Hello all!
I haven't got a picture for you YET today, but I'll see what I can do.
Though I realize that I have said this over and over before, in my blog and elsewhere: I cannot BELIEVE how fast the weeks go by! Goodness.
Gary's eye which got stung by the wasp is apparently A-OK. What a "close call" that was! I tried to find a picture on Google Images of a sting to the eyeball, and there wasn't one... was going to fake you guys out with a borrowed Internet picture. Just kidding... I would've qualified the photo.
My friend, who gave me "Kelly" the cat, has died. I don't know anything yet about a memorial or funeral, but I hope that there is one; I will go and take bouquets that I should have taken to my friend in the hospital. I didn't make time to visit her as often as I should have. She has a loving daughter living in our small town, and there is a first grandchild due in November, my poor friend had aimed to live at least long enough to see the baby. I've known few braver souls.
I've been quite busy making preserves for the Farmer's Markets. Last Thursday , I made several different kinds: I kept pulling frozen fruit out of the freezer and also had visited the health food store for more. Last night I made some preserves again. So far I've made Blackberry, Blackberry with Papaya, Mango Almond Conserve, Strawberry Lavender Jam, Raspberry Jam, Pomegranate Jelly, Blueberry Jam, Crabapple Jelly, Apple Rosemary Jelly, Apricot Jam.
Yesterday (Sunday) I found a fruit vendor set up on the Highway corner, and bought a case of apricots, case of yellow plums, and a half case of peaches. Last night I attempted to make apricot jam "the old fashioned" way... the long boil method. No sooner had I thought, "Isn't it marvelous how this jam can be at a rolling boil and not stick to the bottom", when it STUCK to the bottom! So then I had brown bits getting stirred up into the pristine, silky looking orange-coloured jam. UGH. It was a fairly large batch, and I ended up straining the damned jam through a sieve in an attempt to remove the carmelized bits (they were NOT scorched), and of course it was gelling as I did this. What a mess. So now I have a very reduced quantity of sellable apricot jam, and a bunch of what I'd call "family style" jam. Between that and a batch of blackberry jam, and a cheesecake for the coffee shop, I had quite the production goin' on, and I was cleaning up the resulting mess until 2 a.m..
Sorry, I don't ship preserves. Thought you might need to know.
Must get dogs and cats fed and watered and comfortable. We have boarding at the moment: one beautiful white persian with one blue eye and one amber eye. Also, a three-legged cat, a yellow Lab, chocolate Lab, and a Great Dane who is in the middle of a custody battle. (We keep the Dane indoors at night for warmth and protection, and his gate is padlocked). There are some going home today and different ones coming. It's all good!
Talk to you later!
~Ann
