Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Busy....

I can hardly believe that I haven't posted anything since Sunday...I really do not know where all the time has gone. I have had Lorelei all week of course, and she does keep me busy of the day. She is so much joy to have around, even if I don't get much else done. I should post her favorite tune...it is Elmo's world...if you hum it, whistle it, or however way you come up with doing it...she is going to look and smile. I catch myself humming it when she isn't here even...and smile just thinking of her.

Yesterday, she had a doctor's appointment for some of her immunizations, and after she left I did sew for quite a while. I have not had time to really do much in that line in a long while. It seems if I get on here, I find too much other stuff I want to check out.

I made 4 quarts and almost 4 pints of salsa tonight...one pint is not quite full. But that will just give me an excuse to sample it in the next few days.

But canning sure takes me back home...mom canned or froze almost everything we ate. She had shelves in the basement...I think they were about 8 feet long...and were about 20 inches deep I would think. I can't remember for sure how many shelves there were, but I think at least 6. If I remember correctly the top shelf didn't always have canned goods on it. I am not real positive of that...maybe one of my brothers will read this and tell me. And I don't think the bottom shelf was ever full...but the other three or four shelves were almost all full of canned goods.

I don't know just when I started actually being much help with the canning, but I always enjoyed it as long as I can remember. And mom sure enjoyed it. She canned green beans, tomatoes and tomato juice, blackberries, peaches, pears, dill pickles and bread and butter pickles, made sauerkraut, and she canned a mixture of stuff that was for making vegetable soup. I am sure I am forgetting something....oh, she always canned hot peppers also. And I am probably still forgetting something but too tired to remember more.

I don't remember how old I was when we got a freezer...it was a chest type freezer and by the end of summer it was crammed full to the brim. Mom maybe canned a little less once we got the freezer, but not much less. She usually could come up with a good meal, without needing anything from the store. She always kept some meat frozen, at least chicken, and could always have plenty to go with it. And would make a blackberry cobbler or fried apple pies, or any number of things if she wanted a dessert.

9 comments:

  1. This is a great blog post ~ boy talk about memories, you have many that are very similar to mine. Thank you Rose for these thoughts!

    The thoughts of those baby shots, also bring back memories of my children, and how I think I hurt more then they did with those shots, all part of growing up! Hugs for Lorelei! Have a great day!

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  2. You do keep very busy, but a good life it is :-)

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  3. Sounds to me like you are able to accomplish quite a bit, especially while being such a good grandma to Lorelei!

    My mother didn't do much canning as I recall, but my grandmother did. I remember some very yummy jams.

    This looks like an Indiana scene and I love your butterfly shots!

    And re: your Ocala DP comment about the flower bed - I'm finding that this idea is quite popular around the country!

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  4. Your family sounds very accomplished at living frugally. That's a great way to live, I think.

    Enjoy your time with Lorelei. It's precious time that will pass all oo quickly. I'm glad you're writing about her and taking photos. Wen she's a grownup, she'll appreciate the memories.

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  5. Our garden is doing well this summer. We have more peppers (bell and hot) than we know what to do with.
    We had a cellar house growing up with shelves against the back door. Always full of green beans, corn, tomatoes, pickles, and there was potatoes in bins and pickled corn in crocks.
    I'm sure Lorelei keeps you busy and she's most important anyway. Lily loves Elmo too. She saw Elmo drinking boxes at the store one day - they went home with her. :)

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  6. A fine landscape to head your interesting post. I too find time very fleeing these days! :-) I enjoyed reading about your experience with canning. All I remember is a very hot kitchen, far above the outside temperature which was already very hot. Our canning went into a storm cellar where shelves held all the good things. Most of ours was the normal vegetables except for a local specialty: sandhill plum preserves - bright, tart and delicious!

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  7. OH BOY!! I see that you are very busy! I have never canned before but I have talked to many that say it is a lot of work but very very rewarding!!

    I can just imagine that tune you hum! hahaha... I haven't heard it before but I can just see that pretty little face giggling when she hears it! =)

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  8. I love the photo. I wish my tomatoes will start to ripen so I can make some salsa. I've only had 4 ripen so far. We did manage to make salsa with 2 of them...YUMMY!!!

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  9. Those were the 'good ole days'. Nice post. Seems like we are all so busy this summer.

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