Rhubarb and Huckleberries

Today's efforts produced jam and a very sticky kitchen. These are made from our rhubarb and huckleberries.

The grand kids have not been around to pluck the huckleberries from all the bushes around here so I claimed them. That was a lot of picking.

There are 14 pints but only 4 are huckleberry. So much for the idea of sending a pint to each of the kids for the grand kids to enjoy. They will have to come for a visit and perhaps grandpa will make them some pancakes to go along with the huckleberry jam.

Yes, I have been in my sewing room. Those pictures will be here later this month. Gifts need to be a suprise!

Fabric Finds

Yesterday was a busy day, the sun was out for a change. What a day!

In the morning I headed out to the local quilt shop  for my BOM. I really wanted to stay home and get started outside. I browsed for background fabric for some table mats to quilt up for a birthday gift and the sale rack. You have to visit the sale racks just to see.

I found bee fabric.  How did this fabric get in the store and to the sale rack without my knowledge? There is no longer bee fabric in the store but in my stash! Cute adorable bees. Like we needed more bee's hanging out with our hives.  At least these bee's we do not have to feed.

What will I make:? So far, I do not know.  I have started making small quilts, table runners with bee's for our fall harvest party. 

 It is a good thing I spent the day in the garden yesterday with our sunny weather. Today is back to normal with dreary wet rain.  Mowing will be on the back burner once again...........my sewing machine is needing some attention.

Pickles

Pickles


It is official, I am behind in all my sewing projects. I am so far behind that I still have one BOM that I should of picked up three weeks ago. All I can say is, it is that time of year, summers are just busy.  Even though the summer weather is a pit odd out here there are still things in the garden to tend to,  and Model T runs to do while the sun is out.

I had been asking and searching around for a recipe for "mustard pickles". My grandmother used to make them. They are hard to find and there was a time I could stock up on them during the holidays. Even that has left me empty handed the last couple of years.  Last month I finally got a recipe from a neighbors mother. So he showed up on our doorstep not only with the recipe but a jar of pickles. So this week was pickle making week.  There are 13 pints of bread and butters, 10  pints of zucchini pickles, and 14 pints of mustard pickles

that should work huh. Now the kitchen clean up. I have done everything i can do to avoid this, including leaving the house!

Lizzie' s Bees

It has been called to my attention that I have been the absent blogger. I do have to admit that i have thought about my blog. This is does not count though. More on this in a minute.

Lizzie's Bees!! I have been working on this for the last year and when October rolled around I felt successful. We are beekeepers and had just harvested our first batch of honey. Lizzie's Bees
was named after our model T, a 1923 Ford. This is also my label on our honey jars. Yes, that is our Lizzie there. When John and I looked at each other and said "Lizzie's Bees" we knew it was right. There is a web site for Lizzie's Bees but no shopping cart. The site shows you the process from the hive to honey.

The sad part about all of this is my health. This week I am told that I can not get stung anymore. I can wear my bee suit and all the garb and I am still capable of getting stung. I now need to carry an "epi pen" with me at all times. I have been stung many times and had no reaction to the sting. As time has gone on I developed an allergic reaction which worsened with each sting. The next time I get stung could be the fatal one. There are literally millions of people who deal with this situation. It is now a category which I have joined. I am no longer able to assist with the feeding and carry for our hives. I will need to rely on John and pictures for updates.

The bee's have been removed from the property. Not because of my allergies but due to a bear tearing up the hives. The bear tore apart the hives and strung frames all over the area. Bee's do not like temperatures under about 45 degrees and it was in the mid 30's here. The bee's will literally kill themselves trying to keep warm which is impossible with they are outside the hive this time of year.

The first time the bear arrived we put it back together loosing half of the population. The second time the bear came and had a repeat performance we lost more bees. This is when we removed the hives about 3 miles away. The bear has returned but I snicker thinking we tricked him. I can tell when he is around, Max and Fritz get fidgety and nervous.

Needless to say, that with the bear around my 30-40 Krag is loaded and by the door. I do not go outside, nor do Max and Fritz unless I search the back yard. I called some friends who are hunters to come out and take care of this bear but hunting season ended November 15th. I contacted the game department and this situation does not qualify for a "nuisance permit". I wonder if this bear knows this?

Oh ya, this is my sewing blog. I almost forgot. Yes, I have been sewing when my health permits me to actually do something. I have changed my style of sewing with the use of the embroidery machine I purchased this time last year. I have taken photo's of the things I have made but they must be stuck in my computer. Or, when I was thinking about my blog they did not miraculously appear on my blog. What was I thinking!!

With this posting, I will promise to be alive and participate the best I can.