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.

How Beautiful It Is

Here in Oregon!! It is gorgeous here all year, but I've been loving these warm/hot days. You get your work done in the morning and at night, and you enjoy the sun during the middle of the day! Tonight we had one of our wonderful red sunsets. Chantel and I were out in the garden picking greenbeans (got lots this time) and the sun was going down, we were hurrying our hearts out. I looked up and commented, "I thought those sunflowers were supposed to be taller than the corn?" But then, as I looked between the tassles of corn, through to the little yellow sunflower peeking at me, the sunset was behind it, and was it a wonderful photo.
Chantel ran in to get the camera, but for some reason, every time we took a picture, it said "disk error", so don't know what happened there. I'll try again with another sunset, hopefully.

Then, we went to the back "yard" to see how the boys were coming along with their work. They were using the tractor to move the hay to it's storage barn, getting done just in time before it was dark. The boys love to ride in the bucket.

Chantel and her cat Jakie had to get in the sunset, too! And I love the sunset from our patio under the maple tree, excuse the mess, we've been "living" here!

Another Giveaway!!

Linda at Behind My Red Door is also having a great fall giveaway!! Be sure to go sign up!!

Great Blogger Giveaways!

There are some great fall giveaways going on NOW!! Check them out! Country Pleasures is having a great one!!

My Daughter's Buttons

Kristin sent me some photos this morning of a project she's been working on. She's got a ton of vintage buttons she's getting ready to sell, either in her Etsy shop, PrimnProperBaby, or at shows we will be doing, or possibly at a quilt shop. They are just so cute, I had to brag! I think it's much cuter than a string of buttons.

I'm Dreamin' of a Vintage Christmas....Just like the Ones I used to know

Cuz, yes, I grew up in the vintage years, possibly the antique years! And no, it's not too soon, I'm afraid.
After Kristin and I folded up our shop (The Old Quincy Schoolhouse) where we had tons of fun playing and decorating and visiting....but not enough time for kids, for home, for homeschool.....it's been nice having more time to myself, to scrounge for great stuff, to play with kids, and grandkids, to garden (my flower beds are still trying to catch up from the neglect), and all that homekeeping in the country brings (like endless weedeating b/c we live where it's green)..I still miss it. We have done a few shows so that helps, and we get to see other prim n proper people, and vintage & cottage-ey people, though.
But, I got a brainstorm again, and hopefully there will be time to do this and do a good job of it. We have this little country church, right near our home, just the cutest little country church, although it is in need of paint, a new roof, and other maintainance. Well, my idea is to have a "Vintage Winter Faire" in it, possibly in November. I'm thinking even in the evening, b/c I'd just love to see that place lit up for Christmas. I took a picture of it the other night after our Bible study, to see how it looks at night with just lights on inside. It was almost dark, and I thought it looked pretty.
Well, I'd like to do a mini version of what we did in the schoolhouse, have it last a couple weekends in a row. I'm trying to decide exactly when would be the best time, before all the bazaars and shows start in November, or later. I want to be able to decorate for Christmas, (if we do it during the Christmas season), but I don't know that I want to label it "Christmas", more like "Winter". I don't know, I have to dream some more!
But I can picture it, move a lot of the pews out, put booth type spaces, but sell all at one place, like a total shopping experience. Not exactly sure, but you can see why it's not to early to think of a Vintage Christmas.

Garage Sale-ing with Randy

I love going garage sale-ing with Randy, he pays LOL! Actually, we went another city-wide sale, I started getting antsy thinking, I'm tired of looking at resin figurines, when we finally hit a couple good ones that made it worthwhile! He got a pair of his & hers Schwinn bikes that I'm selling for him, to support his book-buying habit, most likely. I found a quilt top, a cute little Christmasy looking leprechaun lamp, a vintage silver Christmas tree, and 3 gazebos (for shows). I think this weekend Randy was the winner!