Raspberries and Flowers

Boy, where does time go? I can barely keep up with anything around here. Raspberries are in and the children and I picked 50 pounds earlier in the week. We made thirteen pies: 2 are eaten and 11 are in the freezer! Woo-hoo! Last year we made a bunch of pies and I mixed berries, but we all decided that our very favorite pie was 100% raspberry. It is truly out of this world. I had to make 2 recipes of pie dough (10 pounds of flour total) from the Make-a-Mix book (Moist Pie Crust recipe). Now with the remaining berries, I'm making 10 half-pints of freezer jam. A few years ago I discovered Pomona pectin. It is great because I can double, triple, or even quadruple recipes. The pectin you get at most grocery stores allows you to only make one recipe at a time - total waste of time for a family like mine.

Oh, and it's definitely popsicle weather. I used yogurt, orange juice concentrate, raspberries, and a bit of honey for these.

And here are my favorite flowers. Zinnias remind me of the flowers I used to draw in kindergarten.

My echinacea is going crazy, too.

Hope everybody is enjoying the summer and all the fruit. I'm in berry heaven right now!

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Apples and More Apples

When we got back from camping, we discovered our Transparent apple tree was dropping lots and lots of apples. The children gathered up more than 10 grocery bags of apples - our biggest lot ever since moving here over 5 years ago. We really don't know what we are doing in caring for the trees. The first few years we trimmed them back like the previous owner had showed us. We didn't get many apples at all. For the last 2 years, we haven't trimmed them at all and now we got a load. Hmm.

19-yr old spent most of yesterday and today working on applesauce and I am taking over tonight as she, her brother, and father went to see Pirates. So far we've got 56 quarts canned. Transparent apples are t - - -a - - -r - - - t - - TART!!! Guess what we'll still be doing tomorrow?

Canning is one of the skills I learned as an adult - in fact, it was the summer after we moved in this house as I noticed our fruit trees ripening. It was fun looking up how to can and having the children involved in the process. We typically can at night (late night) and play games as the jars are processing. It's a great family tradition and I'm sure the kids will have great memories. Yes, indeed, I am a homeschooler - life is full of learning :)

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Almost 4-yr old talk

19-yr old daughter was making almost 4-yr old his burrito, but he didn't want to wait. He wanted it now!

19-yr old: “M., you need to be patient. Do you know what patient means?”

M.: “Yes, it means be quiet.”

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Holiday Campout

We went camping over the 4th of July holiday for 6 days/5 nights with another family at Sparks Lake near Mt. Bachelor, Oregon. On our way, we passed through the small town of Madras, Oregon. I'm sure the people in the town of Madras had PFC Thomas Tucker and his family on their minds this holiday. We passed a memorial with candles, balloons, yellow ribbons, etc. It was very touching and put into perspective the meaning of our nation's birthday.

Billboards and storekeepers expressed their thoughts to the Tucker family. There was hardly a business that did not acknowledge the Tucker family.

Traveling for 4 hours, we encountered such diverse terrain. All of these photos were taken as my husband was driving 55-60 mps and through the window - it really is that gorgeous.

We had a wonderful time roughin' it with another family: 14 people and 6 tents. The nearest outhouse was 1/2 mile a way, so we could either walk around or canoe across the lake. The weather was in the 40s (there were areas with snow near our campsite!) in the evenings and as high as the 80s in the daytime. We had 2 days of thunder/lightning which included downpours and even marble-sized hail. My kids got their yearly quota of hot dogs and smores at this one campout!

One day, the group went hiking on Mt. Bachelor to go "treasure hunting". I stayed at the campsite with the baby and enjoyed several hours of reading - a very rare treat. When they all returned, I was surprised to hear about their treasures. They hiked just beneath the chair lift, looking for items that fell out of people's pockets. Normally you find pocket change and this was no exception; however, this time, they found a cell phone, digital camera (last picture taken was June 2005 and still works), lift pass card, credit card, bracelet, and my 8-yr old found my favorite - an Ipod. How fun!

Enough babble. Here are my favorite pics.

This was our view at our campsite - it was absolutely breathtaking (see the rainbow?).

Dh rigged up a camping shower using a 5-gallon bucket, garden hose, pulley, etc. It worked great! 6 days of camping is a long time without a shower!

Me and my lil' boys

Teens having water fight

16-yr old still making time to snuggle with baby brother

This was the hang-out - water was on both sides. You can see my 19-yr old in the upper part of the photo working on dinner. There was a rock ledge that made a perfect spot to cook and clean pots.

Dh made the little boys bows and arrows. For the arrows, he used a wooden skewer and cut out the "feather" using the lid of a yogurt container. I should have taken a close-up of the bow. Dh was making more arrows every day - they flew really well.

My daughter and her friend watching sunset.

PJ turned 5 months old while we were camping. Here's how he stayed warm at night.

Dh tying son's shoe. Notice the reflection of the mountain in the water behind him. The water was so smooth.

And if I am not mistaken, this is our first family picture with our new baby (taken on the 6th day of camping). We all survived!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

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Johnny Jump-Up

This has got to be my baby's favorite toy. The minute I put him in the Johnny Jump-Up, he found freedom. His legs did not stop bouncing for over 40 minutes and he squealed with delight. Now the only problem is that he no longer wants to act like a baby. He found mobility and now when I put him on the floor, he bounces his legs and scoots everywhere quite quickly. I wish I could stop time to enjoy this precious babyhood.

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Urban Sprawl

I love our yard. We have a number of fruit trees, enough room for gardens, room for the children to play, trees for rope swings, etc. But . . . .this area is booming with growth. The lot next to us was sold to a developer who plans to build 6 houses along our property line. I am sick. Not just any houses, but two-story houses with 6 feet in between each house. This means no more garden (houses will block direct sun), loss of privacy, etc. Sick, sick, sick. Here is said developer with 2 workers trespassing in the other neighbor's yard as they begin clearing the land. I may need to use this outlet to vent from time to time.

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The Beginnings of Something Yummy

It's amazing that these little yellow flowers will become one of our family favorites in a couple months: tomatoes!


Here is a song my children have been listening and dancing to over and over again sung by a local group, Misty River, called Home-Grown Tomatoes.

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Father's Day

Today, I really miss my Dad. ALS took his life over 4 years ago. What a cruel disease, robbing my kids of their grandpa.

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Ninety Pounds of Berries, Berries and More Berries

Dh and the children made the annual trek to the local berry fields and picked 90 pounds of berries last night. The berries were $.80 per pound at the U-Pick fields.


We were washing, stemming, preparing to freeze until 11 pm. It definitely is a mandatory family affair. Our typical Saturday morning breakfast is buttermilk waffles from The Joy of Cooking and topped with yogurt mixed with strawberries, so that is the primary purpose for the berries. We also use them for smoothies during the year.

BREAKFAST BERRY SHORTCAKE

This is our favorite strawberry shortcake recipe. It's a little different than the traditional recipe. I got it from Quaker Oats years ago. My kids know it is my favorite breakfast treat, but it certainly doesn't need to be only for breakfast.

Breakfast Berry Shortcake

1 cup oats
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar (2x)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (orange peel is great, too)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup butter
2/3 cup buttermilk or yogurt
one 8-ounce carton yogurt
2 cups berries

Heat oven to 400’. Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon peel, and baking soda; mix well. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add buttermilk; mix just until moistened. Knead on floured surface 10 times. Place on greased cookie sheet; form into 8-inch circle. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with yogurt and combined berries and 2 tablespoons sugar.

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Another Smile

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Little Boy Antic

Venturing around our yard, I saw 2 objects that looked out of place near the hole my sons have been digging - you know, the hole that goes to China.






Two missing sandals - not just any play sandals, but leather Elefanten sandals. Oh joy!

Only a 40-something-year-old seasoned mom would find humor at such a scene. Looks like the shoes are posing - lol.

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Cherry on Top

It's Red Friday.

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I've got the blues . . . . . .

This day was easy - I'm partial to blues - especially deep cobalt blue. These are some of my favorite treasures: vase from the Philippines, pitcher was a gift from my daughter when she went to Portugal, cobalt pottery bowl was made by my daughter. Coffee mug was from the Philippines. Blue is serene, calm - love it!

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Stingy Smile

My little guy seems to be a little stingy with his smiles. He tends to take life pretty seriously and looks stoic quite a bit, so when I get a picture like this, it melts my heart - drool and all. He's 4 months old now.

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Black/Gray Day

One Muddy Black Boot +
One Dreary Rainy Day = Just Another Typical Day in the Pacific Northwest

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Brown

We lived in the Philippines for 2-1/2 yrs while my dh was in the Navy. When traveling the roads, it was not uncommon to see this site on the middle of a highway while vehicles were trying to travel anywhere from 20-80 mph. Pretty dangerous and scary! When I saw this at a market, I had to buy it. It's my favorite momento from the Philippines.

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Color Week

In honor of Color Week, here are photos of random white favorites around my abode:

Daisies have always been a favorite. They were on our wedding announcement and on our honeymoon, unbeknownst to us, our table at the little French restaurant had a vase of daisies on the table. How did they know?

This was my dream sewing machine. I waited a long time to get it.

Flannel baby blanket made with said sewing machine.

I found this Willow Tree figurine at a yard sale. I fell in love with the simplicity of the design and what it represents. It brought tears to my eyes. I now have a handful of Willow Tree figurines.



This is fun - I hope to keep up with Color Week.

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Ten Pounds . . . . Lighter

I've been going to a gym with a friend and have finally lost 10 pounds (in 10 weeks). It's coming off slowly. It's hard work with a combination of weights, aerobics, treadmill, stationary bike, Pilates, and brisk walks and primarily trying to change my food to healthy food choices except for the occasional ice cream or chocolate splurge. I have not missed out on any desserts, but I'm not pigging out like I used to do, either. I'm one-third of the way to goal weight. It came off so much easier when I was younger.

Anyone else on the same mission? Let me know so I can cheer you on!

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Go Take a Hike

My husband took four of our children on a hike on a mountain at the Oregon Coast last week. This is Manzanita Bay in the backround and the Pacific Ocean on the right.

Check out the little houses dotted along the shoreline. The elevation must be pretty high. I can't wait to be able to go with them (baby is still nursing on the clock and we haven't tried bottles yet).

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Spring Gardening

I love these old whiskey barrels. With our mild winters, some annuals come back to life in the spring. The burst of any colorful flowers in a barrel makes me smile. Even those who claim to kill off everything can grow a tomato plant in one of these. I can't fathom not having home-grown tomatoes in the summertime.
With lots of abuse from children, our lawn has seen better days, so we've spent quite a lot of time reseeding this year.
What was once a 4-inch echinacea plant is now a 4-ft tall "bush". I can't wait to see how many blooms it will have.
Tomatoes, peppers, over 90 green bean plants, cukes, summer squash, zucchini, lettuce, chives, celery planted J's garden. We are still working on 3 other smaller garden areas.

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Table Runner

This is the table runner my daughter (19-yr old) made me, but it still needs to be quilted and binded. I have always loved Dresden plate. This is a nice variation. My daughter and I were in the Thimbleberries club at a local quilt shop a couple years ago. On impulse, we bought all the kits for the year. Turns out, there were a few projects that we didn't care for, so she used that fabric to make a design that worked for her. She put the whole thing together without a pattern.


I hadn't taught her how to applique, so she figured out her own way to sew the Dresden plate to the backing. I love the look of the stitches and the colors she chose altogether. She picked these colors so the table runner could be used for any season. I love it. I can't wait to be able to use it.

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