is seen above and below is a picture of the north side.)
(Not from our plot but I had to show you these sunflowers and the prairie water melons that someone successfully grew!)
(Here is our plot, half cleaned out already but still full of veggies!)(Herbs, hanging to dry in our basement, grown in our garden.)

I had more pictures of our produce but have misplaced them so I hope to find them and share them soon.

Gardening is hard work. It took some help from family, to water and watch over our plot when we where away this summer. It took many many night walks over to water it during the dry days. It took days of me and my girls, hands and knees in the dirt, going after weeds. It took nights of me walking over with my oldest boy to pick something fresh for supper. It took more then that too but it gave so much more then just produce back. The garden added family time and quality outdoor time to our summer.

P.S. Check out THIS POST and THIS ONE TOO to see the humble beginnings of our community garden adventure!

TTFN

Apple Sauce

by admin on September 6, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Feeling It (Thankful), Foodie Like Me, My Romance with 1 Comment

We have never had an apple tree this big before or with apples this large, in our previous homes. My husband took it upon himself to solve the tall apple tree dilemma today. The tree grows way above and behind the cedars in our back yard. Most of the tree is sticking out into the back alley. When we go to harvest apples each year we always have the problem of no ladder long enough and the reddest apples are always high up.

(The kids did there best to help their Dad with the apple picking… although they where very much distracted by their water gun fight and the slip and slide.)

The kids and him fused with this problem most of the afternoon while I prepared a meal of garden fresh veggies for Garnet’s brother’s family. It was a tedious task for them (almost as tedious as cutting up all the apples for apple sauce). I love watching my husband work on a problem. His manly determination is very attractive.

When it was all done for the day we had enough apples picked to start me on my apples sauce marathon. It is an excellent kick off day and the rest of apples will wait… like little red and yellow promises of more work too come… just hanging up there on the tree. Every year I think I am not cut out for harvest time and every year I find a deep satisfaction in the work when I just dig into it and get busy. We will be enjoying thick, creamy, cinnamon-y apples sauce all winter again!

I am so thankful for produce to harvest and for a husband who enjoys digging into the work with me.

TTFN

The Process of Preparing a Meal That Is A Moment

by admin on September 4, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Book Flavor, Domestic Damsel, Feeling It (Thankful), Foodie Like Me, Little Things with 1 Comment

I am a napper… have been for years… my mother and grandmother where nappers so it is in the genes… In the last few years I have went from an easy riser to a crawl outta bed kinda mama. Fatigue is common place in my life.

Now I struggle with putting naps off. The idea of not being with it enough afterwards, for my kids sakes, is a real difficulty. This inner conflict meets its match with the promise of fresh espresso to help with the wake up process. I am super thankful for my little stove top espresso maker. It doesn’t break down like the fancy new ones often do. It is fast and makes nine shots at a time!

After years of this fatigue stuff I still manage to smile as I work at shacking it off, because I really really like my espresso treat and the espresso making process.

I have to serve my wake up espresso with something substantial to avoid going from a walking ton of bricks to jittery jabber-y nut. I find the process of setting it all up a sweet encouragement to my weary self. It is almost as pleasant as the slow morning routine of setting up a breakfast and not just scarfing something down.

Sun coming up…

patter out to the kitchen in favorite robe…

make favorite hot beverage and set up you breakfast in style so you feel pleased to sit down to it…

crack open the Bible and breath in and out as much as possible before the kids wake up!

Speaking of the process of presenting ones self with more then a meal but a moment…I just purchased a book, long ago recommended to me. It is about two women who spent a year purposely making a little oasis around their breakfast habit. I am hoping for delicious encouragement from this book. I will let you know what it is like when I get it.

TTFN

Tea Partying It UP!

by admin on September 3, 2011 in Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me, People In My Heart with No comments

Tea parties make me feel so domestic:) I love the group pictures we have taken over the years. Year after year of different ladies, all dressed in different colors and styles. More hats have shown up over the years, as that has been a personal aim of mine (to encourage more hat wearing that is). Next I would love to encourage the wearing of gloves and caplets!
My mother and a favorite auntie of mine travelled all the way down to be at this party. Mother in law and sister (Mirelle) made it, they are always so supportive of me and the icing on the cake was my ‘college mom’ making it out. Nancy was the lady I lived with through my college years (first few years away from home) and although she has always been the kindest of friend, she was also like a mom… a less bossy mom:) It was great to have her over! Three dear friends came. Two of them being pals of mine for years and the third is a new girl friend who is really game and I like that about her! All of us ate very very well and enjoyed fabulous conversation. Though the wasps chased the little girls in early, we women endured for the sake of more socializing.Why do I do this? Because I love being a woman. I loving being with other women and I love to see them enjoying femininity! It is a grand thing to have a time so full of girlyness that men would be afraid to accidentally intrude:)

It almost always feels doubtful that it will all work out for me to have a tea each summer and then when it is all pulled together it is so worth it. Here’s hoping I have time for one winter-y tea this year and another fabulous summer one next year!

P.s. I have been blogging for a few years now and boy do I love to go back and look through the archives. CHECK OUT THIS LINK to the last tea party I had two summers ago.

TTFN

Favorite Delusion

by admin on September 2, 2011 in Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Music Flavor, People In My Heart with No comments

We all like to think we are in control… we think this idea is what carries us through the day, how we cope…

We are so fragile, we are so diluted if we think we are in control.

There are those of us who have been painfully awaken, all naivety removed, as the control is so obviously taken from our grasp…we find our way through the day, we cope, with Christ’s strength.

“It’s out of my hands

There’s nothing I can do

The best laid plans

Again have fallen through

I thought my world

Was under my command

Now I can’t believe

Just how glad I am

It’s out of my hands

My favourite delusion

I must control the universe

Failure brings freedom

You are God, and I’m not so…”

~CAROLYN ARENDS

TTFN

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