We just brought in piles of squash, tomatoes and cucumbers because it is suppose to freeze tonight.  I have never gotten a crop of tomatoes like this year!  I really can't complain about the other things either.  It is amazing.
I spent last weekend at the North Shore (of Lake Superior).  I managed to sprain both wrists on a hike to Kettle Falls on the Brule River.  It's great--well worth the wrists.  Leaves are turning.  We stayed at Solbakken a little down at the heels, but except for our toilet problems it would have been fine place to stay. We went to Grand Marais--wow they have a great coop and a super nursery.  All that and the big lake too.
I have been doing yoga and personal training classes as well as digital photo classes.  Last night I did face painting at the school carnival.  I do love the children and parents!
Now that I think I know how I will be posting more photos of the Lake.
I have been doing some wool applique/quilting--mostly just following a pattern.  I am joining a quilt guild soon, and I went to one "group meeting" on Tuesday.  I love the energy these women exude.  They are artists of the highest order.  I have my plans for my project for next month...now I just have to execute it.  My doggy bed cover (pieced and quilted) is almost done.
More later!

This is going to be quick.  What am I going to do tomorrow.  I got tons accomplished today.  I canned 8 quarts of tomatoes (pureed I think).  My new little whiz bang gadget makes life easier.  Then I did 8 1/2 pints of bread and butter pickles.  Bob was thinking they were quite tasty.  My daughter worked for someone today with great sauerkraut, so she is going to try to get the recipe. 
I may go to the humanities discussion at the Senior center and I may also join other retired teachers for lunch.  I just don''t think it is like being an addict and that I need support to get through the day.  I might go volunteer in the library or in a particular room.
I am feeling quite calm at this moment in time.
Our mid-Minnesota world has suddenly turned to fall--I think more because of draught than a change in the weather.
I took some great tomato pictures last night one tomato weighed in at over 1.9 pound.  My favorites this year so far are Mohammad (adorable sweet, tiny plant) the tomatoes are too big for the baby plant.  Amish Paste has huge tomatoes, but they do need regular water or they don't fill out right--but are the good!  They are meaty, sweet, lots of dry matter, (yummy)  Aunt Ginny's Pink Potato leaf is good with a rather sweet after taste.  Above average in earliness and productivity.  A surpise is "Burbank" which I thought would be bigger.  It is early and has more full tomato flavor plus my 3-5 plants are producing about 5 -10 pounds per day of tasty tomatoes that dry to the essence of tomato, and with the help of my squisher I can make lots of sauce without peeling them because the skins just come out the other end.
I am getting so nervous about peeking at my potatoes, sweet potatoes, squashes and pumpkin.  It looks like I have a fair number of 2 squashes and one pumpkin. It's time for me to go to bed, and see if I  cna figure out how to post pictures to this page.(: Yeehaw!

Part ii

I am hoping the first part of my post will miraculously reappear.  With Google docs, blog, etc. this seems to happen to me.  I don't know why they go or how they come back, but they ususally do.

 

The gardens are producing abundantly.  Last night I picked several pounds of small tomatoes, and the quite a stack of medium and large tomatoes.  The other day I made tomato sauce using my new juicer thing that spits out the skins and things (fine screen eject seeds into the compost dish).  today I am going to try the "salsa" screen.  I love having lots of just plain whole canned tomatoes too, so I am hoping our production keeps up.  I picked some more cucumbers for sweet pickles this time (actually bread and butter).  I picked a spaghetti squash and a Boer squash.  They will be going to the garage to cure.  I also picked a couple pounds of broccoli, blauhilde beans, blackeyed peas (currently dehydrating) and some Cherokee tears beans (for baked beans).

 

I need to get the garage cleaned out which also means getting the house cleaned out.  I have much of my mother's stuff which is suppose to go on a "garage sale," but I really have been down in the dumps, and so things have not gotten done as quickly as I would like.

 

I spent last week at my daughters mostly at the fair with my granddaughter.  She showed her kittens, ferret and cupcakes (before the fair), four rabbits, a goat, her horse, and a beautiful series of photographs which earned her a Grand Champion, and another which won honorable mention.  She was quite successful.

Off to my canning, and then to see if I can get in 1 hour of "cleaning" before bed.

Fall is in the Air

Wow! Typical of Minnesota weather in general the change was sudden.  We had been sweltering for more than a month (though at least we got rain at intervals that we consider frequent.)  Then, poof, last week the temperatures dropped in to the 40s overnight, the leaves started to turn color, etc.  I have been going crazy with making naturally fermented pickles, dehydrating tomatoes, blackeyed peas, and anything else getting ready to eat.  My carrots are starting to fill out.  Now we need rain, and I will have to go water (my community garden).  I have spaghetti squash coming in larger numbers than I would have expected.  My Boer Squash look like large, bright white buttons.  I also have Spooky pumpkins starting to turn color as well.  I am hoping that my tomatoes will start ripening in quantity, so I can start canning them.  The cucumbers may reach a point where I just have to say I am sorry we have reached our limit.  The dog and I love our tomato and kale chips--just plain.  I have many kinds of dried beans growing along with Blauhild which is a blue pole bean--it turn green when cooked.  It has excellent flavor and is quite productive.  It is hard to crawl through the garden now because everything has overgrown its boundaries.
This is Waupaca County Fair week, and so I will go and stay with my daughter and granddaughter to try and help with all the projects.  My 4Her is showing horse, goats, rabbits, etc.  She already showed her kitties and ferret.  In addition, she usually does a couple of art projects too.  I also think she is making cupcakes for the fair.
This is my first fall as retired, so I am really beginning to feel lonesome for the things I know how to do.  I actually have lots to do--my mom died, and I moved out of school, so I have mountains of stuff to go through, not to mention the fact that my house hasn't been cleaned very well in ages due in large part to my less than ideal health.  I sorted through two shelves of books last night.  I have quite a pile that are going on the sale.  I have also been digging and replanting some of my perennials.  I need to sell or give those away too.
My son came up last night and took us out to dinner for my birthday.
More later,
Linda

A great class today (quilting0 with Amanda Jean Nyberg from the Sunday Morning quilt book

It was a fabulous class taught by a true artist--artists always love your attempts.  I climbed out of my box enough to piece totally random pieces with out peeking.  I can do more now--i have stretched the line.  The dog gets th one for his bed.  I just have to keep adding more unever pieces to the ehnds and sides.  He will love it.  I will post pictures as soon as I can.
My grandaugter, Alex won grand champion of the pet division for 4h with one of her kittys (Sabre), and she one a first place with her baby ferret..She also shows horse rabbits and goats.  I get to go help eith the fair.

I have a post floating around in cyber space--oh well--if you find it let me know.

I have been making fermented pickles which include whatever you want to pickle with 1 cup of sea salt to 1/2 gallon of water.  This concoction sits around for a week or two until it is "just right."  I have dill, garlic, garlic chives, onions, grape leaves cucumbers and black pepper or pickling spices in mine.  Hubby has polished off 1 quart already.  I am also making my traditional dill pickles at a ratio of 1 cup salt to 5 cups of apple cider vinegar and 7 cups of water.  I also put onions, garlic, carrots and celery in these.  Thus far I have processed 15 pints and 4 quarts.  I live on a small city lot and have a community garden plot.  I just bought the food dehydrator, so I am having lots of fun.  I have lots of tomato chips which are great just the way they are.  I don't even eat raw tomatoes.
Of course the weeds are giving me problems.  I have been busy digging up my perennials to sell/share with others.  So far I have some lilies, peonies, daylilies, hosta, (Golden Tiara)  and woodland poppies.  I have lots more to do in the next couple of days.
Tonight I have to do my block of the month for tomorrow at 8 am.  From 10-4 I am going to a quilting class with Amanda Jean Nyberg.
I am going to try to post some pictures here of my garden.

I am feeling anything but retired.  I don't know how I did it when I was working.  My new passion of the moment is food dehydrating.  I have now done jerky, rhubarb, corn, blackeyed peas, tomatoes, hyssop, dill and chocolate peppermint.  I bought it on Friday afternoon. (:
I have been gardening violently--picking and pickling cucumbers.  I am trying real fermented pickles for the first time.  The tomatoes are about to come on like gangbusters, and of course I only planted a dozen or so varieties.  It looks like my spaghetti squash thinks it is time to take over the world.
I am dividing perennials.
Here is my first attempt at blogging--more later with photos. (: