Popcorn Popping

It's finally springy around these parts!  We forgot to prune the apricot tree in late winter like we should have.  No matter - we'll prune it now by cutting off all the wild water sprouts and bringing them inside to enjoy!

As a child, I remember singing about "popcorn popping on the apricot tree" in the springtime.  My children still sing the fun little song.  Its true - the blossoms really do look like popcorn all over the tree.  And now we have popcorn branches on the counter, where we will keep them until the blossoms fall and we have snow all over the place.  Hmmm... spring turning backwards into winter?  Odd.

Hashimotos in the Park

Sounds like we're having an Oriental picnic, no?  The kids were begging to play at the park, but the weather, indecisive about whether to be winter or spring, has been leaning towards winter.  Finally, we had a clear day and I figured I could sit as well at the park as at home.  Away we went.

I make this out to seem like a big deal, but it's really not.  The park is nice and safe and just up the street from our house so it's quite easy to get to.  I've just been... so... tired... lately.  Any exertion is a big deal to me.  But what mother won't ever let her kids go to the park?  I'm sure I'm not THAT mom.  Even though I want to be.

So up the street we traipsed.  Twins, girl, cute husband, maybe an older boy or two, balls and plastic bats, sturdy shoes and warm jackets.  And me with a giant quilt coming slowly behind.  I thought I'd spread the blanket out in the grass and sit on it to watch the kids play.  The wind turned out to be windier at the park than at our house, so I sat at a picnic table, wrapped up in the blanket, trying to keep all the body parts tucked in.  I felt like an old lady burrito.

It was nice to watch them play - mostly.  And it was nice to be outside - mostly.  They laughed and played on the swings.  They organized some kind of hot lava monster game on the playground.  They played wiffleball with the fat plastic bat.  Georgie spun and spun in circles until he fell to the ground, laughing and dizzy.  As he waited for the world to stop spinning, he noticed how fast the clouds were racing across the sky.  He wanted me to see, so I lumped over and rolled on the grass beside him.  The clouds really were magnificent.  Big and fluffy, with sparkling light tops and dark bottoms heavy with rain.  The wind blew them into piles and wisps all across the sky.  I was done moving, so I laid there and watched.  

It's not how I had envisioned going to the park.  It's not how I envisioned playing with my kids.  But for right now, while my body deals with this latest Hashimoto's flare, it's just right for me.

Save the Day!

Or maybe save all the food today.  It's harvest season, which means that we are in the kitchen most of the time.  This year I'm actually canning, whereas last year I only did a little because I had been so sick.  And the year before I did nearly none, since we were moving in.  That's an interesting transition, and it tells me that this year is better than the past two have been.  Sometimes it's hard to see gradual improvement.  

I did a few dozen quarts of applesauce, and wrecked my right pointer finger doing all the cutting.  The apples were on the green side, so they were a bit tougher to cut through.  The applesauce is still good though, even if it is more tart.

I can't tell you how excited I was when I sent the twins outside with their big white bowls to get more apples - and they came back empty.  No more apples!  These boxes were full to overflowing - and we haven't even started on the apples from our own trees!  They won't be ripe for a few more weeks.

I'm always amazed at the wonders of our beautiful world when I'm canning.  Aren't these peaches gorgeous?  The colors are vibrant and living, sustaining and improving our lives.  Thanks, Lord, for this amazing planet!  I love, love, love bottled peaches.  And I hate peeling peaches.  Fortunately for me, my sweet husband doesn't mind, so he peeled and I made jam - rows and rows of bottles full of it.

I was poking about in the storage room for a good shelf to load all the bottles onto.  We haven't really cleaned out the storage room since we moved in, and it isn't really set up efficiently.  I moved a couple of cans, and the whole shelf fell out!  I'm glad I didn't have it full of glass jars.  So we need to fix and shore up the shelves in the storage room, but the produce won't quit coming!  I moved things around as best I could, and made room for the peach jam with the apricot jam we did earlier this summer.  

Before Trent could start shelf-fixing, the grapes ripened, and we've spent the past week doing what must be a million batches of grape juice.  I'm generous to myself here, because Trent has done all the work on this one.  The kids love the juice, and I try to not imagine it spilled on... on anything.

Our excitement of next week: tomatoes!  The pears are on right now as well, and then our apples will be last.  At least, I think they will be last. 

I opened a new bottle full of apple butter from a couple of years ago, and spread some of its dark sweetness onto a hot piece of whole wheat toast.  Yum.  Having food in my pantries makes all the hard work worth it.  And now I want another slice of toast!

Weeding Strawberries

Right now we have more strawberries in the patch than weeds.  That will change soon, I'm sure, so for right now we will take a picture of it to enjoy later.

Spring Weeding

I spent some time out in the sunshine today, weeding and thinking about our current political climate.  The two went really well together., actually.  Whenever I thought about a politician, I ripped out a weed.  Very cathartic and energizing, somehow at the same time.

There is a small strawberry patch along the back of the house.  I don't think I've ever seen it really flourish.  My mother did not like to weed, and I don't think she liked anyone else to weed, either, so she just wanted to put the whole yard in grass and forget about it.  I remember her making us weed lots when we were kids - I guess it wasn't worth the effort for her!

My brother and his sweet wife tried to tame the yard when they lived here, but it's a really hard spot to grow anything well.  Most of the strip is only about six inches wide, right against the south side of the house, so everything there just bakes.  Except the grass, the dandelions, and the bindweed. 

Right now the soil is soft and smells nice, so the weeds come out easily.  Or somewhat easier.  If I fill up a bucket with weeds every day, I should make it to the end of the patch soon, right?  I'm halfway there, so I'll get done about the time the weeds start to grow at the beginning of the row again.  (sigh)

The honest truth is that we can never give up on making life better.  And that's not a bad thing.  I am glad for the excuse to sit in the sunshine today.

Turbulence

This week, we had some pretty hefty winds.  I saw a picture that someone had taken of the middle of the winds.  The current next to the ground was heading left, and the higher current is going right.  The clouds in the middle are being blown by both currents.

I am amazed at how beautiful this is.  The contrasting currents pull the clouds in opposite directions,  making graceful curves and swirls.  It couldn't be prettier if it had been sculpted.

Sometimes I feel like I am pulled in different directions.  10 different directions, to be exact.  Every child has needs.  The house has needs.  My husband has needs.  My church calling has needs.  My kitchen has needs.  Oh, and I need things too - how can I take care of everything?  And all at the same time?

I often feel stretched thin and buffeted about.  But maybe, from a different perspective, it makes lovely swirls and loops.  Maybe God is making beauty out of my chaos after all.

No Pictures

I took the kids to the zoo today.  We.  Had.  A.  Blast.

We have a couple of days off school and Trent took the big boys camping.  The small fry were feeling left out as they watched Chris load up the four wheelers and David pack the tents and Eddie haul out sleeping bags.  They watched forlornly as the campers headed to the mountains.

Me, not so much.  I'm happy that they get to go four-wheeling and camp out in the mountains.  I'm happy they get to spend some good guy-time together.  And I'm glad I get to sleep in my own warm bed because it's gonna be cold up in them thar mountains tonight!

It's only fair, though, that we do something fun while the big boys are gone.  So we went to the zoo.  We grabbed a neighbor girl and headed out, playing "I spy" and the alphabet game all the way there.  They played at the splash pad and drenched themselves, then ran from one exhibit to another, laughing and giggling constantly.  It was so fun to see them have uninhibited fun.  If their older siblings had been around, there would have been plenty of shushing and telling them to grow up.  But not this time.  We were delightedly little kids.  We barked at the seals and growled at the bears and chirped at the birds.  And we ran and skipped and hopped and acted like a bunch of little kids, which we were... or most of us were.

At the beginning of the trip, I wished I had brought my camera to capture the look of terror on Freddie's face when he thought the water was going to splash on his dry tummy.  I wished I could catch the excitement of three little human eaglets perched in a nest.  I wished I could forever keep the long shadows following four children skipping along the path.  But then I remembered that when I spend my time taking pictures to save memories, I often forget to make them.  I don't have the time left over to do the doing when I'm doing the shooting.  I'm glad I left the camera at home so we could just play and enjoy... and be in the middle of the living.

On the way home, they kept busy in rush hour traffic by mimicking different animal sounds.  After they ran out of animals, Margaret piped up with, "Let's hear your very best singing voice!"  She began to serenade us with an impressively clear vibrato, and Angel joined in with her favorite operatic warble.  Freddy nearly broke down, crying that he couldn't think of anything to sing.  From the back-est backseat, Georgie joined in with an enthusiastic... pterodactyl.  It was anything but melodic, but so unexpectedly funny.  After a moment, when they changed to new sounds, he protested, "I haven't had my singing turn!"  As soon as he had our full attention, he began... beat boxing.

Never a dull moment with these children.  I'm so glad I have them and the smiles they constantly give me.  All's right in the world when you are in the middle of a child's hug - or two or three or four.  It makes me fell like I'm in the middle of the Lord's embrace.

We didn't get a single picture, and that's just fine by me.

Summer Rain

Oh, how I love a summer rain!  I love watching the clouds pile up and the wind whip in.  I love the power of the lightning and the roar of the thunder.  Living in a mountain valley, it is magnificent to hear the thunder roll across the sky, crash into the mountains and come booming back.  Sometimes you can hear an especially rowdy thunder ricochet off the mountains several times.  Awesome.

And then the rain comes.  Big pelting drops pummel the ground and wisp up in steam.  Soon the puddles collect and the air freshens.  The cool rain refreshes, but the air is still warm enough to not cause a chill.  The children collect jackets and umbrellas and explode outside to dance in the warm summer rain.

It's one of my favorite times of the year.

Mountain Getaway

I found this picture and remembered that I hadn't yet posted it, so I'll remedy that situation.  Looking at all this gorgeousness makes me wish that we were back up in the mountains instead of in the July heat.  Wouldn't you love to live here?

A few weeks ago, we had the unexpected opportunity to stay at a mountain resort.  My dad likes to sleep in his own bed, so Trent took the kids up for an overnighter.  My dad and I joined them the next day.  In all the hustle of getting my dad prepped and ready for the day, I forgot to take my swimming suit.  Bummer.

So instead of going swimming, I had to just watch from the balcony and keep my dad company.  Fortunately, the balcony of our room was directly over the swimming pool, so I could watch the kids play while I fed peanuts to the daring bluejay that kept flying past.

It was fun to watch them all play together.  In this hustle-bustle world, they don't do that very often.  

Love these kids.

And love this beautiful world!

Growing a Garden

Well, the garden is mostly planted.  We got some logs from a tree up the street that was getting a trim and hauled them here.  I like the rough, uneven border they give to our garden - our gardens are usually a little rough and uneven.  But not this year, I proclaim!  This year we will have a lush, productive garden that abundantly produces delicious and healthy food!

Are you listening, dirt?

We have peas and beans, beets and radishes, spinach and swiss chard seeds in the ground.  They are just itching to pop up and grow like gangbusters.  Yes, I know it is technically too late for these, but they are in a partly shady spot so I hope they will grow anyway.  (fingers crossed)  We've transplanted the broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower seedlings close to the shady area, and the tomato and pepper plants in the full sun.  They will love it.  Because I said so.

And I even cleverly labelled all the rows with plastic knife markers so I wouldn't forget what I had planted where.  Note to self: the plastic knives plunge into the dirt really well, but next time, use white plastic knives so you can actually see them.  Maybe then you won't step on them with bare feet.

Growing Seeds

For a few months now, we have been nourishing and watering and watching over a little table full of seed pots.  We waited in the hopes that these little seeds would grow into plants that would feed our family.  And garden-fresh produce is the best!  But our little plants sprouted slowly.  In spite of the fact that we kept them next to a south-facing window, they grew slowly.  

Finally, they had two sets of real leaves.  We brought them outside in a partially shady spot for a few days to get used to direct sunshine, and we remembered to water them.  Mostly.  The weather is nice this week - cool and rainy - perfect for transplanting!

We took our precious tiny seedlings into the garden that we had tilled and raked and weeded.  Carefully, we dug little holes to plant them in, and mulched about them to hold in the moisture and keep out the weeds.  So much work for little bitty plants!

As I was going back into the house, I glanced at our compost pile, and saw these seedlings.

We had cantaloupe not too long ago, and threw the seeds and rinds into the compost pile with all our other kitchen scraps.  Without love or watching or watering or any help at all from us, they just grew themselves. Ta da!

Wish I could figure out how to get the other seeds to do that.

Camping

These boys are off on a camping trip.  I love that they are able to get themselves ready and find sleeping bags.  I don't think I could find all the gear... but I don't think I want to sleep on the ground, either.

Have fun sleeping on the ground, boys!  With the mosquitoes and bugs!  I'll go back into the warm house with my flushing toilet.