BUSY CANNING!

So far, I've canned about 20 pints of tomatoes, 20 quarts of hot cucumber pickles, and 15 pints of Fireballs (pickled hot green tomatoes!), and just two pints of apple sauce (just a few apples left on the early ripening tree.) I've also put up about 4 quarts of pesto in the freezer in little jars. I love bringing some of the taste of summer out in December through March. Next year, we expand the garden by another 4 raised beds and we WON'T plant zucchini! (I've also put about 12 loaves of zucchini bread in the freezer.)

We harvested about 100 bulbs of garlic earlier this summer, and used quite a few of them in the above mentioned pickles, along with our red hot peppers and some Joe's Long cayenne pepper.

We are all counting the days until we can open that first jar of pickles in mid-October and see how they turned out. For now, they provide a colorful assortment of food on my laundry room shelves.

HAPPY HARVEST EVERYONE!!

SUMMER RELAXIN' ON THE LAKE

This is hubby Mike, hard at work in the lake.

Spent four days on a quiet lake in northern Wisconsin with four other families. We ate, drank, ate, relaxed, went on evening boat cruises as the sun went down, endured long bike rides, ate, drank, jet-skiied, relaxed, played water volleyball, ate some more, drank, inner-tubed behind the boat, played more volleyball in the water, had a day-long "Cabin Olympics" with challenging events including; Boccie Ball, Horse Balls, Football Beanbag Toss, and badminton. Water events were to have included kayak racing, swim races, and 'noodle bop' where each person stands on an inner tube in the water and tries to knock the other one off with a foam floating noodle. Unfortunately, we got thundered out of the water and a large wind storm swept in. So of course what did we all do? High-tailed it inside for more eating, drinking, poker (the kids), and playing massive games of 500. This vacation was food for the soul. TOTAL RELAXATION with great friends, great kids (all teens!), and great food! THANK YOU TO THE MILLER FAMILY FOR SO GENEROUSLY SHARING THEIR LITTLE PIECE-O-PARADISE!

GARLIC HARVEST!

This past Sunday we harvested our garlic patch (about 100 - both the number of garlic bulbs and the outside temperature) and planted in their place sweet peas, two more lettuce varieties, and a fifth patch of basil - all in just under one half hour. In that short thirty minutes or so, we drenched our clothing with sweat, several times over - all by 10am. All the while talking about how we'll install an outdoor garden shower next year! The tomato plants have become jungle-like, I keep expecting to find a lost dog or cat hidden within their tangled stems and leaves. The soil in the garlic bed was teaming with worms, every square inch I swear! And we've spotted a happy garter snake in the ground cherry patch. The deer have been eating all the wonderfully sweet cucumber blossoms, but left the rest of the garden alone for a while. We're holding our breath, I'm sure they'll strike just as we go out to harvest that first perfectly ripened tomato. Triplets and their protective mother live in our backyard - I just keep smiling and secretly calling them "Christmas Dinner 2011, '12, and '13" We've got the garlic and rosemary to go with them!

TOTAL RELAXATION, COOL BEVERAGES, GREAT FOOD, and CHOCOLATE!!!

Just got back from three full days of total bliss on a beautiful lake in Wisconsin. Hard to come back to reality and laundry. Our good friends B & J truly delight in sharing their cabin home in the woods with their friends and family - year round. We are very grateful for their warm hospitality and their willingness to indulge Mike and I in a few dozen games of 500. We all like to cook and try new recipes - during this three-day bonanza we tried at least three new recipes: New-Postmodern Polynesian Grilled Chicken, Roll-Your-Own Fish Tacos with choice of grilled beef strips, grilled chicken strips, grilled shrimp, or grilled Halibut and all the makings, and last but not in the least bit least - HOLLY'S HOLYCOW THESE ARE SINFULLY DELICIOUS BROWNIES (made with a layer of Rolo caramel candies in the middle, plus butterscotch chips and brownie mix, did I mention the stick of melted butter? We could have stayed in that position, in that lake, with those friends for hours upon hours that day - but alas, the beer ran out. Beauty of drinking while floating in a very large lake - you don't have to excuse yourself for the restroom! Happy summer everyone!

Too Busy to Blog...

Life is just simply too busy. I used to be bothered when people would tell me they were 'too busy' for a walk, lunch, coffee, exercise, etc. Well, I have now become one of those people and I don't like it, not one bit.

"Something's gotta give, something's gotta give, something's gotta give!" (Do you hear Ella?!)

Family Gathering at Christmas, Can't Wait!

This is a family gathering from about 1963 or so, of my mom's family. That is MnMom in the stripes on the table! If we were to take a shot this weekend of all of us together, it won't look too much different, except the clothes will be updated and the kids will be a bit older (and there will be way more alcohol and food on the table!)

Good memories!

Better family pic, same day as the last one.

Same day as the one above, but new pose, new smiles. Mom tried and tried to get a good 'xmas card kids' shot, but to no avail. There are literally dozens of attempts each year. Love the socks.

Happy Christmas Everyone! Waiting for Santa!

Circa 1968 or so. Waiting for Santa to arrive, is that him on the roof now?!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

AAAAAH, Now THIS is Iowa Spring!

Worked out in the yard all day today (and yesterday), feels so good to be out there again! The creeping Charlie is doing well, as are the dandelions. We're enjoying the Ruby Throated Hummingbird that hangs out around our deck, and the Pileated Woodpecker who lives out back of the house, he's just huge, about 17 inches from head to tail! WE LOVE SPRING!

Spring in the Great Midwest

It's early April here in Iowa and that means signs of spring are blooming up . . everywhere. My yard has that early spring/late winter look of Sanford and Son (you can start whistling the theme song now as you read the rest of the blog). There are piles of shit everywhere that were nicely hidden by snow but now are sopping wet mounds of wood, sleds, bike pieces, neighbor's dead cats, and decaying dog poop. Ah, the beauty of early spring in the Midwest. I was just chatting with a friend in Minnesota on Facebook and wondered aloud if maybe the mulching element on my riding mower could handle that cat? Could make a pretty bad mess in the catch bag, but what if I didn't use the catch bag? Great fertilizer for that area of the yard . . . hmmmmmm.

ERMA BOMBECK - She lives on in all of us!

IN honor of women's history month and in memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her
fight with cancer. Every time I hear anything or read anything about Erma Bombeck I think of my mom, my aunts, and all the women of the 'neighborhood' when I was growing up on East Main Street. Here's to all of those great women - and to all the great women in my life now!

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would
go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in
storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or
the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less
about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his
youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day
because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while
watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't
show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every
moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance
in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go
get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's' More
'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute. Look at it
and really see it...... live it and never give it back.
STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

“There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.” ~ Erma Bombeck ~

“I've exercised with women so thin that buzzards followed them to their cars.”
~ Erma Bombeck ~
And finally, this quote below which I just love - not from Erma, but good advice to follow just the same. We're only here for a short amount of time in this thing called life, might as well have some fun while we're here! Now go ahead, JUMP!

When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap.”
~ Cynthia Heimel ~

Sleep-Over - I SURVIVED!

I survived my daughter's sleep-over party last Friday night! It's always a dice roll when you gather two or more 12-yr-old girls in one spot for any extended length of time. It could be a very high drama, major argument sort of experience with tears flowing - or it could be a lovely gathering of high energy, positive hang-out time. Fortunately for everyone at our home that night, it was the latter. I'd purchased all the necessary goods for a successful sleep-over; cheetohs, soda, m&ms, cheez-it crackers, gummy roll-ups, and frozen pizzas. I know, not much for nutritional value, but hey, they're pre-teens and it's a party for cryin' out loud! Watch the attached video and you'll get just a very small glimpse into the evening's energy . . . GIRLS RULE!

and more of THE HAT!

The photos from fans of Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat are so funny coming in all over the net! This is one of my favorites so far. Go check them out at the link provided for a good giggle in your day! She is so beyond cool, WE LOVE ARETHA!

Busy January Saturday

This is turning out to be one of those days in a parent's life that is like a small puzzle. One child has to be in LaCrosse, WI for the morning looking for a new hockey stick (our town is too small to sell such things and whenever we need something we have to drive at least 55 minutes away to get it), another child is at district speech contest in exactly the opposite direction thirty miles south, and the third child has to be up at the local college for a dance performance and cello lessons in mid-afternoon and then on to a birthday party for the rest of the afternoon and into the night, one of our son's friends is spending the night here later. I'm not sure how we'll cover all this today and make it work. Let's hope the LaCrosse crew gets back early enough for me to head south in time to catch the first speech event. So much for a relaxing Saturday with family! Well, a few cups of hot strong espresso and I'll be ready to meet the day's challenges! (Thanks for the new rubber ring for our espresso pot Happy to be from Iowa! It works!

Stay warm everyone, we have a current temp of -7! Put your coffee on . . .