Sept. 29- Oct.5, 2019 Seth, Canning, Emgality, Dh & Dd to Indiana, Grape Jam

Sept. 29- Oct.5, 2019 

Seth, Trip to Indiana (Dh and Dd), Canning, Emgality, Meditation Class, Grape Jam

Grape Skins

Hello Friends!

It is hard to believe it is already October!  I am still working like crazy trying to get my garden harvest in.  To my surprise, this week Dd asked to talk to me about how she has taken a liking to a young man named Seth.  That sort of explains why she spends so many hours in her bedroom; she has been texting and getting to know him these months.  I was completely taken off guard, as many mothers before have probably experienced.  She wants us to think about her going on some dates with him....

Garden:

Potatoes: This year we planted four different kinds of potatoes.  Thursday:  20 pints and 7 quarts of potatoes.

Friday: 10 pints of a mixture of green beans & potatoes combined, 

6 quarts and 2 pints of just potatoes

Saturday: 10 pints of potatoes

I picked and brought in all the Butternut squash and other various squash varieties.  I tried canning those last year but the cans spoiled, so this year I am going to keep them in the basement's utility room.

The PULP of the grapes...yes, I squeezed every.single.one!

GRAPES:

Last year Dh made grape jam from my grapes, but this year he has been too busy.  I couldn't wait any longer as I could see I was already losing more and more grapes each day as they fell to the ground in the wind so I decided to try and do it myself.  All the video's I saw on youtube said to just cook down and puree the grapes, but Dd had his own way.  He had me pick the grapes, then squeeze the pulp out of each grape putting the skins in one bowl and the middle pulps in another one.  This took me hours and hours over 2-3 days...what a chore!  It was like milking grapes!!!  

I think I spent three days this week on getting the grapes done.  After I got the grapes separated, pulp from skin, then I had to puree the skins.  I had to cook down the pulp and that helped the pulp to get watery and helped me to get the seeds away from the pulp...but that was still difficult.  Then I put the pulp (without seeds) into my crock pot.  After I got everything separated and sorted I put all the ingredients together in big pot on the stove.  I just had to add sugar and cook it at a low boil for a while and then I could can the jam.  I think I made about 9 pints of jam---three days work for 9 jars!  It is amazing how much time it takes for our homemade food.  We only had 3 1/2 pints last year, so our grape vine was way more productive this year; imagine if I had picked the grapes when I should have (two weeks earlier).

Vergennes:

We switched from AT&T to a local company last week.  We are still trying to sort it all out.  It took me three tries to get AT&T's router mailed back to them and numerous phone calls; only to receive a letter that said I didn't have to return it after all...oi.  Dh spent three evenings this week trying to get the internet hooked up to my computer.  I was without my computer for almost two weeks.  It really turned out to be a LOT of work and effort for Dh to get us up and running again.

Migraines:

September was a great month for me as I only had 2 headaches and 4 migraines, but I am beginning to feel the side effects of the new medication I've been trying the past 2+ months; Emgality.  I've had extremely intense and painful chest pain, lots and lots of heartburn, constipation beyond discussion, joint pain, and hair loss.  I took my shot on Friday but immediately began to regret it as it sparked a long cluster of headaches and migraines.  I've decided that was my last injection of this medicine as the side effects outweigh the benefits.

Herbs/Flowers:

I have started the transplanting of my herbs to pots so I can bring them inside for the winter.  Last year I didn't started later and didn't manage to get them all in before the frost and lost my favorite basil herbs.  I worked on this for a few weeks and in the end, I brought in fifty pots!  Seriously, 50!  I had to rearrange the sunroom and move furniture out of it to prepare for all the plants coming in soon.  This took me most of Saturday.

Brenda: Buff Orpington:

I'm stillwashing her wound and it is healing well.  She isn't eating very well, but has begun to fuss a tiny bit when I am washing her; which is a great sign.  I have been afraid to hope she could survive this 'fly-strike' attack, but now I am beginning to see there is a chance she just might make it through this possibly.

Chickens:

I've been free-ranging the chickens as much as I can.  I often pick green beans, most days, and while I pick I let the chickens out.  I let Brenda out of the tractor to free range with the other chickens so they keep her as part of the flock and not reject her when she eventually gets reintroduced back into the flo

Bible Studies:

Both my Bible study groups/studies are coming along fine.  The Thrive group on Thursday nights is really great.  I'm so glad to meet some very welcoming women!  The Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) isn't nearly as much work as the Thrive assignments; which I thought it would be the other way around!  I thought BSF would be the more academic of the two, but the book we are using at Thrive is very detailed.  It is called:

An Unexplainable Life: Recovering the Wonder and Devotion of the Early Church ( Acts 1-12) by Erica Wiggenhorn

The Art of Letting Go:

Can you believe it?  I signed up for a meditation class!  It was a really nice class and I learned a few breathing practices.

Trip to Indiana:

Dd and Dh drove to Indiana on Friday and returned back home on Sunday night at 10 pm.  They worked on building, moving, repairing the deer hunting stands in our woods at the family farm.  Dh's best friend, Mark, also joined them to work on their stands.  They had a great time!!!  For the first time, Dd got to drive the old tractor!  I don't know if she or Dh was more excited!  They also had a weeny roast (hot dogs) with Giz and Grampy.  It is now that time of year that Dh can only think about preparations for deer hunting time!  I am quite used to it; especially since last year Dh had to miss deer hunting for this first time in over 30 years because of his detached retina emergency.  He is chomping at the bit.

Dd's Week:

Dd is still keeping to herself like she has most of the summer.  It makes it very difficult to document her academic progress!!  She has become a very independent person and I don't see her much at all,  This is a hard and difficult season for me.  Glad she went to church with me this week.

Grace Co-Op classes:

Science: Anatomy/Physiology

Art: Painting Studio

History: The American Civil War

Writing/English: Analytical Writing for Essays and Research Papers (IEW)

Math: Algebra II (Saxon)

with tutor.

Reader:

Diary of Anne Frank

I've assigned a chapter each day...hoping she can get through it.

Read Aloud:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Dd seems to be VERY un-interested in me reading to her - even if it is Dickens, but I am trying to bring back out RA's...not very promising though with her new schedule.

Bible Study:

Dd says she has restarted her Bible study again.  I don't have any details, but am glad to hear it.  She went to church with me on Sunday.

Physical Therapy:

This week at Dd's PT, her therapist said he thinks next week will be her last week!  She had PT twice this week.

........