Counting down

“Don't agonize, organize.” ~ Florynce R. Kennedy

With the turning of the calendar page, the countdowns seem to have a more hectic tone to them. I look out the window and the trees are bare, the deer are coming down earlier in the day.

The turkeys came down yesterday to check out the bird feeders for the first time this fall. Each of these are just a reminder that the year is drawing to a close and there is so much still to do.

Between trying to make sure I don't forget anything for Thanksgiving, I am also trying to remember all the ingredients for the cookies and breads that my mother and I use to make at Christmas. It was so much easier with two minds! Then there is trying to remember to get things to finish off presents and #2 (who has a b-day coming up) wants a Twilight/New Moon party.

I sat there last night trying to knit and thoughts were flying through my mind of what I still had to do and what I still had to buy along with the regular shopping items. I decided that I had to make lists and prioritize things....Christmas cookies do not come before Thanksgiving pies.

I made a list of foods being served on Thanksgiving and what I still needed to buy.

I made a list of foods being served on Christmas and what I still needed to buy.

I made a list of cookies/breads that I want to bake and what I still needed to buy.

I made a list of presents for Christmas, what I already have and what I still need to buy/make.

Thankfully not all Christmas gifts that are homemade are going to be knit this year, taking some of the pressure of my hands. However, I have been whipping out kitchen towels with crocheted tops to give with breads...They just need buttons, which are on the list!

So with lists tucked in beside the wallet, so I won't forget either of them, I now feel more prepared for...."the moon on the crest of the new fallen snow, gave a luster of Midday to objects below."

November

"No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds -
November!"
- Thomas Hood

My yard has an abundance of leaves…and nuts. I should be out there raking but I am not. I am waiting for them all to land and will do it in one fell swoop. #2 daughter is home sick so she needs babying right, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.

#1 daughter came home for the weekend. We didn't do much but she did finally get her picture taken for her license. Afterward we stopped at the thrift store and I found a Singer Tiny Serger for $4.99. I just ordered the manual. Hopefully it works but if it doesn't I am not out a whole lotta money.

While we were shopping the man went and picked up the pork. Almost didn’t have enough space for it but we squeezed it in. Thawed out and fried up some bacon as we haven’t had any in a while because I am too cheap to spend money on it when I had some coming. It was delicious and well worth the wait. Now just to wait for the sauerkraut.

Then she went with me while we took care of my cousins alpaca. Her first question was "Why don't you have some of them?" When I hit the lottery maybe. I finally remembered to bring the camera on Sunday. Isn't he adorable. His name is Donner. He doesn't stand still very long when he wants food. This same cousin and a friend bought me this at Rhinebeck... It is called High Strung and is done by Sheep Incognito Conni Togel. You have to see some of the others. Isn't it adorable? It now hangs above my knitting/spinning chair.

And that chair has finally seen some action. I have been in a knitting funk so I spent alot of time cleaning. Well, I woke up at 4:55 yesterday morning because my body thought it was 5:55. Knowing there was no way I was going back to sleep, I spun a little and then started to crochet a tree skirt. Too much crochet and my wrist start’s to hurt so then with the early darkness I sat down and started knitting. I finished a Cherry Garcia cabled neck tube and then started a feather and fan cowl. Do I need to say while the Yankee's were winning? Hopefully I will finish that today as now I find I have projects in the queque. It's good to be back to knitting.

Snout to tail

"snout to tail, everything but the squeal

Another week has gone by so quickly. Monday I had a funeral to attend, Tuesday I spent at the Doctors with #2 son and his yearly physical. He failed the eye test miserably and now we have an eye doctor appointment. After dropping him off at school there was shopping to do.

Wednesday, I went over my friends and they taught me how to make liverwurst. Thursdaymorning, I helped get everything cooked and ready for the next day. Thursday afternoon was spent cheering #2 son and team on.Friday I helped my friends make the headcheese. OMG I should have run when they started the headcheese but stupid me figured that if someone was willing to teach me to do something I should hang around and help them do their thing. The liverwurst was delicious but the headcheese will never cross my lips. The smell of it being poured into the pans was horrendous. I have driven by roadkill that smelled better than this food that one is to consume.

Friday evening, I blanched and froze 16 pounds of broccoli. Saturday it rained. While the man was at work, I froze 4 1/2 gallon bags of sliced apples. It was a nice mix and should make some awesome pies, cakes and crisps this winter. When the man came home we worked on organizing the basement....Is this futile? I am storing things for the older kids, keeping momento's for all the kids. Somebody brings in more and it gets piled until there is time to do it. I have piles of stuff for friends, salvation army, library etc. I foresee doing this many times in the future.

Sunday, was more of the same. Late afternoon, I lost hours looking thru some of my mother's knitting and crochet books. Some of the pamphlets are from the 50's. I found the original Hemlock Ring doily in one of them. Looking thru them is like looking at a timeline of my mother's life. She crocheted first, doing doilies and then bedspreads with cotton thread. She moved on to afghans, baby sets and sweaters. Then came knitting small things like cabbage patch kids clothes when #1 daughter was into them and clothes for us and the grandkids. In looking thru totes I found the vests she had made the kids with animal heads on the front and tails on the back. To this I added the afghans she made for each one of my kids to give to their first child. My SIL has the same for her kids. The christening set she made is also packed away for use by future generations.

Monday was spent putting everything where it should go. I put away the canning equipment as all I have left to can is sauerkraut which wont be done for a couple of weeks. I have been working with it/around it for months and although I love the product, I am getting tired of it. I do believe this is the latest in the season I have ever canned. Mom and I were usually done by September.

I also put all the seeds away that were taking up space on all available flat surfaces. Then I got into cleaning...I started putting Liquid Gold on all the woodwork and doing the windows...The holidays are getting near....30 days until Thanksgiving when I am due to get a house full and Christmas is only 58 days away.

Now it is back to work. Next time I will show you a picture of a post-Rhinebeck present I received.

Rhinebeck 2009

The cider mug simmered slow,
The apples sputtered in a row,

And close at hand the basket stood,

With nuts of brown October's wood.
–John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–92)

I planned a fishing trip for husband and crew on the very weekend that I wanted to go to Rhinebeck and he is my driver. I wanted to buy a pair of combs. I looked on the internet and found ones a friend of mine had so I just ordered them.

Then friends came to the rescue and offered to drive so #1 daughter and met up with M & D and went to Rhinebeck. Now D went to Endless Mt. It was her first fiber festival...she is fairly new to the spinning part. She came home and had already made up her mind to buy a 2nd wheel that Grace had for sale. Her husband is much like mine...very understanding. Which is good because she came home with a carder this time. She was eyeing the electric but ended up with a Strauch Petite with the brush. Otto didn't want to give up his demo so sent us down to another vendor that had one in stock. Funny part is D had brought her credit card but then left it in the car so she would behave. She ended up writing a check instead!!!

M was the only one not enticed by the fumes of wool and sheep. She said she has enough wool roving, wheels, carders and yarn and really didn't need anything....The girl either has willpower. She bought some Jacob roving and a rug punch.

Now #1 went with us spur of the moment. Towards the end I saw some beautiful mohair but decided not to get it as I wasn't going to buy anything but then ended up with wine, jerky, dips,a Shetland lamb fleece and rug punch. So #1 went back and asked to purchase it with her credit card but they didn't accept credit cards. #1 asked them if they knew where the closest ATM was located. They bagged up the yarn and said just give us your name and phone number and mail us a check later!

WHO DOES THAT NOW A DAYS!?!?!

I was amazed. So I am the happy owner of 1000 yards of brushed mohair in September (#1's birth month!) colorway from Kid Hollow Farm. It is gorgeous and the pictures just don't do the colors justice. I have to do a search for something suitable to make from it. #1's instructions were to make something for myself so that might have to be put on a back burner until January.

I did make these for myself out of the roving I dyed and then spun. Of course, I forgot to take them to Rhinebeck!

In other news....The guys came home empty handed. The pigs went off to the butcher. I picked up two egg crates of de-husked black walnuts for black walnut brittle. Monster child (my nephew) found a chicken nest with a dozen eggs, so now I know where to look.

Yesterday I got an email about the combs I ordered...back ordered 6-8 months! It will be Spring and I hopefully will be able to visit family and go to MD S&W!!!

We are suppose to make liverwurst today but it has been postponed until tomorrow....#2 son has a doctors appointment I forgot about. Have you noticed I have been doing that alot lately?!

Predictions

"When the number of factors coming into play in a phenomenological complex is too large scientific method in most cases fails. One need only think of the weather, in which case the prediction even for a few days ahead is impossible." ~Albert Einstein

The weatherman foretells of cold weather and dare I say the word...*SNOW* for tomorrow. He says cold temperatures for the weekend. Now, for all intents and purposes I don't care if it does snow tomorrow so long as it doesn't snow on the weekend. The guys are going back to the Pulaski area for more salmon fishing. #1 and Sir T are driving up from Philly. I don't want them driving on slushy roads and I don't want to miss out on Rheinbeck. I have not be able to go in several years so I am looking forward to this diversion from normal duties.

We got our first freeze on Monday and are suppose to get snow on Thursday! Things are moving much to quickly for my body to adjust. I succumbed and fires are a nightly ritual now. The geese didn't even have time to adjust. It was so cold, Monday morning they decided to tuck their wings in tight to keep themselves warm and float south!

In other news, my pullets are laying. Yeah, I know about time and everyone else's already were. The pullets were in a small coop without nesting boxes. Well, the man finally finished the addition on the hens coop and all of the pullets were moved in there. Now that they have the use of the hens nesting boxes they are not hiding their nests around the yard and I am able to get the eggs.

I did a craft fair this weekend. I was worried about the weather but it was beautiful. I spun a full bobbin while there and made some money. #1 and Sir T tell me I should charge more but I don't do it to pay my bills, I wouldn't be able to. I just sell extra's. I sold enough to buy 5 of us dinner and a trip to Home Depot for some molding, stain and poly.

The man took today off so we can finish (hahaha) the fall chores before the snow flies. The pigs go to butcher Sunday night. Tuesday, the man scheduled the day off, to go get the meat from the butcher needed to make liverwurst and zwiebelwurst. A friend is going to show us how to make it....it maybe a one time experience depending on the grossness scale! In exchange for his tutelage, he gets the heads for headcheese. Now THAT I have no interest in viewing/learning.

And NOW the man is ready to motivate so motivate I must....and to think I use to miss him when he went to work!

Autumn marches on

By ripping cheeks,

with cold breeze,

with twitter of sparrows,

Autumn came! ~ Mula Veereswara Rao

And she is showing her strength today-it is windy! While standing at #2 son's football game the other night, I thought winter had passed autumn by! When we arrived the sun was shining down on the lake beyond the field and it wasn't too bad. Then the sun set, the winds picked up a little and the sun's warmth disappeared...quickly. It got dark, the lights came on on the field and I froze. By the time the game was over I could not wait to get to the car and turn on the heat. It is time to bring mittens to the games.

I spun and plied the roving I dyed the other day. It is strange multi-color but I like it. I might have to make mittens out of that later on. #2 daughter put in a request for mittens in school colors..one purple on one hand and white on the other.

My hands were purple but not from mittens. A friend and I did up the red cabbage. The nine heads we bought made 60 pints and 3 quarts of sweet and sour cabbage. I feel like this bee, trying to get as much out of summer's bounty as possible.

More Vege Tales

Plant a radish, get a radish, never any doubt. That's why I love vegetables, you know what they're about! ~Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt

Wednesday a friend's husband came over and we took the 90 pounds of cabbage, shredded it and salted it. In a couple of weeks there will be fresh pork and sauerkraut for dinner. I can't wait.

Friday I took those same friends to the farmers market. They loved it and went home with quite the haul. I didn't do too badly either...I grabbed some eggplant for my SIL, some cauliflower for the friend that got the broccoli and some dehydrated mushrooms for the man. I also got two squash, a 8 pound Long Island Cheese and a 13 pound Fairytale Musquee de Provence. The LI Cheese I love and is usually what we use for pie.
The Fairytale is new to me, but so far I like it. The seed cavity is about equal to the LI but the flesh is a much deeper orange, a little stringier and drier. I am told they are a little sweeter. They are presently processing. We also bought some red cabbage which I am going to learn how to can as sweet and sour cabbage at her house on Tuesday.

Last night I tried canning meat for the first time. I asked on a canning forum if I could can venison that was previously frozen. They said I could, so I tried it. If the family likes it than I will can any venison we get this year as it will open up freezer space.

Remember when I canned beets the other day...well you know that I had to dye something even though I read it doesn't hold well. Here are the results....white and gray wool roving. Then because I was in dye mode I got out the acid dyes and dripped it here and there for this roving...In knitting, I finished another stocking. My original idea was to do the heel and to in green. Then I grabbed the wrong green and it was heavier than the red so I decided to not do the toe green. I should have turned the heel in green...oh well, I am only human. I am thinking of trying to add a tree on the leg. I added the little "patch" but it needs something more.

And keeping things interesting around here...Thursday night I took the man to the hospital ER. He had a little mark on his wrist Tuesday night. He said it was hurting and thought there was a splinter of wood/metal in it. I checked and some puss came out but no wood/metal. We cleaned it and put drawing salve on it.

Wednesday when he came home from work, his wrist was swollen. I said maybe it is a spider bite and suggested a doctor but manly men know so much more. By Thursday night his hand was swollen and his arm hurt almost up to his elbow. Pain does wonders, it motivated him to go see what was wrong. The ER doctor wasn't sure if it was a spider bite but told him drawing salve was "witchdoctor medicine"! The Dr. gave him Keflex and an antibiotic ointment to put on the sore. Last night his arm was throbbing and he went to bed early. He just came home from a 1/2 day of work and the sore is very infected. I think he should go back to the ER. He has to help a friend and said he would go tonight! WTF! They would totally understand.

And then, coming in from work behind the man was #1 son. He needed me to take pictures of this... his 2009 Dodge Ram that met a deer on the way to work. I had to call the nearest Dodge dealer and send him on his way to get an estimate. What makes my family...well actually the men, think I need all this excitement?