a catch-up...

Last week there was a hint that Old Man Winter would shortly be paying a visit. Nighttime temperatures were in the 20's, while the mornings brought the prettiest blue skies with a moon still visible in the early morning. Opening the mudroom door, it seems it's always a toss-up on who's louder...Tinkerbell, the cat on the porch waiting for breakfast, or the crows in the fields. (I just discovered a grouping of crows is called a Murder...yikes, how Halloween-esque!) 

And as my to-do list is whittled down, I think maybe, just maybe, that I'm ready. Okay, well, there are probably a few more things...I can always find something else I feel needs doing!

The garden's been put to bed, and for me, that's a sure sign I can step back, breathe, and see what I've ignored during this time (dust bunnies, I'm coming for you.)

And so today's post is a catch-up on what's been happening while harvest has been in full swing...

pumpkins buckled up for a safe ride home
from a little roadside farm stand

along with the last of the summer blooms

what's been for sale at the

"not shop" shop

a visit to the season's last county fair...

look at the weight of that prize-winning pumpkin:

530 pounds!

blue-ribbon roosters,

and goat mama & kid

my favorite Halloween gal...

this witch just makes me smile!

decorations are simple...

nothing to be afraid of here!

my daughter and I hiked a trail I'd been looking forward to:
the Butternut Trail
no special reason, other than I loved the name!

We packed a lunch and soon were rewarded with
lovely views along the way.

                                 

the last of the garden harvest...

I just couldn't let those green tomatoes freeze,

so I pulled out a handwritten recipe of my grandmother's
for Dilly Green Tomatoes:

Now I have a gallon of them to enjoy!

I'll post about my grandmother sometime...every time I hear Taylor Swift's song, Marjorie  I'm reminded of her...I think she's why I do so much of what I do. 

Well here's to a new month and a new week...hoping for beautiful blue autumn skies, trees with coppery leaves, and that unmistakable hint of Fall in the air, maybe even the first fire in the fireplace. Truly, my favorite season! 

and so it begins...

~Paul Harvey, 1978

 

beauty in the ordinary...

It's been said that some folks are like squirrels when it comes to the month of October...digging in reverse. I agree...that sums me up perfectly as I dust off, shake out, and rearrange all the things I tucked away at winter's end. 

Bittersweet colored candles with names such as Sweet Cinnamon and Snickerdoodle are lined up across the fireplace mantel, while plump pumpkins, handlettered with cheery greetings, are set on cupboard shelves and alongside mums in an old flower cart by the front lamppost. Quilts that have been folded and stored during the heat of summer are freshly laundered and blowing in today's brisk & chilly breeze.

This time of year stirs in me the urge to once again pick up the pace on my to-do list...the temperature is perfect outside now - in the 60's during the day - so any end-of-summer clean-up and preparations for winter are done with ease. And while part of that ease is the definite lack of heat & humidity, part of the inclination to move a little quicker is to prepare for winter...be it harsh and long, or not so much...there's peace of mind in being prepared.

But also, there's peace of mind in remembering to pause, look around, and just "be." 

And so. on this beautiful October day, I've somehow stifled the urge to start a new project and looked for beauty in the ordinary...

Lastly... a dense, humming mass against the robin's egg blue sky as a flock of Starlings looks to roost for the night.

Known as murmuration, it happens each October as several thousand birds gather - an amazing sight that stops me no matter where I am, to watch...

and listen...

"We need time to dream, 

   time to remember,

   and time to reach the infinite.

Time to be."

~Gladys Taber

organized chaos!

 Yes, that's exactly how I would describe the state of the kitchen right now!

If you were to pop in for a visit, you would find every flat surface filled with canning jars, buckets of tomatoes and peppers, a water bath canner bubbling away, a jam & jelly maker whirring, stacks of jar lids, paper towels, spoons, pickling salt, lemon juice, vinegar, and oodles of other things. I even brought in an extra table (remember this one? ) I love this table and need to find a way to squeeze it in the kitchen. Oh, and no, I will not be sharing pictures of the organized chaos.

Since my oven was built in 1950, I hesitate to have her on for the hours and hours that it takes to water bath and preserve food. Last year I picked up the Ball Fresh Tech Electric Water Bath Canner (here) and I absolutely love it. It does take the water a bit of time to boil, but while the water's heating up, I can sterilize my jars inside. I also have the Ball Jam & Jelly Maker (here) and I love it as well...it tackles the constant stirring so I can step away from the stove and focus on something else.  The only con is the recipes are tailored for the maker, and the yield is small: about 4, 8-oz. jars. It cools 30 minutes between batches though, and I've found that works just fine for me...I can prep another bit of jam to go in and the 30 minutes goes by quickly. I haven't tinkered with doubling recipes, but that could be on the winter to-do list. And so, if you're thinking about either one, I can highly recommend them both.

Well, this is a quick visit to say hi - tomorrow I'll be corralling the clutter in the kitchen and making Firecracker Pepper Jam. In the meantime, since I'm not sharing kitchen pictures (trust me, it's better this way), I'll leave you with some photos from the farm as well as some of the surrounding farms.

Plus, a quote and artwork by two of my favorite people...

Art credit: Susan Branch
https://susanbranch.com/

a quick catch-up...

This is the time of year that has a busyness all its own, and can only mean one thing: harvest time! This week the days will be spent in the kitchen prepping, canning, and freezing tomatoes and peppers.

If you're like me, and you find yourself with oodles of tomatoes, here's an Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe I use that is quick, and so easy, just click: here.

And because I always seem to need tomato sauce for chili, I'm keeping it super-simple this year:  I'm just cutting the stem end off of tomatoes, quartering, and then tossing the quarters in the blender - no peeling!  After they're blended, I put them in the slow cooker, add some salt to taste, and let simmer several hours until they've thickened into a nice sauce. Truly, it couldn't be easier!

I had some baked goods left from the "not shop, shop" a couple of weeks ago, so I called a friend that loves old-fashioned bartering as much as I do...

A visit to her farm found us catching up, which is always great, while seeing all the sweet farm animals she has.

Meet Ferdinand!

His mom, Annie, shares her wonderful milk with us...which became the best chocolate ice cream.

My friend also sent us home with butter, cream, homemade mozzarella, dozens of eggs, and cabbage...what a blessing to be able to trade goods!

The cabbage was put into fermentation jars to become sauerkraut...it's a favorite of mine, but I've never made it before, so I'm anxious to see how it comes out. 

She has the prettiest views from her farm...

and the drive there, is beautiful as well.

This is what the blue, super moon looked like from our little corner of the world...well, as best as it could be captured with my phone...it was truly gorgeous as we were driving home at dusk.

And lastly, this was a view my daughter captured on our travels. It felt so vintage and classic Heartland to me, I wanted it to be black & white:

Thanks for visiting...wherever you find yourselves, have a great week!