Sustenance After Labor

Nothing like a sweet tomato sandwichyummm

or Roast Chicken hot out of the oven

after many hours of canning tomatoes, tomatoes, stewed tomatoes

Way to go my Man

2 Bushel of tomatoes lookin pretty

This is what we labored at for about 5 hours yesterday but OH so worth it....we got 31 1/2 qts. of canned tomatoes and 14 pts. of stewed tomatoes.......ready for a cold winter and lots of chili, tomato soup, stews, veggie soups, bruchetta, and even jam and juice......the fresh ones were like eating sunshine....and the smell, wish you could smell them while we were working with them...Bill just came in and said only 1 qt. did not seal......so I will use it today or reseal the jar...

I love the harvested product but the work to get there is getting more difficult. I still enjoy the excitement of putting food on the shelf for the winter. What I can do without, is the firey backache after......so goes. That must be why they call it 'labor' intensive. It feels like the ache before the babes were born.......LOL So, like Bill always says when a project is complete, " The baby is born., so what's next??

You all have a wonderful, rewarding, 'labor intensive' week.......it hurts so good.

Rainy Day Fun

Garden Tour of Hibiscus Buds,

Rainy Day pine

Stonecrop Sedum?

Late squash...hubbard or buttercup?

Cher's Birdhouse Tower

Our Rainy Day Garden Tour

Our Hostess with the Mostess

Cher's Red Cabbage

her beautiful hibiscus in the rain

Pines a drippin' wet

Cher harvesting cucs in the rain

'My Kitchen Find'......fits perfect

Though we had rain our entire stay at Cher's, it did not stop us from getting out there and having some 'Rainy Day Fun'.

Thanks Cher and Thom

'A New Day'

The sky is blue as the bachelor buttons today, the sun is shining on us, the temperature is a wonderful 65* and we already had our morning walk at 8 a.m. Hubby got his wheels back today and is happy as a clam that missed the clambake. We are hoping for a more productive 'attitude' day. We had a long talk last night and hope to grow old together....we are 3/4th the way there so the rest should be easy, right? We are taking a much needed drive over the weekend for relaxation and a laugh or two with Cher and Thom. All you followers, things do change drastically with your emotions when trama happens in your family, as, I know, you all have experienced personally at one time or another. We are finding how important it is to take a second breath before reacting...something that is tough for me sometimes. I need to learn how to NOT wear my heartstrings on my sleeve...

May you all have a blessed and hugged day...

'Of Tire Swings & Hammocks'

Oh how I remember the swing. My brothers and sisters, all 9 of us, used a board swing, meaning a board with a groove cut out each side to slide onto the rope that hung from the tree.
That swing provided hours of fun, immagination and relaxation...we never had a hammock that I can remember.

Three of my dozen BabyGrands are having a blast making memories on Grandma's homemade hammock and of course, the tire swing...

Originally, I made this hammock and one other for our cabin but just HAD to bring one home for my wee ones to play on.

My best times on the swing was hanging my head back and watching the leaves dance above me and the clouds sailing by. Sweet. Though I also could not get enough of the higher, higher pushes so I could jump off. Ouch if I landed wrong...or my twin twisting me round and round, letting go so I would twirl in circles until the dizzies started...LOL...Fun Stuff.

We cannot forget to mention the many, many times we would pull each other up on the hay rope in the mow of the barn, high in the air, to the peak, and then swing and hang from our legs and ankles like circus performers....Oh, if our Mother ever knew......

And THAT'S what memories are made of...

'The Cost of "Living" '

Thought you'd want to know the 'cost' of 'Living' of an 89 mile ride on a medevac helicopter...

OUCH, OUCH, OUCH.......enough to give a man a 'heart attack'....

$21, 664.29.......

How's that for painful.......

'In a Second'

Grandpapa with our babygrand Megan...

'In a Second'...we say it all the time but what does it mean to you today?

A week ago this morning, in a second, meant, to drop what I was doing and take my hubby to the hospital...turns out that the onion sandwich which he was claiming to give him heartburn since 8 the night before, meant he was actually having a heart attack. It lasted all night and until 10 a.m. After being airlifted to a major hospital 50 min. away by flight, he was taken to the cath lab immediately and 3 stents replaced the 5 inch blood clot that blocked his artery 100%. No wonder he was in such agony...and thank God for helping him hold on until he was convinced he had more than heartburn going on...

Four days later, he went through 2 more stents to open his 80% and 95% blocks...oh, my blessed hubby...who promises me he will pay more attention to his symptoms and not be so stubborn about getting help...

We thank God he is home again and doing well.....

He is stubborn tho but what man isn't.....why is they all think they are so tough...???

If he doesn't slow down, I hear 'duct tape' works...

'A Whooper of a Melon'

We have another gardener in the family....my little 2 yr. old grandson loves to pick the green beans and carry them in his mouth, but refuses to eat one....LOL...

My 6 yr. old grandson tells me to hurry and take the picture....'This is getting heavy, Grandma'.

Thought I'd share my melon with you....it weighed 10 1/2 lbs., measured 29 1/2 inches around stem to stem and 27 inches around its belly....and was very juicy, with flesh as bright orange as a harvest moon....yum yum. I wish I could have claimed to have grown it...but, my generous neighbor is always bringing fruit, veggies, chocolate milk and root beer for my babygrands....so thanks Gene

Woodland Flora

Dogwood Berries

Horsetail Fern

Fern Seeds

Red Honeysuckle

spotted Touch-Me-Not

Cinnamon Fern

Chestnuts

Turtleshead (also in pink and white) We have the white and lemon yellow in my woods

Flowering Dogbane with outragiously long seedpods ripened in magenta

Hope you enjoyed my walk through the late summer woods.......I do love our Godgifts....
Have an eventful, unforgetable day

"God is Good"

There is a memorial today to place my sister and her husband in their final resting place on 'earth'...One would not think of this as God being Good, but, oh it is.

Both of them suffered long, difficult illnesses but, oh, how they loved life and their family. Some say they had no quality of life.,but this is so untrue...their quality was spent in every waking moment being spent with their loving children and grandchildren. Seldom was a frown seen, only laughter and song, smiles on their faces for everyone who entered their home full of love.

On her last day, Lana was seeing swans swimming on the river in the middle of a cold February day. God blessed her with this vision, not a doubt in my mind. She was happy. I know she knew she was going to be with the love of her life, Danny.

So, it is only fitting, that, today, what would have been their 36th Anniversary, that they should lay down before our Lord in their final resting place on this earth.

God Blessed you both Lana and Danny.....

Loveya, Missya, Hugya, Kissya

Dar

Berries for my Sy-bear...

My grandson Syrus, loves to sing. He makes up tunes all the time and thought you might enjoy this one called, "Goo-oo-ood", sung while picking wild raspberries........this is just a snipit....

Dreary Day Project...

S
Syrus' Gourdy

Here Kitty Kitty

My grandson and I had 'work' to do cause it was just toooo cold to swim...

these are painted on dried gourds from my brothers last years garden...

Welcome to my world.....

I'm incredibly 'green' at this, so I beg your patience as I inch my way through this new world.

I've been advised by sisters and friends to give this a try so here we go folks. I will not be posting a pic of myself until there is one that will not scare the 'bejeebers' outaya....so, one and all, let's see if this is worth your time and mine.....

My biggest love in the world is my family. You will soon find that out. I am not shy about sharing my life or theirs so I may step on a toe or two, but, seriously, I am a very kind-hearted person and do my best to 'keep the peace'........so look out sisters, cause you asked for this...LOL

I don't know how this all goes yet, so let's start with my 'haven', my garden.