Just Putting Away...

please excuse my messy kitchen

i make such a mess when i am pickling.. 

Good Afternoon dear hearts..

Just a wee post for you of my first few days of just putting away for the winter season... 

Terry  has been busy picking garden veggies. 

Green beans, swiss chard, beet greens and such.. 

I always can our green beans as we like the taste more than frozen ones and they are more shelf stable..

We bought fifty pounds of pickling cucumbers from a farmer as ours are not ready yet except for a few here and there.. 

I like to get them done up and over with..

I made Bread and Butter Pickles, Sweet Dills, Sandwich Dills, Farmer Pickles and my favourite Baba's Dill Pickles..

They are said to be the best pickle this side of the Vistabula River...  

I used oak leaves to keep them crisp and in the Sandwich dills I used black tea instead of pickle crisp...

Nor did I have any grape leaves which a lot of people use.   

I think there are 20 litres of green beans done up . 

I am also doing up Salad Beans.. 

They make delicious winter salads.. 

Our oldest son used to love that salad... 

Terry picked another pail yesterday.. 

I need to get them done soon but my knee is acting up.. 

Of all times!! 😟 

But... this too shall pass.. 

Tis amazing what can be accomplished sitting on a stool... 😊

I am resting it again today as I kind of messed it up again last night.. 

It is really nice day to rest though as it is pouring rain... 

Terry requests these cookies every once in a blue moon.... 

We call them Chocolate Macaroons... 

Everyone has a name for them but many are different.. 

What is your name for them?  

Here is my recipe in case you would like it... 

Chocolate Macaroons. 

In a saucepan put in 2 cups of white sugar, 1/2 cup of butter or margarine and 1/2 cup of milk. 

Bring to a good boil and boil for about one and half minutes.. 

Then add 3 cups of oatmeal, 1 cup of desiccated coconut and 1/2 cup of cocoa.. 

I always mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together before adding to sugar mixture... Have this ready first though.. 

Also have a piece of parchment ready too.. 

Stir well and spoon out onto parchment paper.. 

Well, this is it for today.. dearies!

So happy I was able to get back so soon.  

Will keep trying to do better.. smile.. 

What are you putting away?  

I actually love this time of year and all the pickling, canning and such.. 

Much better then spring cleaning... 😏

God bless you all today.... 

Looking forward to reading your sweet notes.. 

August is here already!

Well, hello everyone!

Here I am finally! 

So sorry for being so long away from here... 

 I have many excuses but will only explain one... smile.. 

Our internet was kaput sort of and we needed an upgrade.  

After it was hooked up our old desk top that I always used for this was not connected.. 

It still isn't but I have dug out my chrome book and am trying to use it... 

Thank you to you dear hearts who have contacted me and wondering if we were all ok...

Yes, we are mostly..  A little bump in the road here and there but all is well... but thank you so much for your concern and prayers!! 

Our darling son was home and ended up a longer visit then we anticipated!  

It was just so wonderful to see him and hug him!  

 I miss him terribly this time for some reason... 

Guess this old mother is getting older... 

Anyway, it was a joy and we are truly thankful for those days... 

So, here are a few pics of the last month and a half... or so... 

I will just let you scroll through and meet you at the bottom.. 

Just till I get used to this computer.. K?  smile.. 

Brothers together again!! 

Having fun with helmets like their Dad used to wear at work for 31 years!

Love love this following pic....

The first Sunday that Dustin was home we were able to all be at our little church together!!

I so loved having all my children there... 

A couple of grands couldn't make it as it was short notice but all the rest were... 

Just to look across and see that dear face looking back at me made my heart glad.. 

I am like you other mothers who desire to see their children in church and living for Jesus!  

Material things are blessings but my heart's desire is that they each have a genuine daily relationship with the Lord... 

It is the most important thing in their lives... 

For eternity!  

And it was just so wonderful to all be there in that wee church together!  

Now, on with the rest of the story!  smile....

Shonda's facebook page...

So... 

Dustin has returned to Alberta and we have been spending time at the farm.

He came out for a day and helped his Dad do this and that... 

They hung our old St. Martin's wind chime to charm the deer.. grin!  

We all had dinner out after church that day!  

Our family has increased and that is lovely.. 

Dustin and I spent a day together going to St. Martins... 

Such a dear day filed away in my heart of memories... 

He spent so many summers there in our old cottage... 

His brother and sister were married and gone but we bought it when he was 12.. 

He had a great time seeing it all again after a few years of being away...

He is like me and has a great love for the Bay of Fundy and says he misses it a lot... 

And the fish,  of course... 

I think he got his fill though.. grin.. 

Made some more ordinary food for meals here.. 

pork chops and veggies

my fave... Pasta and Mussels

and homemade jams and S'mores cookies

and bread... smile.. 

a few pantry pics from the farm.. 

picking our garlic scapes and herbs.. 

making herb vinegars...

hanging out laundry..a simple country pleasure... 

My lavender came back in a wonderful way, thank you, Lord... 

Terry working away in the garden with his gifted tiller from our son in law.... 

He came home last night with two almost full 5 gallon pails of beans.  

oh, and I made a little victorian scarecrow.. smile.. 

Well, my sweet friends this is about all of it for now.. 

But this chrome book is easier to use then before because the internet is working all the time.. 

Perhaps I will start doing wee posts like on Instagram.. 

But better as we all know each other so well.. 

I will honestly try... K?

Such a busy time of year though..

Started pickling and putting away for the winter.. 

The season will soon be changing although I hope Autumn just slowly wanders in.. 

Thankful for all that the year brings us.. 

Such beautiful blessings and it has been a great summer!  

Please check in and see if I can manage a few little posts.. 

And I love your dear notes.. 

Thank you dear Karen for finding me on Instagram even though you were not on there before.. 

So sweet... 

God bless you all and your sweet families.... 

Oh These Summer Days

Hello there dear hearts!  

Tis a beautiful day here in Maritime Canada.. 

a lovely summer one with a bit of cloud and shower and then the sun comes out again!  

We are so thankful for these beautiful summer days that the Lord has blessed us with... 

Wondering what is new in your world... 

As crazy as it seems it is possible to find small pieces of joy and stick them in our pocket of life, eh?  

The big news in our world here is that our dear youngest son is coming home... 

We are so excited!  

It has been 2 years and 5 months since I have hugged his neck... 

So looking forward to that!  

God is so good!  

And.... 

We have been up to the farm and actually stayed overnight several times.. 

another first for 2 years!!

There is just so much to do.. 

Poor Terry has been doing gardens and such.. 

I have been airing out comforters and making bread.. 

Love working in the pantry!  

Drinking mint tea... 

Put a plant on my kitchen table... 

Copied an idea from Kings Landing Heritage Village here in New Brunswick.. 

They use old saucers for everything.. 

For pickles, butter and bread...

And plants... smile.. 

Made us a lovely new sandwich idea from store bread.. 

Terry's favourite bread for sandwiches and mine wasn't ready yet.. 

It is mashed hard boiled egg and mashed crab... 

Mayo and salt and pepper.. 

So good... 

Try it .. you will like it.. lol... 

Then of course we have a regular meal here and there... 

Terry would eat Hamburger Gravy as we call it everyday!

So... 

We had boiled potatoes and carrots and hamburger gravy.. 

Lots of pickles and Broccoli Salad... 

T'was good! 

And for dessert... 

an apron full of our very own strawberries.. 

Our brother in law gave Terry a bunch of plants and we are so excited each time we go that we get a box full!!

So blessed to have a sweet girl at a garden centre gift me with all of these cast offs... 

Put them on a screen to dry in the livingroom... 

Hope they turn out so I can make some potpourri... 

and of course our farmer's dear cows... 

They are doing so well. 

Lots of hay this year.  

Thankfully!  

I putter around in my herb beds.. 

This was a bit more then putter day as it had not been worked on for awhile.. 

But they are coming... 

A little story.. 

You know me and my stories.... smile... 

I was so sad when we kept going to visit at the farm and my lavender looked dead.. 

It takes a long time to come back but it was beginning to look hopeless... 

One day I was looking and there was a bit coming on one edge and one edge only... 

Nearly broke my heart.. 

The rest was dead.. 

It had been there for this will be it's fifth year, I think... 

Terry told me just to hang on and not do anything because it takes a long while.. 

Anyway..

We were there and I went out to check and no it wasn't doing a thing.. 

So.. 

I prayed over it in Jesus Name... 

He cares about the little things.. 

What matters to us matters to Him... 

Well.. 

a week or two later I decided I better go chop that dead stuff back.. 

When I was looking to see I saw that all the dead stuff had new coming up from the roots.!!!  

I am just so thankful!!  

I will show you all a pic when it gets blooming... 

Love my bouquets of wild flowers and daisies are gorgeous... 

Right?? 

Remember I told you about the delicious curry angel hair we had at that restaurant in Fredericton... 

I figured it out.. 

Probably not the way they make it but it is good enough for me.. 

I just used a ramen noodle packet... 

Chopped up some veggies and added half the packet of flavouring and curry to taste... 

Delicious!

I know not all that healthy but a nice treat once in awhile.. grin.. 

A pic from a country funeral for my cousin... 

Such a beautiful resting place.. 

My parents are there along with many sets of grandparents... 

One day I made a bulgur salad... 

No, Terry had a hotdog.. lol... 

Then this little exciting thing happened... 

a sweet girl has been following my blog since she was just a teenager, I believe... 

Anyway, I had mentioned on Instagram that I was going to sell my St. Martins cottage dishes.. 

They were brown transferware. 

 She said she might like to buy them..

 

The biggest job I have been working at when we are at the farm is to get these totes from the cottage unpacked after about 5 years... 

I finally came across the transferware... 

I messaged her and the dear girl and her husband and child came to St. John.. 

They came across from Nova Scotia on the Digby ferry.... 😀

We finally got to meet ... 

Isn't she sweet! 

And the baby!! 💓💓

Then here at home... 

Violets, pansies, down pours and my darling Cactus blooming.. 

Thanks to my friends from Hillsbough for the lovely plant.. 

June was such a great month for gatherings ... 

And a most beautiful wedding..

Our dear grandson Jordan and his lovely bride Sarah... 

It was a beautiful day and a wonderful wedding.. 

God has blessed us with another granddaughter-in-law... 

And we are thankful..... 

Love you two and may you have many happy days and years together.... 

There are gorgeous pics which I may share a few another time.. 

This was from my own camera... 

Then another grandson, Carter graduated from UNB and we had a celebration... 

He already has a job in his field and a new apartment.. 

Congratulations, dear.. 

We love our grandsons.... 

Just as you do yours..  smile..

I stole this pic from my cousin.. 

This is our downtown... smile.. 

They are their horses and wagon...

And our neighbors flock.... smile.. 

I love them... 

On July 1st celebrations here they had a fireworks display in our field... 

So we went out and watched from our swing.... 

They were beautiful!  

One of the best we have seen.... 

Don't mind my photo... smile.. 

They were lovely...

Well my lovies... 

This is all for now.. 

I pray you are having a wonderful summer with family and friends.. 

Just trusting Jesus and holding onto His hand.. 

Life is grand.. 

God bless you and thanks for stopping by and your lovely wee notes.. 

So love them.. 

Hugs... 

PS... I just previewed this and realized that it is not a good piece of writing.. 

All chippy dippy!! 

So sorry but I guess I must be tired.. 

Hopefully, I will do better next time.. 

xoxox