And that wraps it up for this year!

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Just minutes ago I labeled two tubs of pureed pie pumpkin, and placed them in the freezer. Then the kitchen was handed over to Attila for his projects. He is cooking a variation on scalloped potatoes, and is including in his dish the last garden Zucchini, and some organic carrots purchased at the grocery store. When that project is safely in the oven, the very last tomatoes, that had been set to ripen in the basement more than a month ago, will be brought upstairs to be either cooked or composted. We had the last ripened beefsteak tomato in our green salad last night. By this evening the very last of the garden harvest will have been either eaten or preserved or composted! Well not entirely, there are about 10 small beets still in the garden, and some carrots, which have been miniature this year. We will cook these vegetables immediately. The garden harvest preservation projects are over for this year. As the garden and preservation projects have slowly wound down, other projects have been initiated. Our basement is not insulated, and unheated. As a result, the floors are cold underfoot. We lose heat through the bare concrete blocks. This … Continue reading →

The Last Big Garden Push

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Worldly Weather 7°C Date: 1:00 PM EST Sunday 10 November 2019 Condition: Mostly Cloudy Pressure: 101.1 kPa Tendency: Falling Temperature: 7.1°C Dew point: 1.6°C Humidity: 68% Wind: WSW 28 gust 41 km/h Visibility: 24 km Quote “I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this.” Emo Phillips

My Mom

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My Mom lives an active life, not as active as she did in her 70s, but still very active and engaged. She is as sharp as a tack. Up until the huge storm that took out the complex she visited every winter in Florida, she was driving to Florida and back, by herself, every winter for a few weeks of well deserved R&R. She continued to to do this even after her health episode in 2015, which left her with a few ongoing health challenges, which she handled with aplomb. Mom lives with Sister-The-Middle-Girl, and has for the last 26 years. Sister-The-Middle-Girl had a really good job when she gave birth to her only daughter 26 years ago, and in order to continue on her highly successful career path, invited Mom to live with her, to provide round-the-clock child care and housekeeping. Mom loves children, so this was right up her alley, she accepted. Mom not only provided the best in the world child care for my sister’s daughter, she also provided incredible care and support for Sister-The-Youngest-Girl’s three children who lived just down the road. Mom drove children to lessons, games, events, school, you name it, my Mom was … Continue reading →

First Snow!

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It is snowing here this morning, lots and lots of snow. It is melting too, but enough is falling out the sky to accumulate significantly on the branches of the tree branches outside my windows, about 4 inches so far. I love the first snowfall of the season! It is pretty. But beyond the visual is the feel of the soft white blanket that now surrounds my little house. The busy brashness of late autumn sounds has been muted. White brings sharp visual contrast to the landscape. I can see paths in the snow, where squirrels and rabbits have made their way in our yard. That is on the outside of me. On the inside of me is a deep feeling of containment and contentment. I am cozy here in my little house, warm enough, well fed enough (understatement), and peacefully occupied enough to love where I am. The first snow always brings into sharp focus how wonderful it is to have a peaceful home to live in. I stepped out onto the back porch this morning, to take out the compost bucket, and to bring in some washed and dried plastic bags that were hanging on the clothesline, and … Continue reading →

Full House

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Sunday, October 27, 2019 Autumn! Yesterday we were out at the Camp for a few hours. What a beautiful day it was! Attila brought his chain saw and managed to get two of the many dead trees out. But the recent rains brought water back to the swamp, so many dead trees remain to be removed at another time. Grace the trailer was closed up for the winter, and happily there was no sign of mice inside. The mouse trap will be left operational for the winter, using plumber’s anti-freeze. it is hoped that the wildlife will live in the wild, and that the trap will be empty come spring. Hopefully there will be more Today began with heavy, cold rain. The skies are unbroken and the colour of slate. Attila is shutting down much of the garden, mulching some of the perennials, pulling frost killed plants and cutting them up for the composters. I made tomato sauce this morning, from the tomatoes that have ripened in the basement. There are still quite a few tomatoes down there, and most of them will ripen nicely, for eating, and for more tomato sauce. I am not going to can any more … Continue reading →