Apple Butter Day

30°f, about -1°C this morning, mostly overcast all day but warming up to 61°f. A few very light sprinkles.

What a weekend! Lots of family, all kinds of busy, and all kinds of apple butter made.

We started Saturday getting everything ready. Son Derek, his daughter Ashley and son Jared came to help get everything set up, which basically meant getting the big copper and brass kettle and stand cleaned and ready, the firepit set up, more firewood cut, etc. Afterwards we were joined for dinner by our oldest son George and his son Clayton, along with Derek's daughter Hannah, her boyfriend Max and her son. When asked if I preferred to cook for everyone or go out, you can guess my answer! I knew I had plenty of cooking ahead Sunday, so off we went to the Yacht Club--no yacht there but they do have a boat with a skeleton crew.

We were quite a crew too. Those Saturday night ribs are not to be missed at the Yacht Club, and we sure did them justice.

Clockwise from lower left: George, Derek, Larry, Jared, me, Ashley, Clayton, Max, Hannah and Ryland.

I was up early Sunday to cook pancakes and bacon for whoever showed up. The guys got the fire going at 9:30am, and the kettle was on and cooking by 10.

Blogger put my photos out of the order I selected,  but what's new.  First is George stirring early in the day. We used some metal to make a "blow George", as Larry calls it, as the breeze was a little strong at first. This kept the fire contained and kept the heat in.

The day turned as nice as we could have asked. Granddaughter Beth, who arrived with son Aaron, his wife Jaime and his two other kids James and Aaron, is taking a turn with the stirrer here. The pot must be stirred constantly or it will scorch.

I was working hard too, can you tell? I actually spent most of the day in the kitchen, getting the jars ready with granddaughter Michaela and making a BIG pot of spaghetti, etc for dinner. But I slipped out from time to time.

This was later in the day, about 3:30 or so, as we began jarring up.

Jaime and Beth hard at it.

Clayton's job was to tighten the lids after the jars were filled. Derek is down in front, using a contraption he made to fill the jars. It does a great job, keeping the tops of the jars very clean.

Son Aaron kept up the stirring as the pot emptied, because even though we covered the fire it was still pretty hot and the pot could still scorch.

Derek taking a short break. He really is the boss of this whole operation.

Clayton takes a stir.

Clayton recently finished his 6yr tour with the Navy, and now works in data center security in Northern Virginia.

Afterwards the evening was perfect for firepit time, and later still inside by the fireplace time. Granddaughter Hannah and her two little ones, granddaughter Haley and her partner Desiree all arrived for dinner and firepit--and really, it wasn't planned that way to miss the work. Really! Actually Hannah had to pick up her daughter, and Haley was suffering with her very bad ankle, which will havebto have surgery in January. It's an old injury but is causing very real issues now.

From left, Desiree, Michaela, and Beth. Desiree is full-time National Guard, and Beth is on the Navy.

Michaela and her brother James. She is a senior in forensic biology at WVU, he is an apprentice electrician.

I guess I missed getting photos of some of our crew, as some came and others left throughout the weekend. They came from as far away as Annapolis, MD, Denver, Colorado, and Los Angeles for this annual event. What a joy to have so many of them here! 

We ended up with 64 pints of apple butter. Everyone got plenty to take home, and there is still quite a lot put up in the cellar.  Now everything is cleaned up and put away, until we do it all again next year.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

New Baby, Old Towns, and a Visitor

Wrote this yesterday but didn't get it posted.

45 this morning, clear except for some remaining haze from the Canadian smoke. Sending my prayers for the people affected by these awful fires. I am thankful that the heat left us, so this week has been so pleasant, even needed a jacket in the mornings.

Well, it has been a while. First, let me tell you about the new baby. His name is Jonathan Andrew, to be called J. His first name is after my son Jon who passed away in 2010, and who would have been the baby's grandfather, and proud as a peacock, I know. My granddaughter, and new mother Kate and her hubby Jake are doing well. J arrived on June 1, weighing in  at 7 lbs 9 oz, almost exactly the size my son Jon was at 7 lbs 10 oz. Such happy news.

We have also had our granddaughter Sarah from Colorado visiting to work on her cabin site. It is always such a joy when she comes to stay. Don't I wish all our grandchildren could find time for such extended visits. But of course they are all working, parenting, etc, so their time these days is taken up by their busy lives. Sarah works remotely so has a bit more freedom in her schedule.

Last Friday we did our booth restock, a very busy but productive day. Then Saturday we took a trip to Ohio to take a little break and to pick up a big cabinet for one of our booths. We went to Zanesville, where one of our favorite little restaurants is,Tom's Ice Cream Bowl, which I have written about before. 

We took a different route both there and back, and we were enchanted if a little saddened by the dying small towns we saw along the way. This part of Ohio was once a busy coalmining, glassmaking, and ceramics powerhouse of industry. but no more. A few mines remain, but all the glassmaking and ceramics companies have moved on. You may have heard of Cambridge and Lancaster glass as well as Roseville pottery, Crooksville Universal and  other pottery/china-making companies. All had their homes in this area, along with many others.

The only bad news this week: a coyote, we think, got into our henhouse while we were away Friday and killed every one of our chickens. Every single one. Whatever it was took all the chickens away, leaving only the feathers. Larry blames himself for not putting up the new fence I had bought for the chicken yard. Our dogs were no help, apparently. Buddy has to be chained up when we leave so he doesn't run off, and Otis and Daisy are both just too old. It was just heartbreaking, as this was a nice little flock with most getting ready to start laying very soon.

But I got online and found 8 more hens for sale, about 70 miles from home. So Sunday we went and picked them up. They will be closed up in the coop until Larry can get the new fence put up, and they will not be let out if we are not at home. I hate to keepp them penned up, but after talking to neighbors I have learned that something has gotten many chickens and even a small dog on our ridge, so for the time being the hens will be well guarded. A young neighbor has eggs for sale, fortunately, so we won't have to eat store eggs, at least, until these new hens, which are 7 weeks old, start laying.

Monday Sarah arrived, so we have been having a great visit with her. I spent some time in the garden while she worked on her cabin site, and the other night we had a wonderful dinner, most of it straight from the garden. 

We also harvested our cherries from our only tree, which has done us well this year. The cherries are smaller than usual due to the prolonged lack of rain--it hasn't rained for 3 weeks and it is very dry here.

Cherry cobbler. Yum!

We have been watering daily, moving the waterer from garden to garden, while I also water the flowerbeds with a hose. Not ideal, but better than nothing. I pulled the early lettuce and planted many peppers, some more limas, and the squash and cucumber plants, and butternut squash seeds. Larry put in about 50 more tomato plants and still had about 30 to go, I think, before he's done. The asparagus we planted two weeks ago is coming up nicely, which is really exciting, since this will be a real bed and not the random self-seeded plants that supply us now. I sure appreciate those random plants though. We are praying for rain, as it will be difficult to keep everything going without rain, soon.

I think that's about all the news. Sarah is off to a weekend bachelorette party in the mountains, so I will be putting up the cherries, which we just pitted and froze until I had time, and getting back to painting.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Christmas Past

49 this morning, overcast. Some hard rain yesterday evening.

We had a wonderful day yesterday, so nice that I forgot to take photos. Lots of food, my number 3 son and his daughters and one girl's SO and new baby. New baby! The highlight of my day for sure. What a little doll she is. Hannah did think to take a few photos, thank goodness.

I am amazed by how much I look like my mother in these photos. No makeup on, can you tell? Just a nice, relaxing day, with time to hold that sweet little Elliana. 

I was impressed by how the baby's daddy was with her. He seems to be absolutely amazed, and right there to help with anything she needs. It was a joy to watch him. Hannah is her usual competent self, such a good mother. This is her second baby, and both have been such good little ones.

This photo, from lo these many years ago--I think this was 2004, judging by the mantel decor--shows Hannah when she was just a little one, in front on the far right.

And here is Hannah today.

It was so warm that we ate outside. Rain threatened but didn't arrive until much later. It was just perfect, with barbecued chicken and grilled bread, veggies, baked beans, and all the other fixin's. We have enough leftovers to feed us for several days easily, and I sent most of the cookies out the door with the company.

Today is back to normal. I'll be working at the antique mall so I won't be here snacking around. A good thing, right? Happy Boxing Day, all!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

New Great-Grandson

Ryland finally came out to play! He was born almost two weeks ago, but we just thiss weekend were able to get over to see him. Such a pretty little baby he is, and so sweet!

 Great-granny really couldn't get enough of him--can you tell?

And see the little one on the left in this photo? That's his momma, lo these many years ago. How time does fly.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Newest Member of Our Family

Say hello to Jaxon Ford Starcher, son of our granddaughter Jordan and her man Christopher.

Born yesterday at 6:01 pm, he weighed in at 7 pounds 2 ounces of pure baby beauty.

I can just imagine how his grandfather, our late son Jon, would have been had he been there. The father of 5 girls, he was convinced he had not a Y chromosome in his body. I bet the roof would have lifted off that hospital if he had been there yesterday, his joy would have been that great.

Congratulations to all! Jax will go home to join his sister Cadyn and Chris' son Jace. The world just got a little better for them all.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

News and Change in the Air

So much news this week! Nothing earth-shattering, and yet profoundly changing my world.

First, there is the news from granddaughter Jordan: her second child, our great-grandson, is soon to be born. Monday, perhaps. I'm sad because I have a full day and evening of storytelling booked! I'd rather be there when this little boy, grandson of my son Jon, is born. I saw in ultrasounds the way this baby's lip is like that of my son who left us in 2010, and I so want to be there to greet him, but contracts are contracts, so I will have to be patient.

Then there is granddaughter Haley, who signed up for the Army National Guard on Thursday. I am so very proud of her, and at the same time so worried. I thought, with my son (and her father) Derek nearing retirement that I would no longer have military family to worry about, but that will not be the case.

And yet, to know that young people like Haley still honor their country enough to serve...that is a feeling I cannot describe.

That's all the news, yet in my world, it's huge. I hope you will join me in prayers for these young women who  forge ahead and make the future their own.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.