:: i woke up snuggled under the down comforter with the windows wide open.
:: i put on jeans and oxfords this morning.
:: i wished all day that i had worn socks.
:: i slow roasted some tomatoes and it felt good to heat up the kitchen.
:: the girls made dinner (mashed potatoes and greens and beans)
:: while they cooked we chatted and i sipped on beer and ate extra dark pretzels.
:: it’s 7:30 and dark outside. (i am one of those people who likes when it gets dark early)
:: water is boiling for tea.
:: i think a hot bath is in order.
:: i am ready to slip back under the comforter soon.
well we all made out like bandits today.
the girls sold out of cookies and lemonade.
and i pretty much cleaned up with just a few things left.
i didn’t find anything on my list (mainly because i was enjoying myself so much at our own sale) but i did score a vintage crepe maker as well as a few wooden bead necklaces.
the day was a lot of fun
selling with friends and neighbors
and chatting with people about backyard chickens and rabbits.
we even gave several tours of our garden.
some people were stopping by because they had heard about us from a sign promoting our website for the country living contest.
i was so moved when i went to visit a neighbor’s sale and saw her sign.
thanks chris b.!
i am blown away by the kindness of my friends and family.
so many of them have been spreading the word about the contest.
to be honest my blog has been some what of a secret.
i have not shared it with many people that i know until i was chosen as a finalist.
now it feels like the world knows.
and as much as i am a bit shy about it, it also feels really good.
we are now headed out to dinner with friends to spend some of the money we made today.
tomorrow is the “great media garage sale”.
everyone in our entire town is open to have a sale.
it’s one of the highlights of the year.
when we first moved in, i furnished most of our home with the sale.
the girls plan to sell lemonade and cookies to shoppers passing by.
i have a few things to sell too.
but first i plan to walk around early with my list to see what i might find.
wish me luck.
::rain coat for norah
::cutting boards
::bowls (i had a stack of six mixing bowls that dropped and broke into pieces)
::lamps
::llbean duck boots
::ball jars
::rollerblades for hannah
::dinosaur books for my nephew
when i was young we would go to longwood gardens almost every weekend. my parents loved to walk around to gather ideas for our garden at home.
it’s a spectacular place to visit and i have many lovely memories of the gardens but i also have many memories of my sister and i feeling like maybe we should just pitch a tent and move in.
after a while we began to dread going.
once i hit my teens i refused and have only in the last few years started to ease myself back there.
last night we went to this exhibit. it was magical and just being there on a summer night was a beautiful experience.
i was kicking myself all night about forgetting my camera.
my favorite has always been the conservatory.
and the water garden display right outside is mind blowing. the water platter plant just amazes me. we were so tempted to climb right up on to one. it could hold a small child for sure.
by the end of the night the guard had to kick us out.
we were the last ones there on the 1000 acre estate.
as we were just about to exit i asked the girls if they wanted to sneak off and pitch a tent.
“noone would ever know” i said.
i can’t wait to go back (with my camera).
i’ll try not to drag the girls there every weekend.
but secretly i wouldn’t mind moving in one bit.
some of us are a bit under the weather so the rain that continues to fall seems fitting.
a movie, a pot of chicken noodle soup and another batch of biscuits is all that is planned for the rest of the day.
i LOVE rainy days.
especially on mondays when everyone gets to stay at home and sleep in.
i’m still in my pjs and think i might stay that way until i have to get dressed to go to a labor day party.
i’m bringing roasted tomato soup and biscuits.
the girls have been out with the neighborhood gang all morning playing in the rain.
it’s the last hoorah.
tomorrow they all go back to school and things will get a little more quiet around here.
our homeschooling days will start to get a bit more structured now that summer is coming to a close.
classes and programs will begin to trickle into our routine and before we know it we will be full swing into autumn.
i think they’re ready.
as am i.
if my living room could talk it might say…
i am counting down the days until autumn, when you will all come back to me.
i miss you.
i am a bit envious of the back porch and patio.
but i know soon it will wish to be me when it is covered in leaves and then snow.
i do appreciate your little visits as you pass through, water a plant, pull a game from a drawer, dust the mantle, choose a book from the shelf and vacuum the rug.
as my windows reflect a different kind of light and the night air turns crisp i know that soon you will be back to play games and make music, to drink tea and hot chocolate by the fire.
i miss your laughter, your conversation and your books and papers scattered on the floor.
yes i am counting down the days.
you will be here soon.
yesterday i could feel just a touch of autumn in the air.
it’s coming.
it’s only 7pm and the light is low and the shadows are deep.
the crickets are chirping.
i have already pulled out a few pieces from my fall wardrobe to mix in with the summer one.
you have to harden them off like little seedlings you know.
get them used to the elements again.
i got that canner for my 23rd birthday.
during my farming apprenticeship years i had learned how to put up food.
i remember how excited i was to have my very own canner.
one year i canned salsa in a water bath before i had received the pressure canner.
that winter i opened up a jar to taste with my mom.
i had used garlic in the salsa and had read that it could cause botulism in goods that were improperly canned.
so of course that was in the back of my mind as we were eating it.
after a few bites, my mom and i looked at each other and at the same time asked “do you feel funny?”
we started panicking and swore we were to drop over dead.
i frantically looked up botulism in the encyclopedia (we didn’t even have a computer back then!!)
every symptom we read, we had!!
my dad walked in and just rolled his eyes and said we were creating the symptoms and that it was all in our heads.
he was right.
my mom and i still laugh about it.
it didn’t keep me from canning. though i did ask for a pressure canner for my birthday that year.
that canner has sealed many jars since.
i haven’t used it in a few years but have planned a canning party for thursday with a few friends.
i unearthed all the supplies and am ready to go.
tomatoes and pickles here we come!
today i even scored a huge wooden shelf in someone’s trash for storing all of our goods in the basement.
and while on vacation at the lake i found that ironstone fruit jar funnel at an antique store.
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