Soulful Singing & Apple Butter

Friday night was our first soulful singing circle welcoming fall and winter.  Wendy's theme was "Turning", many of the songs we shared were connected to the idea of turning.... turning into a new season, or way of looking at ourselves and life in general.  Wendy Luella Perkins is a real treasure, her song "What Am I Rushing To" on her newest CD "This Very Moment" is one of my favourites. 

Among the many songs we sang was an old Shaker song by Joseph Brackett, 

"Simple Gifts"

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

It was a great transition into song after discussing the fall harvest and adventures into preserving the bounty for winter.  Being part of such a wonderful circle of womyn is inspiring and nurturing, something I've neglected for far too long.

I spent the afternoon preparing apples for apple butter, hoping to have them done before I set out to sing, no such luck!  I returned home around 11pm and spent a few hours canning before heading off to bed, I did manage to get 16/250ml jars of apple butter finished and ready to stash away. 

Tonight, Chi and I hunkered down after dinner, along with a few helpers and managed to put up almost 8 litres of salsa.  I've gone through two bushels of Roma tomatoes,  I could easily have made use of another two.  I do have 12 litres of tomatoes sauce done and will be able to do about 6 litres of canned tomatoes with whats left over. Next year I'll make sure my tomatoes are in better shape and supply so I can make more sauce and have more canned tomatoes on hand.

It's late, I'm off to bed
Night all!

Zee.. Z z z z z 

Up, up and ready for wet laundry!

With some help from the big kids, we hoisted the drying rack into the ceiling and finished the project.  It will need to be tweaked, I would like it higher up (ladder not high enough) that can wait until we are ready to paint and have scaffolding.  The plan is to do laundry in the evening to benefit from the lower hydro rates, and dry the clothing overnight while taking advantage of the cookstove heat. 

Drying Rack Loaded With Wooden Pins

I have a beautiful garlic braid to hang in my kitchen!  It's been years since I had a garlic braid, nothing this substancial.  It's only a fraction of what we use as a family for cooking and medicinal purposes, but doubles aa beautiful piece of garden art.  As I get a bulb or two of organic garlic from our CSA share, I dry it and stash it away, same goes for the white onions.  After the herbs are all settled in for the winter, my next project will be working on the cold room space.

Fish Lake Garlic Braid From Pathchwork Gardens

 

 

 

 

 

La La, La La la la.....

Bonjour!

South Facing Window

Been busy, not with anything overly exceptional unless you call living exceptional.  I'm on track with almost all the need to get done before the snow falls list, like south facing window winter ready for herbs, sprouts and wheatgrass, you can't see the whole window but there is two more shelves, one in the transom and one in the windowsill below the last shelf (5 - 33" shelves) 

Kids Stuck In The Drying Rack

Almost finished the clothes drying rack that will go up with a pulley system, just need some more rope to launch it into the ceiling (catapult?)   It's approximately 8' x 4' should be ok for  3+ loads of laundry.  I'll attack a string down the centre that will be used for little tings like socks and undies.

I told the kids I'd make them a  basket on a pulley so they can send it down for snacks, wipes and lego? 

My LEM Dehydrator

I'm trying to rely less on my freezer and more on ways to preserve foods that don't rely on good ol' hydro.

Cauliflower, Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Potatoes and Zucchini

I have many jars of organic veggies dehydrated and ready to make some tasty soups like cauliflower & cheddar soup, minestrone soup and hearty garden vegetable soup/stews.  Tones of zucchini for lasagna and muffins... and they make great chips for munching on, seriously they really taste like chips! I've got a few bushels of organic tomatoes coming in the next week or so to put up pasta/pizza sauce and salsa.  Apples will be arriving next week for apple butter and apple pie filling for Christmas and into early new year.  Fruit leather is always on the go I manage to make enough to last for three or so days, would be nice to get ahead of the kids and stash some for a rainy day.

Soup Mix, Eggplant, Garlic & Onions, Basil

Life is Good!
Zee

Jack Layton died :(

In a letter to Canadians,

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."

Jack Layton

Fruit of the Spirit

I've seen this around..I don't know who put it together so simply.

Love ~ Joy ~ Peace ~ Patience ~ Kindness ~ Goodness ~ Faithfulness ~ Gentleness ~ Self control.

I would like to paint it somewhere in our home...such a great reminder of what qualities we could possess.

simple

"Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify."

~ Henry David Thoreau

I love to live simply..it's something I am constantly striving for. I like being quiet...I'm a great listener. I like to observe and try to not judge. Live and let live. I am trying to borrow more books from the library and friends and if I feel I need it forever, then I'll purchase it...I need to do that with movies and tv series on dvd! I like real, whole food..mostly because its healthiest. I have no desire to shop and try not to have a list of wants. I like feeling grounded..(I don't really know what that means but I think I know how it feels). I don't want to over consume. I am generous with my heart. I often brag to Chris and the girls that I could live out of a back pack and I'm fairly certain that I mean it. I try to stop myself from saying things that don't need to be said...don't ask my teens about this one. I am enjoying starting my day with an hour long walk at 6 am.

Oh My Goodness!

Look at the new format!! Thanks Grace! It's so new and fresh!