Racing the Rain

Don't pay attention to my grubby shoes. See the hand reaching for my peas? That was my lil' granddaughter crawling between my legs while I was picking, stealing my peas lol!  That's ok, she lives in a condo; she needs to play in the garden! 

I have said all summer, and now fall, I can't believe what beautiful weather we are having here in the Pacific NW!  My garden was THE MOST FUN ever; I'm STILL getting peas out of it! I've never planted late before, but what a nice season we've had.
However...they're calling for rain. And it's supposed to continue for a few days at least. Gosh, I'm almost not used to it anymore!  You talk to someone who doesn't live in Oregon, and that's what they say, "I couldn't live there, it rains all the time!"  Well, our well-kept secret is that isn't always the case, and our beautiful days and really gorgeous. Even our rain can be cozy, it's all in the outlook.
So, since they're calling for rain, and we have no idea if this "is it", end of beautiful fall sunshine, I've been a workaholic and a taskmaster. Windows washed, bottles to the recycle, porch ready for stormy weather, you get the idea. Among other things, I went out today and got several items out of my barn storage, got them cleaned up, and they are now drying, getting ready to be photographed for my Etsy shop. There is no way I'm doing any of that in the rain....

Some of the stuff I've been scrubbing!

Can you imagine hauling one of these around to mop? I think it may be more useful as a flower pot ;-)

Autumn Rest from Summer Work

After a beautiful long, sunny summer, we are heading into a beautiful autumn here in Oregon! I think I enjoyed the outdoors, the garden, and the projects we were working on, more than any other time. I've always liked having a garden, but THIS year I took better care of it, even put a chair and some flowers out there! Must be getting old :-)
What I have to look forward to each fall, is a huge maple tree dropping leaves all over my lawn, raking many times, then starting all over again. It brings back memories of other years I've done this, but having huge piles and letting the kids jump in them. The good thing about this many leaves, my garden loves them!
So now that it's turning cooler at night, it's getting to be that time to sit around an outdoor fire, sit on the tree swing, and just be blessed of all that's gotten done, plan what else I'd like to get done, and relax a little. Happy Fall!
My little Etsy shop has not had the attention it usually gets, so now is the time to spend listing more treasures I've found, and also getting ready to bake Finnish bread fir bazaars! Can't believe my first bazaar is actually the day after Halloween! Crazy how it flies by!

And before I close, thought I'd show this little clip of an adventure I took with my niece and my sis, to New Orleans. I never thought I'd get that close to an aligator :-)  Her video went viral this summer!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brrr. For Oregon, it's a chilly morning! It's funny that people often think all it does in Oregon is rain.   Yes, we do get quite a bit of rain, but it's not as bad as you might thing.  We've had an awesome summer, and a beautiful fall so far. I'm especially glad for lack of rain in the fall, b/c of the huge maple tree we have in our front yard. In the summer, the tree is a cool place to sit in the shade, or even to get out of a drizzle, it is that big. We have a bench swing, and tree swing, and an outdoor fireplace under it, so we have cozy evenings or warmth and fun.
But in the fall! I wonder how many leaves a tree actually has on it, but this one is crazy! We have used a blower (I wish we had had a blower YEARS ago, they work so great for leaves) countless times and added the leaves to the garden, like every year. The next day, it looks like we never did it! Today we are moving another pile to the garden, and I'd bet they would fill a dump truck, no kidding! And that won't be all! HOWEVER, the leaves are dry! With not a lot of rain, we've been able to do a lot of fall cleanup without the wetness, and that makes it a lot more fun!
I mentioned before the room my husband made me for a studio for my Etsy treasures?  I am so enjoying this room! It's like I'm out in the yard, right beside that beautiful maple tree. The front is all glass, so it's nice and bright, and at night, it is beautiful to look outside.  My son gave me a pretty sweet recliner, and I've been making a spot so that I can sit there and read, or, if I get my wish, watch snowflakes fall this winter. I live a very simple life, and I can tell you, I am so thankful for my quiet, simple life, and for my home, that is nothing grand, but to me, it is my refuge. (The best compliment I ever get when someone comes to my home is that they are "so comfortable" in my home.  I can't think of a better comment from a visitor!)
Well, with fall, and chilly mornings, I've been working a lot on my Etsy shop, getting it filled to the brim. With making soups on chilly days, with getting my kids through school, with spending time with grandkids. With going to my parents to watch the Seahawks, since we don't have TV here.
I saw a comment on a friend's Facebook page, wondering if she was the only one who didn't have a life that was all roses. It made me think about how much my years have seen. No, I have had HORRIBLE days. I've had really hard YEARS in fact, and lots of painful memories of things that are in the past. But I've come to see, you hang on for the ride. You go through what God has for you to go through, and you trust Him to get you to the finish. The finish is worth it all!  Run the race! Go for the prize! 

Roadside Stands

What is is about roadside stands? They just call out for you to stop and buy their wares!  Whether it's lemonade stands, with the little kids running their first business, or produce stands, egg signs that beckon you to stop at the little hut, put some money in the box, and get yourself a dozen eggs, or hot dog stands on the street corner in the city, there is just something special about these real experiences, in not-exactly-brick-and-mortar stands.
I'm a HUGE believer in children's lemonade stands. I've heard that it is actually not legal to have an unlicensed lemonade stand. I don't know if that's true, but if it is, I'm against it. I think every kid should have at least one lemonade stand in their lifetime.
When my sister and I were little, we painted rocks into bugs and sold them to the neighborhood.  We also took styrofoam balls cut in half, and used pipe cleaners to make animals and sold them.  We've thought how funny it would be to go to a garage sale in our area and find one of our old creations, but, I'm not holding out for the possibility, b/c, after all, I was only like 6 at the time, and the quality wouldn't have stood the test of an heirloom. :-)
I live in a very small community. I lived in the same house all my life, until I was grown. I only live a half mile away from that same home.  Well, if you know me, you know I love my life!
Today, I had a huge blessing, to go down the street that half mile again, to my childhood home, and stop at my friend's roadside stand there and buy this beautiful bouquet, all for a whole $2! You wouldn't believe what a very real memory-lane moment this was to me.  To pull into the driveway of my own childhood home, and get flowers grown on that soil, that my mom used to grown flowers on! She spent so much time in her gardens, and you know, to this day, she is always outside in her flowers or riding her lawn mower over her huge yard.  When I would get home off the school bus, she'd be out there working in her flowers in the fall and spring. In the fall, there is a certain type of day, the sun feels just right, the blackberry smell is in the air, the breeze is just that exact same breeze as my childhood, and I get this memory come over me of getting off that bus, mom pausing from her weeding to ask us how school went. It just all comes back to me all over again. I was so fortunate to have such a great childhood. I don't take it for granted. I try to live up to it for my own kids.
So, if you think your life gets monotonous, don't forget, you're making memories. Hopefully awesome memories of sunshiny days, cheerful words, beautiful flowers. Happy children.

Friends to share a meal with.

Night time at our little country church. (Ignore the blue paint, hopefully we'll get to paint in the coming year!)

The table. All set and ready.

We've had a very busy fall! Sometimes I wish the leaves would all fall off my maple tree at one time, so that we could just rake a couple of dump truck loads all at once and be done with it. I love that old tree, and the leaves are so pretty; it keeps us nice and cool in the summer, as we sit on the swing cooling off. I wasn't ready for summer to end, but wow!! It's almost December and the days will start getting longer again!

My Finnish Cardamom Bread

This month, our little Bible study group had a Thanksgiving meal together.  I think we all came really excited, it's the first time we've done something special, and it WAS a special time. I was really looking forward to celebrating God's faithfulness with this little group.  We are so blessed to have this little place to share, to learn, to grow in. These people God has put in our lives. Celebrating what He's brought us through, trials and hard stuff. His providing us with this quaint little country church. He is is so good to us!

It's been that busy time of year for me. November is hectic with bread baking, and I've had a lot of fun baking and selling my bread. I've had a few sell-out days, that's always a nice thing! Except for one more sale in Columbia City, outside of St. Helens, in December, I only have a couple days of special orders, and I'm through the busy baking season, and can do some leisurely homemaking.

This week, we're going to be doing something I love to do before the holidays. Cleaning! I'm talking about sending my husband out onto the beams in our living room with a vacuum lol. Today we got the bedroom all dusted, floors done, everything all nice and clean. I like to spring clean once in spring, once in fall/winter. All the knicknacks cleaned, all those books dusted. When I met my husband I had NO IDEA he was such a book freak! At least his books are beautiful! Well, when the cleaning is done, the nice warm fire is going, the Christmas music is playing, it'll be a day of decorating. Not all-out decorating, but a little holiday cheer. Some warm welcoming on the porch for visitors. Sometimes the stress of what this old world brings gets me down, but you know, I just keep looking up! There is a very good plan to it all!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of blessing, full of reflection on how much we have all been blessed! ~Karen

Harvesting Thankfulness

Friends visit under the gazebo

Kids love the hammock!

My boys learned to run a backhoe!

Randy lifted the kids into the tree to pick cherries.

People everywhere! We love it!

This is the time of year when, if you are a gardener or a home-canner, you're finishing up madly to get a harvest in before the season is gone. If you aren't gathering your own veggies and fruits, then someone else, like a grocery store supplier, will do it for you, then you'll pay them to do the work for you. However it goes, the harvest comes at this time of year.

My daughter Kristin was smart, she brought beans to snap & got help!

It seems to me, that fall is extra-dramatic in it's season. The colors, the smells, the way it all of a sudden gets dark quicker (I've been trying not to notice that one so much). It just seems that, of all the seasons, fall seems like a fast-moving vehicle taking us to winter.
It is so fitting that, along with a harvest, comes a giving of thanks. Why not, we have the bounty of everything that's grown all year. It feels a little like pay day, and it is so natural to just give thanks. To be thankful.  God has provided.
This year has been a very "different" one. My husband, who is a general contractor and builds custom homes, has been around a lot! In our area, there isn't a lot of new building going on. We've used the time he's had off to get some things done around home. Now he seems to be getting busier, and thankfully, the work is just about done. I have to say, I'm amazed at how much we DID get done around here, from finishing the gazebo he started last year, to putting on a new roof, installing new flooring in the kitchen and living room, even remodeling my daughter's bedroom. Oh yeah, we were even able to get my grandkids' "fort" started. Fort? My husband got a little carried away, they actually are getting a building the size of a small cottage, that Grandma (me) would love to have! I don't know what I'd do with tower they added to it, but I'd think of something. I always said it would be nice to have my husband retire, but I have to say, it's pretty hard to keep on a routine. I was pretty glad for him to be back to work so that I could get a schedule back in time to start homeschool this fall.
Hope your fall is bursting with thankfulness!

PS Photos are from the old fashioned ice cream social we had with friends (except we didn't make it homemade) this summer. See, we found plenty of time to play! 

Endings and Beginnings

I do love fall, I love everything about fall. There is only one thing I don't love, and that is that winter comes right after! I wouldn't even mind winter too much, except for the fact that it is as long as the other seasons, but seems longer. Know what I mean? Well, it's fall, I LOVE it!
I've nearly finished my canning, yay! I actually got quite a lot done this year, and I was amazed thinking back, at how much of it actually didn't cost much at all. Now, I can look at jars on the shelf, and know that I won't need to go to the store for those things. I still have a little more salsa to do, and as the tomatoes keep ripening I'll can them or make sauce with them, but the biggest part is behind me. BTW, I got this Zesty Salsa recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook, and it is wonderful. It's a bit spicier than my usual salsa. Randy said it was way too hot, but I thought it was rather...WONDERFUL! I guess I'm going to have to lower myself to make some for him with a little less hot stuff, but it's awfully hard to do. Salsa should be spicy!
I have been having a lot of fun making plans with Kristin for our Vintage Winter Gathering at the Church. Even the guys have gotten involved-last week they poured new cement and replaced the steps and porch. They got the lights working right and a couple electrical outlets fixed. Krisitn and I have been communicating back and forth with a few ladies, getting advice, putting our ideas together, and I think it will be a lot of fun. Kristin has been working on flyers, etc. She's really good at that! We decided on Nov. 21st and 22nd. Nov. 21st is a Friday and it will be an evening opening. I can't wait to see that neat old building lit up with Christmas!
When Randy reads to me in the mornings, and other relaxing moments, like sitting and visiting with friends, I enjoy doing some kind of handwork. I'm learning (and wishing I had a teacher) rug hooking. I'm learning pretty much with books. I am loving it. I got the latest Create and Decorate Magazine, and there was a Jack-o-Lantern shaker that I thought was really cute. I did change the eyes to a little more folk look, and I had a great time making it. I was pretty much on my way out the door, grabbing a bunch of wool, scissors, etc, and didn't end up following the pattern exactly (does anyone ever do that?). I grabbed a plastic microscope slide box that I got from a lady on Etsy to use as a small container for the shaker inside of the Jack. My Grandson, Caleb found me the rocks we used in the box to make the rattle, and we got him stuffed and put together in no time. Thank you little grandson!! So, here's a picture of my little Jack. While I'm at it, I'll show you Kristin's neat little Corny Fire Starters. She made them with an iron corncake mold, wax of different fall colors, and sawdust. Really cute Kristin!
What else? I got to go to my friend Kelley's for a primitive "fix" yesterday. I love to go to her house and look at all the stuff she has. Maybe next time I'll see if I can photograph her place and share with you what I'm talking about. You know how some people have that knack for finding things in a big way? That's Kelley. She's working on her own little at-home shop that I will tell you more about when she gets it going and everything in place. She gave me a preview and I think she'll have a blast doing it. Especially since it's at home!
So, ok, summer's ended, fall's begun fully, and with it comes the preparation for winter things like our first ever Vintage Winter show. Let the planning and fun begin!

I've got to find some time! I lost it and can't find it!

Sometimes I feel like I'm always behind, probably b/c I am! I know fall is hectic. Life is hectic. But I also know that God gives us all the time we actually NEED in a day, whether we use it right or not. I think I've been doing pretty well with priorities. We got a decent start on school, figuring out how much time this was going to take, what to expect, etc. Since we're using the dvd's it's a lot easier for me than recording our classes and burning dvds.
I picked up my gorgeous peaches this morning, for a pretty decent price, considering how high everything is lately. Those will be ready to can in a few days. I finished the pears today. I collected the salsa ingredients and will probably get a small bath done this weekend. My tomatoes are not ripening as fast as I need them too, but at least I've got some.
I am really wanting to get some time to work on my Etsy shop. I've got some dolls I want to put on there, made by a pattern from Sweet Meadows Farm. I just love the folky look of these dolls and I had a blast making them. I'm working on a hooked pumpkin-head shaker that I am really having fun with. I've got a LOT of vintage stuff I've collected that I need to get listed. AND we're having the cider-pressing party in a couple weeks to get ready for. It will all come together, it just takes time.
As I'm typing I have cardamom bread in the oven for a show tomorrow with Kristin, then we'll HURRY to Youth Group, where I will get to sit and visit with friends and pretend like I have all the time in the world. Actually, it is nice to get together with friends and SLOW down. It's important stuff! Here's a pic of my dollys.

All that weeding and watering pays off!

Yum, now the work of the garden yields it's fruit! We had fresh corn tonite, so fresh that the pot of water was boiling as the corn was picked. There is nothing like fresh homegrown corn-on-the-cob. And tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes with a little mayo and a little salt......I could eat those for a meal in itself.
I don't know if all the tomatoes (which are loaded) are going to ripen in time for the "earnest rain" we'll no doubt soon get, before a blight gets them, etc., but I'm sure hoping I have a good harvest. I have some jars of tomatoes left from last year, but not enough, and NO salsa left either. I've checked the prices locally and at $22. a box, I'm really hoping for my own tomatoes more than ever.
I have been able to harvest a lot of applesauce and apple pie filling for basically the cost of the sugar I added to them, since my mother-in-law bought me a LOT of jar lids. I've canned several pints (enough for our family) of pickled beets, again, free. I've got berries and rhubarb mom picked and gave me. My greenbeans came from my own garden this year, instead of paying $1.75 a pound for them. So far, I have a lot of things put away with just work invested. I know I'm going to have to buy the peaches, which are an expense, but necessary. And I still need more blueberries, but those are only .85 a pound, and basically organic. We'll get out the cider press soon, and that will put a dent in the juice. I didn't grow enough corn to freeze for a year, which I should have, but we'll just have to pay the price through the year. All in all, not a bad year for putting stuff away. There are a lot of people who are into recycling, but not a lot of people make use of food going to waste. I'm not poor, but if I was, I'd sure be out there asking to pick the apples people let rot on their trees, or blackberries that are plentiful in our area.
It frustrates me, ok, I know I'm griping, but I hate it when I am so careful about how I shop for groceries, staying on a budget, etc. I hardly ever buy junk in a box premade, can't afford it and it isn't that healthy anyway. I get up to the cash register and I'm next to someone (It happnes every time, I'm not kidding) who has a huge load of groceries. I've caught myself feeling jealous that they can afford all that food and I can't. Then they whip out the food stamp card and out the door they go with food a lot of hard working Americans can't afford to buy.
I'm not against helping people who need help, but our welfare system is out of control. People do take advantage and food manufacturers don't help. You know a LOT of food companies would squeal if food stamps couldn't be used to buy potato chips or pop or boxed foods or candy. I believe that if people on food stamps were forced to actually buy food that is nutritious and has to be prepared, you'd see a lot of people getting tired of eating oatmeal. I know, now is NOT a good time to complain, when so many people are out of work. Well, don't send me hate mail, I truly wouldn't want to see anyone go hungry.

Ever since Sunday....

Again, this hectic summer life, but how much fun! Summer always seems like a scramble to get in everything that doesn't happen in the winter. You're frantically putting up fruits and vegies, getting ready for a beef to go into the freezer, anticipating the corn ripening. Then there's the wonderful sales to go to, the thrill of the hunt. And of course, all the fun family outings that can happen only in summer.
This Sunday we finally made it to the Sunday Market in Astoria. We went after church, knowing we'd be having a full day in Astoria, then coming back to our "Summer Sunday" at church, which is always a great time of fun, fellowship, singing, etc. The Sunday Market was a great time, this being our first time to get there this summer. I've been thinking of doing the market for a couple years, with my Finnish Cardamom Bread and Marionberry Coffee Cakes, I know it would be well worth it. My greatest compliment is when someone tells me my cardamom bread is better than the Astoria bakery, but that's bragging. I have my Finnish Friend Kertuu to thank for the bread, so I'll share the compliments. She's always amazed at how much of that bread I sell.
Anyway, the Market was a great time. Great food. I had something I'm not positive what it was. The Mexican man was very soft spoken and I asked him a couple times to repeat himself, but as far as I can tell I had a "nachatamale????" It was a wonderful, huge tamale, with I believe chicken and pork, rice, potatoes, Mexican olives, tomatoes, peppers, RAISINS???? It had a LOT of stuff in it, and it was good. Seth, one of my 9 y0 twins, stayed normal and had some wonderful chowder. His twin, Ethan, had his first oysters (well, he beat me to that first LOL), Chantel had....Kangaroo???? Oh, yuck, I couldn't believe it. Randy had oysters and wild boar bacon. Well, they have a little more common stuff there, too, but....
We sat in the food area on picnic benches and listened to some great live music from "The Brownsmead Flats", had some great laughs over a few of their folk songs.
There were some great things for sale at the market, and I wished we'd gotten there even earlier. On the way home, ok who's kidding, we went around Astoria to a couple garage sales, and even over to Warrenton, which was not the direction of home. I didn't find much, EXCEPT this little vintage garbage can (the lady called it a garbage can, I'm wondering if it had been a diaper pail???) just had to come home with me. ONE DOLLAR!!!???? Yep, what a deal. I just love the green color. The inside of the lid is rusty, but I think I'll leave it. There is a bucket that lifts out to empty it, although it has a crack in it's plastic side, but will still be great as a trash can.

Waiting for me at home, were a pile of green beans fresh picked the night before out of my garden, and some boxes of apples that I still had to work with. But, now the beans are in their jars, the apples went into applesauce and apple pie filling, and I'm stalling with getting everything put back in order, which I'll do as soon as I get done blogging.
Great blessed life, great family fun, great bountiful harvest...thank you Lord!
Apple Pie Filling:
Peel 10 cups of apples, sliced, and mix with 7 cups of sugar (I used maybe 4), and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Mix well, then let sit, covered, all night. The juice goes to the bottom of the bowl. In the morning, pack the apples tightly into quart jars, heat the syrup remaining in the bowl and pour over the apples to 3/4 inch headspace. Process for 25 minutes in water bath canner, or 10 minutes at 5 pounds in pressure canner.