Friday, July 27, 2012

MAKING CHANGES



If you’d told me on Monday that by Friday I would have found a new home for the white bedroom furniture and also purchased a new sewing machine, I wouldn’t have believed it. I waded through some weighty issues and came to conclusions. The proof will be in whether the furniture actually leaves. I’m a little nervous. Although the womenfolk are abuzz (my sister, her daughter, and the daughter-in-law), in my world, if I can’t get my guy on board, then it’s all for naught. So, this story is a work in progress.

And the new sewing machine, a Bernina 630, is on hold for me at Stitches and Petals in Moscow. I love my 430 and will continue to use it, but I’ve been thinking of adding a machine when the time was right, and the time was right when the price was right. The 630 is now discontinued and there was a deal, so I went for it.

After that flurry of activity yesterday, we came again to the farm. Mike mowed. I picked raspberries – probably three quarts again – and also watered. Now I’m picking zucchini and lettuce, too. My gardens are looking good. Even my carrots are growing.
 
I could see the pie cherries had turned bright red, so I picked them – all 20 of them. It looked like the birds had eaten only a few. It’s about a third of a cup of cherries, so I think I’ll mix them with some peaches and make a small crostata.

Late yesterday afternoon I walked Nellie down the lane where I examine the black hawthorn trees. I’m thinking of trying some hawthorn berry jelly. My tree book says the “haws” have an “insipid” flavor. I note that one recipe mentions cooking the haws with elderberry, but the haws are ripening now and the elderberry is best in October. I guess I could always save the juice, but I think Nick and I will want to taste the pure product first.
 
Whatever it was that hit the cherry blossoms, probably a frost, evidently missed the apple trees. This "awesome" apple tree is laden with apples, many of which are unreachable. We don't spray this country tree (or any tree), so we might find them wormy when the time to pick comes around. Someone told me the apples are better when the air is cooler.

Well, there’s more work to do. Later . . . KW

4 comments:

Leah said...

Ah. These are the good years.

Kathy said...

We all have challenges. How else would we grow?

Hallie said...

Those cherries are VERY sincere. How are the pears coming along?

Kathy said...

The cherries were sincere -- just not many of them. I added them to two peaches and a cup of blueberries for a mixed fruit crostata. If we have pears to pick, it won't be until the first of September. I can probably buy a box mid-August.