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!

Really Rose: Chive Blossom Vinegar

Living at the base of the biggest mountain around, it seems we always wait for Spring a bit longer than everyone else.  It always gets here but after it shows up everywhere else.  Spring has so many different meanings for all of us. No matter who you are warmer weather is at the top of your list.

For me, spring means being outside. Being outside, means playing in the dirt or riding in our cars which are older than dirt.

A few days ago we finally had our first day of 70 degree weather. Mowing, weeding and planting were on my list all week. I am still looking at things that have not started sprouting wondering if they are just ignoring the spring weather or if they are upset of the lack of Spring weather and have given up.

I glanced at the rusty old wheel barrow of herbs to see the changes. Yes the Lizard rain gauge is full too! Oh yes, the garlic chives have blossomed. I picked the blossoms off which landed in the compost pile. Meanwhile, Rose, a childhood friend is harvesting chive blossoms.  This is a reminder to not throw away gorgeous, purple blossoms anymore.

This link will take you to her blog. Really Rose: Chive Blossom Vinegar

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!

When Will Spring Arrive

Many of of us are looking for signs of "SPRING". Winter has been hard for everyone. There have been floods and outrages snow storms with ice.

I bundled up for the mid-30 temperatures to talk a walk around in my garden areas yesterday, peeking for any sign the season would change soon. I was in luck, the crocus's are coming up and the daffodils are showing too. They are almost 2 inches tall right now. The weeds are already sprouting pretty pesty greens. They are hard to pull when the ground is frozen.

Soon, soon we will have warmer weather so the flowers can bloom and more weeds can grow.

I even see the fruit trees showing off new buds. I am sure this will attract the Elk.
This weekend is Valentine's Day. However, you want to celebrate it make it a special day. It can be as simple as some favorite cookies in a packed lunch, a special desert after dinner, or a card of appreciation for someone, an email to someone you do not hear from often, or a phone call. This is where random acts of kindness fit in. Do something different make it special.

A Garden Vest

How often do we sit down with a project and it is something we are making for someone else?
I think this happens more frequently than not.

this time I decided to take my yard vest and jazz it up. I found this wonderful design and decided it needed to be done for me.


I had decided not to embroidery through the entire vest because it is lined with fleece and too thick. So I sewed a patch and attached that to the vest. I secured it by appliqueing it to the vest. There is silk ribbon all the way around tied with delicate french knots. I hung a small heart charm from the top at the base of the bow.

I am sure these cute gals will help me garden don't you!

I would appreciate it if you took a moment to click this link for me.
http://www.DesignsBySiCK.com/?pointsfor=rainagade

I frequently check this site for embroidery designs. Okay, I am doing this daily, hourly, by the minute, whatever the mood brings.

There is a points system for receiving points on this site. By clicking this link I get to collect points to purchase embroidery designs. It is my way of cutting down the funds I spend on fabrics and thread. So please be kind and help me! All of your clicks would be greatly appreciated!

.

Who Loves Beans?

Everyone knows that during the summer I spend most of my time outdoors. There are lots of weeds around here.

This is the picture of the garden for this year. The tomatoes are as high as the corn. On the far right are two posts, that support the beans. The posts are 7 feet tall. That will give you a good idea how well things have grown.

The garlic and onions are ready to be pulled and dried. After a few days of sun they will be picked.

Here are the beans that grew. So far we have just been eating and sharing them. I do need some for winter so I like to can them.

Max and Fritz love beans too! You can not go to the garden without them. They even know which rows the beans are.

Gardening

Many of you know that I spend a majority of my time outdoors this time of year. It was my goal to put away the sewing machine, needle and thread to make sure the outdoor projects for the year were completed. Needless to say i started a few more sewing projects.

This is a picture of the garden area looking towards the house. It was taken in the early morning so you can still see the shade on the garden. The garden sits on the north property line and when I am out there I can hear the river flowing. It is a great place to just "hang out".

The end of May I started propagating soft woods. I have an experiment going with two different mediums, four different plants. This is just a start. I have some hardwoods that I will be doing in the fall. I will keep you posted of my progress.

Then there is the lawn! An hour and half with the tractor to mow it! I have been warned about taking out large patches of blackberries and making more lawn......

Spring Is On It's Way

I think "old man winter" is on his way out of town! It is such a good thought!

The bright yellow mini daffodils follow the crocus plant. I have them planted everywhere in the yard because they are one of the first to bloom. True signs that Spring is around the corner.

I will need to finish up the sewing projects and organize the sewing room. It is time to send the weeds to the compost pile. They are already ahead of me...but thats normal.