LET'S TALK ABOUT AUTUMN

The Pacific Northwest is a lovely place to live. We live in wine country and everywhere I look right now I see natural, beautiful scenery. Plump grapes are ready for harvest and leaves are turning red, gold,orange and yellow. Everywhere I see signs of the season changing.

Candied Apples and Carmel Corn are also signs of the changing season and something that we look forward to each and every year. Apple orchards and pumpkin patches are inviting this time of year. Hay rides, a corn maze, apple cider, frosted mornings, apple and pumpkin pies, crunching dry leaves underfoot and leaves rustling in the trees all represent this delicious season.

Whenever I hear the Canadian Geese overhead I know that we are well into Autumn and realize that it is time to prepare my home for the coming winter. For the snuggling in and hunkering down before the hustle and bustle of the coming months activities. Autumn is a time for enjoying a slower paced season as the family draws closer; for lingering just a while longer with a mulled cider, coffee or tea. It's a time for gathering my thoughts in preparation for the season ahead before the cold of winter arrives.  Autumn is the transition from summer to winter...my favorite season of the year.

HARVEST TIME

A small crop of  ripened Concords in an inherited Vintage Mirro Seven Star Colander. The second batch of grapes that have been harvested, deep purple and sweet. Juice concentrate to be preserved  for use in the months ahead.  Fragrant and delicious.

This colander full (about 12 cups) made two concentrated bottles of juice.  I made two other bottles a week earlier so four bottles of juice concentrate was a good yeild for my first year of fruit from just two grape vines, this will give me eight pitchers full.  Makes me happy!

AS SUMMER ENDS

Lot's of outdoor play as summer's end nears.  Taking advantage of those last warm days that seem to slip by all to quickly.   Off to the farm for fresh local tomatoes, apples and pears. 

A stop up the driveway for the last pickins of the blackberries that will be frozen whole for smoothies and milkshakes, cobblers and coffee cakes  in the days ahead.

TUESDAY

Another Tuesday is passing by, the natural world is always moving forward. I so much enjoy the gentle rhythm of our days here at home, even when it is filled with many occupations. Home is where we find rest and strength for each new day and it´s tasks.

The temperature is rising and the weather getting warmer as we´ve entered into tbe Spring months, soon the unbareable heat and humidity that envelopes this part of the world will be upon us and the need of refreshment will be ever calling.

Freshly squeezed lemonade, watermelon and plently of garden salads will be on the menu. Blackberries are coming into season and will make for another delicious and refreshing drink. Strawberries, oh how I look forward to them, soon, very soon now they will be at their best. Smoothies, shortcakes, cremes...yum!

Our rains have finally arrived, they´ve been so needed. Late in coming, we almost missed the entire season. Thankful for those days that brought us grey skys and rain clouds, the earth was refreshed, the trees and plants are smiling, raising their faces to the warmth of the sun. They look so pretty dressed in their fine, colorful clothing.

Today I busyed myself with primping and organizing parts of our home that have been in need of attention. The kitchen cabinets have been thoroughly cleaned, inside and out. The storage room was completely emptied and purged of the collection of things that inevitably find their way there, fresh and clean once again. The bathroom was scoured and smells freshly of lavender. Home, a pleasant place to be.....

Dinner was a good batch of homemade tamales filled with cheese and vegetables, a nice salsa and pico de gallo. A fresh juice of Passion Fruit, delicious!

A little herbal essential oil rubbed on my stiff neck has brought comfort. It has been a fine Tuesday...

PRETTY PRINTS AND THINGS

I´m in love with my new fabric! They make me smile when I look at them. I have several ideas for sewing some of these pieces into something, but I first need to sort and combine the colors to my liking. I am hoping to get some time for another market bag, I´d like to try a different style this time, and another apron. I just can´t seem to think about anything else but this fabric right now. What can I say? With all this prettiness staring at me each time I walk by...I just can´t help myself. *smile*

Take a look.....

(I love the cheeriness of these colors...)

I also picked out a bit of Mary Flanagan´s hand dyed woolen pieces for some smaller projects I have in mind. Mary Flanagan and her husband Scott have an old 1920´s home in rural Wisconsin, where they make their business, of seven years.

(The wool is incredibly soft?)

I´ve also been challenging myself to give a try at hand knit socks. I purchased two varieties of yarn for trying this project. One, an import from Serbia and the other a hand dyed 100% Merino Wool, import from Wales. I am a little nervous with this project first, because it requires the use of five knitting needles at the same time and second, because the yarn is a fingering weight yarn, which is very fine. I am up for the challenge, but I have a feeling this might be a slow project, at least until I can get the feel of using five needles and such fine yarn.

I´m sorry for everything running together in this post. I realize that it is a bit distracting, but Blogger is not letting me edit.

Something New

(So Pretty)

For a busy woman who is halfway to 100, I thought it was about time to treat myself to some new and modern kitchen help. I´ve wanted one of these KitchenAids for a number of years, so when I saw the new colors they had and the price, I just couldn´t resist. Macy´s had a sale for $100.00 off, and another 10% in addition, plus a rebate worth $45.00. In the end, I paid just a bit over half the regular price. I love these kinds of bargins and it´s exactly what I wanted. Sometimes, to get these deals you have to settle. I saw some on Amazon that were a variety of prices, depending on the model, color ect., and I could have gotten one for a little bit less, but I would have had to settle for white, so to me it was worth paying $30.00 more and getting the color that I really loved.

It is on it´s way to my mailing address in Oregon and I will pick it up this summer while we are there. This little darling weighs over 20 pounds, but no worries I´ve carried heavier cargo before. I am just so thrilled. It will help me in so many ways, I will be able to make cakes and cookies in a jiffy, knead bread dough, and whip up cream in a snap! This one also comes with a chopper/shredder. Wow! I´ll be putting out some really tasty treats, don´t you think? I´ve been so wanting to make some of these:




or, how about these?

maybe this?

Mmm, mmm, mmmmm, yum me; coffee, tea or milk anyone?... Can´t wait!!!

SUBURBAN FARMING

(So Sweet)

I´ve always loved gardening and for years have had the notion that I´d like to have a small suburban "farm" with a sustantial vegetable garden and a few sweet chickens.

A number of years ago I purchased a wonderful book called "The Encyclopedia of Country Living", by: Carla Emery. It is full of practical advice and invaluable information for people living in the country, city or anywhere in between, who desire the homesteading lifestyle. I have found the book to be a worthy investment, as it shares a wealth of information, more than I will probably ever use.

Though, in the past, I have kept flower and vegetable gardens, I have never kept chickens, something that I find rather endearing. Chickens are the most common farm animal and relatively inexpensive to keep. A hen does not need a rooster in order to lay eggs, which is nice when living in suburban areas, those rooster will get to crowing at four o´clock in the morning and the neighbors may not be too happy! How satisfying it would be to walk out into my own backyard, reach into the chicken coup and pull out fresh eggs. There is something magical about that.

Besides their eggs, chickens have other benefits; they keep the lawn mowed, if you allow them to free range, their manure is rich in nutrients, and they keep the slugs and other bugs at bay. I´ve also read that they can make very nice pets for children.

(Aren´t they darling?)


I may never have the oppotunity to keep chickens , but I enjoy dreaming of the possiblity.