Winter

Winter

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

The Days Aren't Long Enough!

This morning as I was getting myself together, I realized summer is passing by at record speed and the days aren't long enough to get every thing done that I want to get done in a single day. This week, I have cleaned and threw away and straightened my kitchen. I cleaned cupboards and drawers and scrubbed floors. I guess you could call it my getting ready for fall.



Yesterday I went out to take care of the garden, and I thought maybe I would have about six ripe tomatoes. I picked tomatoes for thirty minutes so I knew the plans I had for yesterday were going to be put aside for making more spaghetti sauce.

After the cooking down and putting through the food mill I ended up with one huge pot of sauce.


When Peter came home for lunch he took bowl and dipped sliced Mozzarella cheese into fresh sauce. I love it when they make yummy sounds. It simmered and cooked down and I ended up with more jars of this lovely stuff.
I feel like I am getting ready for winter.

Two of my largest stock pots cooked down to just 7 jars.

Here is my pantry this morning.

Its dark in my pantry so I will use the picture with the flash. That is just part of it. I have the jam I have made at the other end.

I need to make more jam.

I did manage to make a peach pie yesterday. I went out to get the mail and I had a few ripe peaches so I picked enough for pie and made that while my spaghetti sauce was in the water bath canner. I don't like to leave it boiling on the stove so making a peach pie gave me something to do. Really it was because I knew if I sat down it would hurt too much to have to get up so I stayed on my feet.


I have been on a different kind of book read this summer. I had these books on hold at the library and they came in on Saturday. I would like to slow down a bit to bury my head in these books for a while.


They are The Stranger in the Woods, Pioneer Women: Voices From the Kansas Frontier, Hearts West: True Stories of Mail Order Brides on the Frontier, Women of the West, Pioneer Women The Lives of Women on the Frontier. Ron thinks I am wanting to get away and live on the prairie. Who knows, maybe I do.


Of course, still working on my rug. I did manage to get most of my unfinished rugs bound. I have one tiny one left. Life still manages to be life. On my list of things I wanted to get done is still getting my bed room painted. I just don't think that is going to happen this summer. August is around the corner so that means getting windows washed and my neglected flowerbeds ready for fall too. Its still over a hundred here every day. The game cam said one day out in the pasture it reached 134. It was in full sun but even at hundred and twenty that is still hot to be out in it and I am most of the day trying to keep my garden and my hens alive.

I just wanted to check in and show you the things going on. Its been a nice summer all in all. I hope yours has been nice too.

Thanks for stopping by and saying hello. Its always nice to know you are out there and having a nice summer  too.

~Kim~

“Perhaps, after all, our best thoughts come when we are alone. It is good to listen, not to voices but to the wind blowing, to the brook running cool over polished stones, to bees drowsy with the weight of pollen. If we attend to the music of the earth, we reach serenity. And then, in some unexplained way, we share it with others.”
― Gladys Taber

14 comments:

Debbie said...

Oh how wonderful it would be to have all those homemade goodies in my pantry. Your right..summer is speeding by. I have lots of painting projects still on the horizon, but we need to get cracking to get even some of them done in August, and maybe September, but probably not all after that till next spring. Hope the rest of your week goes well!

Julia said...

Hi Kim, it's so nice seeing that you have been busy producing all those preserves for your family. I know the satisfying feeling of homemade preserves as you remind me of myself years ago when I had time to do all those things.

You're so right that summer is going by so fast. I can't believe it's the end of July already.

Your rug looks beautiful. Mine has been put on hold.

PS: I got my old email, my blog and reading list and all my contacts back, thanks to my computer whiz, Christine. It took her a while but she figured it out.
I'll be posting as soon as I find free time.
Hugs, Julia

Angela said...

Hi Kim, My tomatoes are cooling waiting for me to skin them and get cracking! Your book pyle looks very interesting. I just finished one along the same lines- The Lieutenant's Lady by Bess Streeter Aldrich. I too have painting I wish to do- I am thinking Jan would be a good time-haha.Your zinnias are so pretty!

Kessie said...

I'll bet that sauce is the best sauce ever! Remember the year you put hot peppers and made the sauce spicy? I still daydream about it. I'll bet your pickles are yummy, too!

I just got in from taking the kids swimming, so I'm kind of sick with the heat. I can't imagine 134. Well, actually, I can, but it's pretty unpleasant. :-p

Rugs and Pugs said...

I agree that summer is flying by at record speed and there just aren't enough hours in the day!!!
Hugs :)
Lauren

Angela said...

pile : )

GretchenJoanna said...

I sure would like a slice of that peach pie! Your busy and productive days sound like summertime to me. God bless you, Kim!

acorn hollow said...

I am patiently waiting for my many tomatoes to turn Red. I too make sauce for the winter. We have been hot and humid but no where near 100 ick I couldn't take it. I read stranger in the woods a pretty quick read but very interesting.
Love the quote
Cathy

Alica said...

I bet your kitchen smelled wonderful, with that spaghetti sauce and a fresh peach pie!! I would have chosen yesterday for a visit if I could have!

Pom Pom said...

Your pantry is picture perfect! Way to go, Kim!
I don't know how you keep going in the heat. Like I always say, I'd be floating on my noodle!
The pioneer books look very interesting. Your hooking colors are glorious!
God be with you, dearest!

Gumbo Lily said...

Beautiful spaghetti sauce and a well-stocked pantry. Your zinnias are so pretty too! Summer always goes by so quickly for me, but I try to savor it while it's here. Wow, it's HOT where you are. We've been hot too, but not THAT hot.

I like your choice of books. I'm a fan of pioneer woman type stories too.

God bless!

Empty Nester said...

I wish I knew how to put up spaghetti sauce. I'd go to the farmer's market and get a ton of tomatoes. There's a local farmer on John's Island who grows without pesticides and his veggies are the absolute best. His prices are good, too. 134 degrees. What does that even mean???? LOL I couldn't do it. I love your book choices. I'd love to read those. I might check with the library. Have a great weekend!

Debbie said...

i love your life kim, i wish you lived closer and could teach me how to make those wonderful kitchen treats. it would feel great to have those rations for when a snow storm is coming here, when we have to hunker down!!!

i hope you save it and use it for christmas gifts. it would look so sweet with one or two other jars in one of the wooden boxes. no wrap, and a pretty red plaid bow.

you could cook, i could wrap...we would make a great team!!!

you have a typo today my dear sweet friend. you wrote 134 but it must be 104!!! (WINK)!!!

HoneyBeeHelps said...

Those books sound like they would be entirely interesting reads . You always have the best sunflowers !! Loving the quote you posted by Gladys Tabor, it rings true for me too.