Pies and More

Today we made 7 pies for the wedding:  Cherry, Apple and Blueberry.  Melanie and I got our well developed system going.  It's hard to believe that soon, she will be living a little farther away and these junkets may be fewer and farther between.  That made this time really precious.

I am now gluten free, so it has been a while since I have made pies.  Richard joined us for the Apple Pies.  He is a fast peeler and slicer.  Plus, he is just simply great on clean-up.  I tend to make messes as I go.  What a team.

All pies are safely tucked into the freezer.  Kristina will bake them for us.  She's making pies too.  I think that Deleta is going to bring pies too.  Oh, and there will be cake.  I understand that Brian and Terry (who will make the cake) did a test lately.

Work Party

Thursday, May 16:

Wedding plans have shifted into action. The wedding is 8 days out. Earlier today, I was wondering:  can we really do this?  It was looking overwhelming.  

Then we are graced by lovely friends who surrounded us with love, support, and much needed "elbow grease". Shared times at such "markers" of life are so very special. Fifteen people came to help. We tackled: washing dishes (yep, we are going to eat on real plates), tidying up front gardens, cleaning entrance to walk out basement, cleaning/organizing shed, painting exterior doors. These little tasks or areas are key players in the wedding festivities. I suppose we could have skipped the doors, yet doors are a part of the welcome.

Mačka, the cat, was largely invisible throughout the day.  Her usual hiding place is in the shed.  With all the racket  going on in there, I wonder where she hid.  She did appear later on in the day and seemed to survey the day's work.   

As we complete one set of tasks, we see more clearly what next needs to be done.  I feel like we are "walking in beauty" with so many beside us as we negotiate this precious space.

Outhouse Developments

Wedding plans are coming right along.  In fact, the big date is 2 weeks from today.

In this photo, Dave and Melanie are working on the "outhouse".  They decided that an outhouse would be perfect for the occasion.  (We are also getting 2 porta-potties.)  While Dave is concerned about structure, Melanie has an eye for "cute".  Here Dave is putting the sliver of moon on the door.  It is hard to imagine an outhouse door without a moon.

We are doing our best to "keep things simple".  The big focus is on the wedding ceremony and the vows.  While it is easy to get carried away with a lot of things that would be "nice"  to have done, we are trying to boil things down into what is special (and essential) to do.

And the clock keeps ticking.  Every step is just beautiful.

A Chapter Closes and Another Opens

OK:  In some ways, I can't believe that I am doing this.  In other ways, I have known I needed to do this for some time.

I began writing this blog in December of 2007 and have continued it for almost 5 years.  I had no idea where it would take me and who I would meet along the path.  The blog became a chronicle of our daily adventures on this little farm.  

Along the way, 2227 posts were set down on this little address, and over 61,000 visitors came along side, including 2 distant relatives and their families (one in Germany and another in California) whom I had never known.  I was thrilled.  It is true that some of the numbers were repeats.  And some, who knows how many, simply were lost. They didn't stay long.

Many of you were regulars.  My blog counter gives locations but not addresses, which of course I did not want.  I think the record is over 500 visits from one location.  The blog has allowed for some very interesting conversations, including people in town who knew us by the blog but we did not know them.  They just stopped us by the water filter dispenser at the local grocery store and out of the blue at the antique fair at a local arts festival. 

The intention was to share our adventures but to also encourage the sharing of your own.  It was never to substitute our adventures for another's.  It was to stimulate create thought.

In the past few months, I have been receiving some "nudges" that it is time to move on.  I could hardly imagine it.  But it does seem right. And so I am moving on.  Who knows, maybe another blog will be developed over time.  But for now, I am pretty tired of looking at this little screen.  I am surely making no commitments.  With that, I am headed into having a celebratory cup of tea.  And I am looking forward to that next little excursion outside after dinner or before. 

I feel richly blessed to have had this opportunity.  I extend to you all the best in your own adventures.  Always,

glinda

Cutting Back

At this season, we are usually madly scurrying about like squirrels down in the woods.  Something is different.  This season with the drought and some changes in roles on the farm has taken a lot of energy.  Plus, Richard and I are also older.  (Who isn't?)  With that recognition, we are clearly noting that we do have limits.  So we have decided to get done what we can and let the rest go.  Oh, does that ever feel good.

Ever Watchful

These days, we sit on the shoulder season between fall and winter.  One can usually look at which way the wind is blowing and know precisely who is in charge.  In earlier posts, I have called this a dance and it is indeed.

Meanwhile, the People of the Land are ever watchful.  Frost is a distinct possibility.  And with it comes the end of several crops:  tomatoes, green beans, peppers, sweet potatoes.  Despite the drought, we have been blessed with abundance, for which we are very grateful.

Today, Richard dug Sweet Potatoes and Carrots.  The Sweet Potatoes are in the shed "hardening off" their skins.  Newly dug, their skins are very tender and easily damaged.  In a day or two, their skins will be stronger, at which point, they will head to the house to be stored.  Sweet Potatoes were indeed abundant.  Richard did not dig all of the Carrots; they are currently in the downstairs fridge.  Lurah and Hollis Dale picked some treasures for their larder.  It feels so good to share.

We brought in the Geraniums and the Coleus, both of which were in pots.  Richard brought in the Allspice plant.  This lovely treasure has just gotten too big for us so tomorrow she heads to a new home.  I think she is positively gleeful because she will be treasured and well taken care of.

Neighbors and Friends

While fixing dinner, we looked down the drive and noted our Amish neighbor was headed our way with his horse and buggy.  He alighted from the buggy with a pint jar in one hand.  Sure enough they are making 2 batches of sorghum molasses today.  He had brought a sample for us to try and just wanted to see what we thought regarding the progress so far.  Yum.  Richard shared what we knew of the process of making molasses. I shared pictures of specific questions from our poster of molasses making.

Toward the end of our conversation, Hollis Dale, MaLinda and Lurah arrived.  Hollis Dale is the "fire keeper" of the process of our family.  More information was shared.

This little exchange felt wonderful.  I just love to see developments on the order of "neighbors and friends".  Sure makes a person feel at home.