Busy Busy

70 and cloudy, then later hot and humid and clear. This evening a nice thunderstorm that dropped enough rain to wet the gardens well, and no run-off.

It's been a busy week, so many different things on our agenda. 

The gardens are beginning to really produce, and Larry seems to bring 5 gallon buckets of yellow squash to the house every day. I found a recipe for squash-lemon bread that I will try soon, and I froze some shredded squash for use later on. I've been giving it away too, even took a basket of squash to the antique mall with me yesterday and put outside with a FREE sign. They were all gone by the end of the day.

It's also tomato time. They're beginning to ripen but so far I've only made the chili sauce. Tomorrow I'm going to make ketchup with the ones ready now. Today I made pepper mustard from the 80+ banana peppers Larry picked. I made more dill pickles the other day, and canned more green beans. 

Besides canning, I've been painting a big dresser, and of course yesterday I worked at the antique mall. I was happy to see my friend Donna Wilson, my old storytelling friend, who is visiting from Florida. She moved several years ago and I do miss her. so we had a nice chat. I also had a lunch date with another friend this week; we tried out a new coffee shop which was so-so, and then lunch at another new place in town, which was also just so-so. But nice to get out and visit anyway.

We were super busy at the beginning of the week to prepare for Larry's planned trip to Florida--he was going to visit his sister in Orlando for 4 days, but at the last minute Spirit Airlines canceled his flight. We were literally on the way to the airport; our power was off for a planned outage so we had no internet or cell service the morning he was to leave, and weren't able to get the notifications until we were already in town. I don't think we'll ever use Spirit Airlines again. What bad, bad service. 

But I will admit, I'm happy Larry didn't go. Totally selfish of me, I admit. He really wanted to see his sister, who just turned 78. Opportunities for them to visit are rare, and we'd been planning this trip since the spring. But I was dreading him being gone, and having to take on all his chores in addition to my own work. Not to mention just missing him. We do enjoy each others company, and spend a lot of time just talking. 

Today we were up and out early because there was a big yard sale at a church that I didn't want to miss. We got there just as the door opened and came away with some wonderful finds. Then we stopped at another sale and did very well there too. When do you ever find an antique coffee grinder for a dollar?? It needs a little repair which Larry can do, but what a bargain. I will take photos of everything tomorrow; we haven't even unloaded the van yet.

And we haven't unloaded because we went to Parkersburg, about a 45-mile drive one-way, to get baby chicks. They had pullets for 1.00 each at Tractor Supply, so we bought 20 of a kind called ISA Browns, French variety that lays brown eggs and are supposed to be prolific layers. So we had to get them all set up when we got home. Then I had those peppers to deal with, and Larry worked on his new project, laying up too small light columns along the walk with glass bricks and regular bricks. He's finished one and is about halfway with the other. We still have to do the wiring too, but they are going to be so nice. I will post photos tomorrow if I can remember.

I think that catches up what we've been up to this past week. Nothing exciting, just lots of little things that seem to fill the days so quickly.

And just for fun, I'll end with this video that I just love. The geese go marching...

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