Five on Friday

1.  Tomato Salsa

2.  Roasted Tomatoes

3.  Canned Tomatoes

4.  Tomato Sauce

5.  And in other news - - - Bob had a very good week combining, finishing up all the barley!  Now there's still a little bit of oats to do and then we will be done. the. grain. harvesting.

Lists of 2011 - #37

Listography #37 - More Things I Love (continuing on from June 2 - #22)

1.  Smiles, hugs and kisses from my children and grandchildren

2.  Sweetpeas in vases

3.  Autumn colors just beginning to show

4.  Picking fresh produce and eating it within minutes

5. The thought of apple pies in the freezer

6.  Ripening pumpkins and squash

7.  Corn on the cob, dripping with butter

8.  Peaches and cream with brown sugar

9.  Jars full of fruit and vegetables, lining the shelves

10.  Beets, in all their red glory

Wordless Wednesday

September on the Farm

Gratitude Gifts Today

Some days the happy and the hard get all mixed up and cause me to wander in the desert of 'self' instead of walking and leaning on the One who is bigger and better than everything.  Living in faith is a daily - no, sometimes it's a minute by minute - calling back to Eucharisteo and grace.   I marvel at my own inadequate attempts to go it alone, thinking I can figure it out and handle life in my own ways.  That quite simply just doesn't happen and I am so thankful when I give the burdens back to Him and rest in unfailing hope and promises.

When I pause to list the gifts, my heart lifts and my eyes are opened again to how incredibly blessed I am!

#2995 - #3028

- fresh peach slices right off the stone
- smooth pears, skin peeled off
- apricot syrup
- butter melting on corn on the cob
- aroma of dill pickle brine wafting through the house

- God's incredible patience with me
- knowing that Jesus walks right beside me, through all of it
- prayer over the telephone wire
- peace that floods my soul
- that my God is quick to forgive and welcome silly me back into His arms

- surprising the grandchildren
- sleepovers at the farm
- pizza picnic in the field
- big smiles that they get to ride with Grampa in the combine
- all the questions that get asked

- birthday candles lit and relit so everyone could have a turn
- little boys and their special days
- great-grandmothers lovin' on babies
- my parents' gift of hospitality
- memories of my grandparents

- my dad with another generation in the fields
- him showing them how to shell wheat

- and her trying to do it just like he did

- camera repairs

- reading stories together

- Psalm 23

- sweet peas in the van cupholder

- little voices singing while driving

- steady progress on work

- days of subbing booked for the future

- interesting books (Pope Joan - a wonderful read)

- leaves beginning to change color

- autumn arriving

9 / 11

I remember driving home from my friend's house that morning, just after 7 a.m.  We had gone for an early walk before each heading to our separate teaching jobs and as I drove  around the corner, there was a news bulletin with details of the first plane hitting the first tower.  By the time I got to school an hour later,  there were more grim details and the TV was set up in the library where high school students and staff gathered to watch the news all day long.    That continued for most of the week as we tried to come to grips with what had happened and why.  Our world was changed in a huge way.

It seems that the struggle to understand continues and the words hurled back and forth have done little to make things better.  Oh, the choices we humans make that take us so far away from God, each other and peace.  I pray that each of us works to understand others and work peacefully with those around us while serving God and sharing His love and hope.   I am thankful that I love and know a God who is bigger than all of this!

Five on Friday

Apricot Day

1.  Tuesday - 21 jars of apricots, 11 bottles apricot syrup, 10 jars apricot salsa

2.  Wednesday - 14 jars tomatoes, 10 jars tomato salsa,

3.  Thursday - 7 jars plums, 5 lbs. blueberries frozen, 21 jars peaches, 8 cups plum pieces frozen

4.  Friday - 9 jars peaches, 14 jars tomatoes

5.  Saturday - the marathon continues with  48 cobs of corn and pears waiting for attention.

I think perhaps my eyes were bigger than my hands - but the shelves are filling up and the boxes are emptying slowly!

Lists of 2011 - #36

Listography #36 - Things I Cannot Live Without

1.  A camera and photographs

2.  Fresh fruit and vegetables

3.  A telephone - for staying in touch with others (not that I really love to be on the phone)

4.  Chai lattes

5.  A sewing machine

6.  Running water

7.  Appliances like the fridge, dishwasher and washing machine

8.  Blooming flowers

9.  Cheese (in all forms)

10.  Books, any books - for reading and writing and savouring

Wordless Wednesday

First day of kindergarten!

Gratitude Gifts Today

It's been another week filled with blessings - bounty from gardens and orchards,  bounty in relationships and love, bounty in God's protection and leading, bounty in seeing God's creation and His love in those around me.  There has been news of illness and sadness, some hard conversations and some unexpected twists in the path.   But all, all is grace, as Ann would say - and as I agree!



#2965 - #2995

- enough cucumbers to make three jars of pickles
- pea plants that keep producing
- finding potatoes deep in the ground
- pink zinnias
- watching my Dad reach high to cut sweetpeas for me

- the wonderful fragrance of those sweetpeas
- cuddling Maëlle
- hearing her coo and squeal
- beautiful baby smiles
- pudgy baby legs

- amazing roads cut through mountains
- time with my daughters - and missing the one that is far away
- seeing our children's dreams become reality, one piece at a time
- sharing apples from our trees
- heartfelt prayers spoken with new friends

- beautiful peaches and pears hanging on trees
- farmers who grow bountiful crops, on vines and trees and stalks
- signs hanging from trees in front yards
- organic apricots
- straight rows marching across the hills

- a reliable vehicle, loaded with boxes of fruit
- safety while travelling
- smooth roads that wind gently along lakes
- lofty mountains with white tops
- new clothes for their first day of kindergarten

- little boy opening presents
- celebrating three years of living
- big sister's kindness and her help to make his day special
- reading in my Bible and then seeing the very same words in an online post
- that God provides so much good in so many ways

It's time to use that wonderful journaling idea that Marta at the dear diary stories, shared with me via her little  diaries.    Thanks again, M!!

Today

September 3, 2011

I love the smell

of fresh fruit, all enclosed in the van,

which is loaded with 4 layers of boxes.  

I love the sound

of a passionate Hungarian farmer

as he describes with pride,

the trees and fruit he grows.

I love the taste

of juicy orange-red nectarines,

ripened right on the tree,

dripping down my chin.

I love the sight

of perfect orbs of fruit, 

pears and peaches and plums, 

hanging full on green branches.  

I love the feel

of cool, purple plums,

layers deep in the field crates,

as we piled them into our boxes.

Currently

As inspired by Leigh, some thoughts about today:

Drinking: grande chai latte' from Starbucks

Eating: Rice Krispie squares

Reading: Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (November's book club choice)

Wearing: jeans, a brown paisley tshirt, black flip-flops, and a black windbreaker jacket

Feeling: exhausted!  I drove to Airdrie tonight after being in the city with Naomi and the kids all day.  It was dark for most of the drive and the traffic was crazy busy!  Dark nights + bright lights = unhappy driver!

Weather: Hot today with rain clouds gathered in the evening.  We are desperate for rain, after an over-abundance of it in July.  When I dug potatoes today, I had to chip them out of the hard-as-rock soil.

Wanting:  to fill up the van with fruit from BC.

Needing: some sub days to trickle in now that school's started again.

Thinking: I can hardly think - I'm so tired!

Enjoying: the peace and quiet of a home where everyone is in bed.  Off I go too!


Praying:  for Samuel to recover from croup and for safe travels.

Lists of 2011 - #35

Listography #35 - Material Things I Value Most

1.  Our farm

2.  My Grandma's pearls, my wedding rings, a diamond band and a jade necklace (all of my fine jewellery!)

3.  Photographs (especially our wedding photos, pictures of our children when they were little, heritage photos from my grandparents, a family picture taken when I was 7 - I could go on and on with this list!)

4.  Cameras

5.  My MAC laptop

6.  Appliances, especially the fridge and stove

7.  The rocking chair my grandparents gave us for a wedding gift

8. An Old Country Roses teacup that my Grampa L. gave me after Gramma died

9.  Photobooks and mini-albums from our kids

10.  My Bible and other books

Wordless Wednesday

Sun setting at our house tonight

This Week In My Kitchen

My camera has gone to the camera hospital for a cleaning so photos are a little scarce around here for a bit.   Hopefully you can imagine this bounty from our garden.

1.  Borscht - our favourite soup at this time of year.

2.  Nine more jars of zucchini relish - I think we have enough now.

3.  Five jars of raspberry jam.

4.  Frozen green beans.

5.  Three jars of dill pickles - a pleasant surprise!

6.  Cucumbers with cream sauce.

7.  More sliced tomatoes + 3 cups frozen.

8.  Applesauce - 16 2-cup containers frozen.

9.  Chocolate zucchini cupcakes.

10.  Cauliflower and cabbage taken to Naomi.  There are more heads of both that will be ready this week.

While Bob was gone I ate borscht and leftovers so it was another week with not much cooking.

Gratitude Gifts Today

Summer is such a wonderful time of growing things and enjoying the outdoors.  Every day in August has brought warm temperatures and blooming flowers.  It's really quite hard to believe that the end of the month is upon us!   But the falling leaves (lots on the bike trail yesterday) and the golden grain speak of a season change and the sun is setting earlier every day.  There is so much every day that speaks of the Creator's goodness and His bounty.  I am reminded that He means for me to share what I have, both produce and most importantly His love.  

#2935 - #2965

- a gorgeous bride and a handsome groom, both of them smitten with each other

- fun and laughter while hearing about them growing up

- a stunning mother of the bride - so glad we are friends

- delicious Ukrainian food

- visiting with teaching friends

- stories from a successful hiking trip

- safety 

- bears that stayed away from people

- gorgeous views of God's creation

- cousins laughing together

- Sunday afternoon bike rides

- resident bike mechanic

- cuddling and talking to Maëlle as she coos

- Blake's words, coming often now

- Meadow sitting on my lap during church

- creative ideas and inspiration

- bouncing ideas off Bob and getting help with the details

- thrift store finds

- plans for birthday gifts

- anticipating his excitement

- handfuls of basil for pesto

- watermelon plants blooming (maybe producing in 2 years?)

- squash forming and stretching

- jars of raspberry jam

- marigolds blooming brightly

- storms that pass by 

- good news from far away

- lists and crossed off lists

- resting in God's care

- knowing that He cares about me!

Thought of the Day

From Storypeople

Veteran Traveler

carries a lot of suitcases but all of them are empty because she's expecting to completely fill them with life by the end of this trip & then she'll come home & sort everything out & do it all again

Five on Friday

1.  Bob's gone hiking to Yoho National Park this weekend and I am loving being at home all by myself.  I have so many projects on my to-do list that I'm not sure three days will be enough to get them done!

Takkakaw Falls

(photo from Virtual Tourist.com)

2.  Working on a new hairstyle these days.  It's getting longer than I've had it for quite sometime but I think(?) it works.   Sorry there's no picture to show :)

3.  Our book club met last night and discussed the book "Day After Night" by Anita Diamant (the author of The Red Tent).  It's a very good read about 4 young Jewish women, each with their own story of survival,  on their way to Palestine after World Way II.   I love the variety of books we read and the discussions we have!  (Thanks for the good read, good time, and good food, DM!)

4.  There's a batch of raspberry jam cooling on the counter and a roaster full of applesauce cooling on the stove.  .  I love filling jars up with good food from our garden :)  Tomorrow it will be batch #2 of zucchini relish.

5.  Overnight it seems that autumn is pushing her way into our lives.  The maple trees are showing their bright golden leaves and some tiny wild bushes have red tinges.

Lists of 2011 - #34

Listography #34 - Things I Dream of Doing When the Day Turns Sour

1.  Going back to bed and starting again tomorrow

2.  Jetting far, far away

3.  Somehow, anyhow! making him see it from my point of view!

4.  Sending flowers to me

5.  Eating chocolate, lots of chocolate!

6.  Ringing the bell and calling the maid to deal with it

7.  Waving a magic wand and making it 'all better'

8.  Crying on my sister's shoulder

9.  Getting hugs from my kids

10.  Spending days and days with my grandchildren, no cares, no worries - just being like one of them :)

Wordless Wednesday

Rescue Crabapples

Gratitude Gifts Today

Really and truly Ann's writing at A Holy Experience is such a blessing!  Her thoughts today fit perfectly with yesterday's message at church about building on the firm foundation of God's love.  I am amazed at how God reinforces these thoughts so they are front and center for my daily living.

So I begin this week pondering these words of Ann's - and agreeing wholeheartedly with them!

"Unless we make it a habit to give thanks, we habitually give our family grief.

Unless we consistently speak praise, we consistently speak poison.

Unless we are intentional about giving God glory throughout the day, our days unintentionally give way to grumbling. "

And I need to hang them in every corner of my house and of my life that my living might give Him the glory!




#2910 - #2935

- vacuumed floor, first thing in the morning
- clean windows in the tractor
- bright tablecloth, a long ago gift from my aunt
- little vase brought home from Prague
- lavender and white sweet peas in that vase

- sweet scent of sweet peas that I grew
- how much they remind me of my Dad
- time off from fieldwork
- pictures and videos of our grandchildren
- fenceposts marching along the property line

- jars of relish put away on the pantry shelf
- dreaming of new quilts to make
- chocolate zucchini cake batter
- square bowl from my sister

- shelling peas

- wise messages that seem to be written just for me
- bounty from the garden and fields
- birds circling in the sky
- new worship songs
- washing machine and dryer, working away

- looking back through pictures
- cleaning off another corner of the kitchen counter
- praying as I drive
- seeking His strength and support
- building everyday with Him as the foundation