Blessings of my Latest Hobby

 This year, I started canning again in a big way!

I was able to upgrade the shelving in the storage room - and then I got busy. It is so much fun to be able to go downstairs to 'shop' for what I might want for dinner. And I very much enjoy learning to can up new things like no sugar added jams, spicy salsa verde, pizza sauce, and what I have dubbed 'chili' juice (basically tomato juice with chili spices - used as a base for chili. I just add onion, peppers and beans)!

I am so blessed to be able to have canning as a hobby! 

Sweet Sophia is Already Three!

 

She is a Grandpa's girl, that's for sure!

And always on the go!

We love our sweet Sophia!

Broken Pressure Canner = Blessing

 

 

Pulled the rest of my tomatoes from the freezer to process a couple of weeks ago to make some more "chili juice" and pizza sauce... only to have my pressure canner break!!!

Luckily, I can water bath can the tomato products - so I did.

BUT I cannot water bath can turkey or bone broth! So into the freezer went all the turkey products this weekend...

one small little bend

Who knew that such a small part could make such a large difference - Presto is, however, fixing it for free!

It will just be four to six weeks...

Then I realized what a blessing it was this past week to NOT have a working canner - Sure I had the pressure of finding room in the freezer for the turkey, etc., but I also had more time to enjoy "Black Shopping" with Jon, more time to get organized for Thanksgiving and plan for the upcoming Christmas season (neighbor gifts done!), more time to enjoy phone calls and in person visits - just more time to truly enjoy all of the many people who bless my life!

Blessings abound when I know where to look! 

Another Little Is Great at 8!

 

Ashytn is eight! Luke and I were able to go visit to celebrate her baptism. Ash is so creative and inquisitive. She loves learning, reading, music, and insects!

I am so blessed!

Little Blessings Add Up To Abundance!

Marigold seeds - at least 3 cups!

 

The garden this year has been a little different... I had so much more space, and yet with the weather, pests and drought - not much more has grown. In fact, after planting 9 or so summer squash plant, both zucchini and scalloped squash, I only had on average 2 or 3 squash per plant. Not many considering Luke's love of squash.

With the exception of cherry tomatoes, which did so well, the tomatoes have also been slow to produce - and it seems less this year. In fact, I finally took out one tomato plant mid September as it had had zero fruit and no blossoms! It was tall and green, but nothing! I have finally been able to process some juice and sauce, but I am so glad I had so much last year!

I wanted to can enough green beans for the year... but even though I planted SO MANY BEAN PLANTS, it has been a couple of cups here and a couple of cups there. I ripped out the bush beans last week as they were done. This week, the pole beans are finally producing. I was able to do six pints yesterday.

All in all, I have had to learn to appreciate the smaller quantities I have been able to harvest. Along the way, I have also learned to harvest things I may not have bothered with in the past. I have learned to preserve herbs in new ways and begun to collect a few seeds too.

All of these smaller amounts have added up to quite the abundance when all is said and done. As you could see from my marigold seeds, a small bowl of dead blossoms contained quite the large amount of seed.

What a great reminder to me to look for the myriad of small blessings surrounding me each day! With all of these, I am abundantly blessed!

It's the Grand Backwards Countdown Time of Year!

 Starting at 0 years of age, the adorable Cameron!

At age 1, the cute Oliver!

Sophia is our playful 2 year old!

Our expressive Thomas is now 3!

Rylee is our spunky 4 year old!

Olivia is our sweet 5!

At 6, Parker is ever energetic!

Creativity describes Ashtyn at 7!

And at 8, Claire is so caring!

Of course, all of these words and so many more could describe all of our Grands! We love them so!!!

I am so blessed!!!

The Big T is Big Three!

 

Thomas is three! He is such an articulate kiddo for his age, very fun loving and such a joy!

We count ourselves lucky to have time with this little one. We are blessed!

The Big O is O-N-E!

 

And isn't he just so cute!

We have loved watching him learn and grow!

I am so blessed to be Oliver's Grandma Dee!

The Garden May Yet Go Wild!

 It's been a different sort of year for the garden. I have not even had one ripe melon (although maybe by Tuesday that will have changed)! I only have harvested 1/2 gallon of tomatoes - except for the lovely cherry tomatoes that are producing about 1 cup every 2 to 3 days.

But the squash is up over the trellis and I am starting to get a few beans!

I even had to rig a taller trellis for some of my tomatoes - they are at least 7 feet tall!

I love my wild garden!

I am so blessed!

Now she is 4!

 

This fun loving girl is four - and she could not be cuter!

Rylee loves food, loves people, loves animals, and loves life! I am so blessed to have Rylee Sue in my life!

Getting Creative with the Garden Harvest

This year has been so very strange for my garden... 

1) Lots of bugs. I lost at least 5 tomato plants to a cutworm. Many green bean plants to slugs who paved the way for the pill bugs. Almost all of my kohlrabi and some cabbage to aphids. BIG SIGH...

2) The weather. First we had a late-ish frost. Thankfully, I had not transferred most of my tender plants from my jugs out yet. So I just covered the milk jugs. The frost did, however, impact the Swiss Chard. Now it has been so very hot and dry. Most of my plants look wilted by early afternoon. Some even look like that with the shade cloth I have erected! Poor plants.

For whatever other reason - or just a combination of the first 2- very few tomatoes yet, no melons, one zucchini, a handful of small peppers. Not going to feed us on just the garden any time soon.

All that being said, some things have done well. Luke and I ate much lettuce from the garden! And I have tried to find ways to use what I can grow such as my herbs. I made some Tarragon salt and Tuscan Herb salt - so yummy. And the beets, although slow to start, are coming along well - and SO DELICIOUS!

 Tarragon chicken sandwich topped with caramelized onion and Swiss, golden beets sprinkled with Tuscan Herb Salt, and artichoke (the artichoke was from the store BTW)  - Yum!

Tarragon chicken: 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 1/2 tsp. Tarragon Salt. Slow cooker for 2 hours - until the cream cheese melts (stir well).

With the Swiss Chard bouncing back and basil finally growing... Chard lasagna - SO GOOD!

The tomato sauce was from last year. Here's to hoping I will yet get enough tomatoes to make some more!

Even with the weird garden year, I am so blessed!

She is 8! She is Great!

 

Claire is eight! I am so happy for her that she has chosen to be baptized. She had this beautiful smile on her face afterwards. 

Claire is such an intelligent, caring and wonderful girl (granddaughter, daughter, big sister)! She is very creative, asks many great questions, and loves to learn.

I am so blessed to have Claire in my family!

She is 6!

 Parker turned six!

She is such an adventuress!

She loves the outdoors, babies, and all things 'girly'!

I just adored how Parker spent all afternoon drawing when I was babysitting - she is so very creative!

This is a drawing she did of me almost 2 years ago - and I still love it!

And yes, I do love Parker!

I am so blessed to have her in my life!

Cutworms and Leaf Miners and Aphids - Oh My!

 
As Luke so aptly stated, "we are definitely not in the Garden of Eden any longer!"

I still deal with leaf miners every year on the beets and chard. Then the aphids have started taking out my cabbage and kohlrabi. Now I apparently have cutworms! This is at least the 5th tomato plant that they have taken down... the others were so small I thought I was dealing with slugs... But this one was so big and beautiful! 

Hopefully the foil collars will do the trick in stopping this carnage.

Using tape to get the eggs off the leaves and discarding the 'eaten' leaves seems to deal with the leaf miners...

Really hoping some insecticidal soap will take care of the aphids!

Even with all of the struggles, the garden is so worth it! My garlic will be ready soon, a big chard harvest is happening tomorrow, and SO MUCH LETTUCE!

Yes sir, yes sir, 3 bags full!!!

I am truly so blessed!

Summer is For the Birds!

 

Love my walkway BTW!

The flamingos went out this weekend - despite the night in the 30's! Can this really be summer?!

So grateful my tomatoes are still in pots so I can bring them in the garage at night...

And the rest of my yard is starting to thrive!

My lone Peony

Always a showstopper!

Massive snowball bush may need a trim...

New strawberry/raspberry beds

Cabbages starting to head!

I'm loving my Japanese Rose in my shady spot!

Beautiful foliage

More hosta and heucheras

transplants seem to be doing well

Iris in bloom

Another new bed coming to life

Winter sown lettuces are delicious! 

This evergreen bush is beautiful!

Garlic should be ready to harvest in about a month...

Here's to potato success this year.

flowers in ground and waiting for warmth

Fabulous flowers, foliage and food!

I am so blessed!